diff --git a/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.cc b/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.cc
index 28d1811bd5ac8..11683fde36773 100644
--- a/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.cc
+++ b/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #include "extensions/browser/extension_function_registry.h"
 #include "extensions/browser/extension_system.h"
 #include "ui/base/ime/chromeos/extension_ime_util.h"
+#include "ui/base/ime/chromeos/ime_keyboard.h"
 #include "ui/base/ime/chromeos/input_method_descriptor.h"
 #include "ui/base/ime/chromeos/input_method_manager.h"
 #include "ui/keyboard/keyboard_util.h"
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ namespace AddWordToDictionary =
     extensions::api::input_method_private::AddWordToDictionary;
 namespace SetCurrentInputMethod =
     extensions::api::input_method_private::SetCurrentInputMethod;
+namespace SetXkbLayout = extensions::api::input_method_private::SetXkbLayout;
 namespace OnChanged = extensions::api::input_method_private::OnChanged;
 namespace OnDictionaryChanged =
     extensions::api::input_method_private::OnDictionaryChanged;
@@ -195,6 +197,21 @@ InputMethodPrivateGetEncryptSyncEnabledFunction::Run() {
 #endif
 }
 
+ExtensionFunction::ResponseAction
+InputMethodPrivateSetXkbLayoutFunction::Run() {
+#if !defined(OS_CHROMEOS)
+  EXTENSION_FUNCTION_VALIDATE(false);
+#else
+  scoped_ptr<SetXkbLayout::Params> params(SetXkbLayout::Params::Create(*args_));
+  EXTENSION_FUNCTION_VALIDATE(params.get());
+  chromeos::input_method::InputMethodManager* manager =
+      chromeos::input_method::InputMethodManager::Get();
+  chromeos::input_method::ImeKeyboard* keyboard = manager->GetImeKeyboard();
+  keyboard->SetCurrentKeyboardLayoutByName(params->xkb_name);
+  return RespondNow(NoArguments());
+#endif
+}
+
 InputMethodAPI::InputMethodAPI(content::BrowserContext* context)
     : context_(context) {
   EventRouter::Get(context_)->RegisterObserver(this, OnChanged::kEventName);
diff --git a/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.h b/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.h
index 40b1e400f67b1..8b8b442e926d2 100644
--- a/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.h
+++ b/chrome/browser/chromeos/extensions/input_method_api.h
@@ -139,6 +139,23 @@ class InputMethodPrivateGetEncryptSyncEnabledFunction
   DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(InputMethodPrivateGetEncryptSyncEnabledFunction);
 };
 
+// Implements the inputMethodPrivate.setXkbLayout method.
+class InputMethodPrivateSetXkbLayoutFunction
+    : public UIThreadExtensionFunction {
+ public:
+  InputMethodPrivateSetXkbLayoutFunction() {}
+
+ protected:
+  ~InputMethodPrivateSetXkbLayoutFunction() override {}
+
+  ResponseAction Run() override;
+
+ private:
+  DECLARE_EXTENSION_FUNCTION("inputMethodPrivate.setXkbLayout",
+                             INPUTMETHODPRIVATE_SETXKBLAYOUT)
+  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(InputMethodPrivateSetXkbLayoutFunction);
+};
+
 class InputMethodAPI : public BrowserContextKeyedAPI,
                        public extensions::EventRouter::Observer {
  public:
diff --git a/chrome/common/extensions/api/input_method_private.json b/chrome/common/extensions/api/input_method_private.json
index 5afd08f2daa01..69ca53ec65484 100644
--- a/chrome/common/extensions/api/input_method_private.json
+++ b/chrome/common/extensions/api/input_method_private.json
@@ -158,6 +158,24 @@
             ]
           }
         ]
+      }, {
+        "name": "setXkbLayout",
+        "type": "function",
+        "description": "Sets the XKB layout for the given input method.",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "name": "xkb_name",
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The XKB layout name."
+          },
+          {
+            "name": "callback",
+            "type": "function",
+            "optional": true,
+            "description": "Callback which is called when the layout is set.",
+            "parameters": []
+          }
+        ]
       }
     ],
     "events": [
diff --git a/extensions/browser/extension_function_histogram_value.h b/extensions/browser/extension_function_histogram_value.h
index 07c3391f72aef..438a1807567b5 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/extension_function_histogram_value.h
+++ b/extensions/browser/extension_function_histogram_value.h
@@ -1162,6 +1162,7 @@ enum HistogramValue {
   WEBRTCLOGGINGPRIVATE_STOPAUDIODEBUGRECORDINGS,
   TERMINALPRIVATE_ACKOUTPUT,
   ACCESSIBILITY_PRIVATE_SETKEYBOARDLISTENER,
+  INPUTMETHODPRIVATE_SETXKBLAYOUT,
   // Last entry: Add new entries above, then run:
   // python tools/metrics/histograms/update_extension_histograms.py
   ENUM_BOUNDARY
diff --git a/tools/metrics/histograms/histograms.xml b/tools/metrics/histograms/histograms.xml
index aa46f1790ce36..9ba3f26be7203 100644
--- a/tools/metrics/histograms/histograms.xml
+++ b/tools/metrics/histograms/histograms.xml
@@ -63540,6 +63540,7 @@ http://cs/file:chrome/histograms.xml - but prefer this file for new entries.
   <int value="1101" label="WEBRTCLOGGINGPRIVATE_STOPAUDIODEBUGRECORDINGS"/>
   <int value="1102" label="TERMINALPRIVATE_ACKOUTPUT"/>
   <int value="1103" label="ACCESSIBILITY_PRIVATE_SETKEYBOARDLISTENER"/>
+  <int value="1104" label="INPUTMETHODPRIVATE_SETXKBLAYOUT"/>
 </enum>
 
 <enum name="ExtensionInstallCause" type="int">