diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d82d6eb63d2396625a30136fe88bd0c2ca95b00c..c6300c97bea2e7cf02e037de099176bc04562832 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,6 +19,18 @@ When installing Ruby using `asdf install`, you can pass custom configure options
 * `RUBY_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS` - use only your configure options
 * `RUBY_EXTRA_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS` - append these configure options along with ones that this plugin already uses
 
+## Default gems
+
+asdf-ruby can automatically install a set of default gems right after
+installing a Ruby version. To enable this feature, provide a
+`$HOME/.default-gems` file that lists one gem per line, for example:
+
+```
+bundler
+pry
+gem-ctags
+```
+
 ## Migrating from another Ruby version manager
 
 ### `.ruby-version` file
diff --git a/bin/install b/bin/install
index 16b028f4c84a373e0f58649742d1b2d85b978ac7..a81fe3ba18bb2f6d7a2c4048aca06a74f52b881a 100755
--- a/bin/install
+++ b/bin/install
@@ -218,4 +218,24 @@ get_ruby_type() {
 }
 
 
+install_default_gems() {
+  local default_gems="${HOME}/.default-gems"
+
+  if [ ! -f $default_gems ]; then return; fi
+
+  echo ""
+
+  for name in $(cat $default_gems); do
+    echo -n "Installing ${name} gem... "
+
+    if gem install $name > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+      echo "SUCCESS"
+    else
+      echo "FAIL"
+    fi
+  done
+}
+
+
 install_ruby $ASDF_INSTALL_TYPE $ASDF_INSTALL_VERSION $ASDF_INSTALL_PATH
+install_default_gems