diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 325fd44c..f52711e4 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ function stripLoc(doc, removeLocAtThisLevel) {
   return doc;
 }
 
+var experimentalFragmentVariables = false;
 function parseDocument(doc) {
   var cacheKey = normalize(doc);
 
@@ -125,7 +126,7 @@ function parseDocument(doc) {
     return docCache[cacheKey];
   }
 
-  var parsed = parse(doc);
+  var parsed = parse(doc, { experimentalFragmentVariables: experimentalFragmentVariables });
   if (!parsed || parsed.kind !== 'Document') {
     throw new Error('Not a valid GraphQL document.');
   }
@@ -139,6 +140,14 @@ function parseDocument(doc) {
   return parsed;
 }
 
+function enableExperimentalFragmentVariables() {
+  experimentalFragmentVariables = true;
+}
+
+function disableExperimentalFragmentVariables() {
+  experimentalFragmentVariables = false;
+}
+
 // XXX This should eventually disallow arbitrary string interpolation, like Relay does
 function gql(/* arguments */) {
   var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
@@ -165,5 +174,7 @@ function gql(/* arguments */) {
 gql.default = gql;
 gql.resetCaches = resetCaches;
 gql.disableFragmentWarnings = disableFragmentWarnings;
+gql.enableExperimentalFragmentVariables = enableExperimentalFragmentVariables;
+gql.disableExperimentalFragmentVariables = disableExperimentalFragmentVariables;
 
 module.exports = gql;
diff --git a/test/graphql.js b/test/graphql.js
index 19cb7e36..726e3918 100644
--- a/test/graphql.js
+++ b/test/graphql.js
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ const assert = require('chai').assert;
       assert.equal(module.exports.Q2.definitions.length, 1);
     });
 
+    it('parses fragments with variable definitions', () => {
+      gql.enableExperimentalFragmentVariables();
+
+      const parsed = gql`fragment A ($arg: String!) on Type { testQuery }`;
+      assert.equal(parsed.kind, 'Document');
+      assert.exists(parsed.definitions[0].variableDefinitions);
+
+      gql.disableExperimentalFragmentVariables()
+    });
+    
     // see https://github.com/apollographql/graphql-tag/issues/168
     it('does not nest queries needlessly in named exports', () => {
       const jsSource = loader.call({ cacheable() {} }, `