diff --git a/.themes/classic/source/_includes/blog_index.html b/.themes/classic/source/_includes/blog_index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c77ea7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.themes/classic/source/_includes/blog_index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<div class="blog-index">
+{% assign index = true %}
+{% for post in paginator.posts %}
+{% assign content = post.content %}
+  <article>
+    {% include article.html %}
+  </article>
+{% endfor %}
+<nav role="pagination">
+  <div>
+    {% if paginator.next_page %}
+      <a class="prev" href="/page{{paginator.next_page}}/">&larr; Older</a>
+    {% endif %}
+    <a href="/blog/archives">Blog Archives</a>
+    {% if paginator.previous_page and paginator.previous_page > 1 %}
+      <a class="next" href="/page{{paginator.previous_page}}/">Newer &rarr;</a>
+    {% elsif paginator.previous_page %}
+      <a class="next" href="/">Newer &rarr;</a>
+    {% endif %}
+  </div>
+</nav>
+{% if site.disqus_short_name %}
+<script type="text/javascript">
+    var disqus_shortname = '{{ site.disqus_short_name }}';
+    (function () {
+      var s = document.createElement('script'); s.async = true;
+      s.type = 'text/javascript';
+      s.src = 'http://' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/count.js';
+      (document.getElementsByTagName('HEAD')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('BODY')[0]).appendChild(s);
+    }());
+</script>
+{% endif %}
+</div>
+<aside role=sidebar>
+  {% if site.blog_index_asides.size %}
+    {% include_array blog_index_asides %}
+  {% else %}
+    {% include_array default_asides %}
+  {% endif %}
+</aside>
diff --git a/.themes/classic/source/index.html b/.themes/classic/source/index.html
index 7f4c0e1..fa5310a 100644
--- a/.themes/classic/source/index.html
+++ b/.themes/classic/source/index.html
@@ -1,44 +1,5 @@
 ---
 layout: default
-footer: false
 ---
-<div class="blog-index">
-{% assign index = true %}
-{% for post in paginator.posts %}
-{% assign content = post.content %}
-  <article>
-    {% include article.html %}
-  </article>
-{% endfor %}
-<nav role="pagination">
-  <div>
-    {% if paginator.next_page %}
-      <a class="prev" href="/page{{paginator.next_page}}/">&larr; Older</a>
-    {% endif %}
-    <a href="/blog/archives">Blog Archives</a>
-    {% if paginator.previous_page and paginator.previous_page > 1 %}
-      <a class="next" href="/page{{paginator.previous_page}}/">Newer &rarr;</a>
-    {% elsif paginator.previous_page %}
-      <a class="next" href="/">Newer &rarr;</a>
-    {% endif %}
-  </div>
-</nav>
-{% if site.disqus_short_name %}
-<script type="text/javascript">
-    var disqus_shortname = '{{ site.disqus_short_name }}';
-    (function () {
-      var s = document.createElement('script'); s.async = true;
-      s.type = 'text/javascript';
-      s.src = 'http://' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/count.js';
-      (document.getElementsByTagName('HEAD')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('BODY')[0]).appendChild(s);
-    }());
-</script>
-{% endif %}
-</div>
-<aside role=sidebar>
-  {% if site.blog_index_asides.size %}
-    {% include_array blog_index_asides %}
-  {% else %}
-    {% include_array default_asides %}
-  {% endif %}
-</aside>
+
+{% include blog_index.html %}
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index f730f86..48f287d 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 require "rubygems"
 require "bundler/setup"
 
+# If you customize your site's index page setting custom_index to true
+# will preserve your changes when running `rake update_source`
+custom_index = false
+
 ## -- Rsync Deploy config -- ##
 # Be sure your public key is listed in your server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file
 ssh_user       = "mathisweb@octopress.org"
@@ -151,6 +155,7 @@ task :update_source, :theme do |t, args|
   system "mkdir -p #{source_dir}; cp -R #{themes_dir}/"+theme+"/source/. #{source_dir}"
   system "cp -Rn #{source_dir}.old/. #{source_dir}"
   system "cp -Rf #{source_dir}.old/_includes/custom/. #{source_dir}/_includes/custom/"
+  system "cp -Rf #{source_dir}.old/index.html #{source_dir}" if custom_index
   puts "## Updated #{source_dir} ##"
 end