diff --git a/site/content/docs/04-compile-time.md b/site/content/docs/04-compile-time.md
index 755985520d..9aba272bb6 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/04-compile-time.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/04-compile-time.md
@@ -312,6 +312,51 @@ const { code } = await svelte.preprocess(source, [
 });
 ```
 
+An additional level of nesting allows more control over the timing of subsequent `markup` functions.
+
+```js
+const svelte = require('svelte/compiler');
+
+const { code } = await svelte.preprocess(source, [
+	[
+		{
+			markup: () => {
+				console.log('this runs first');
+			},
+			script: () => {
+				console.log('this runs third');
+			},
+			style: () => {
+				console.log('this runs fifth');
+			}
+		},
+		{
+			markup: () => {
+				console.log('this runs second');
+			},
+			script: () => {
+				console.log('this runs fourth');
+			},
+			style: () => {
+				console.log('this runs sixth');
+			}
+		}
+	],
+	{
+		markup: () => {
+			console.log('this runs seventh');
+		},
+		script: () => {
+			console.log('this runs eighth');
+		},
+		style: () => {
+			console.log('this runs ninth');
+		}
+	}
+], {
+	filename: 'App.svelte'
+});
+```
 
 ### `svelte.walk`
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/preprocess/index.ts b/src/compiler/preprocess/index.ts
index 93b48996c1..1cf27b9f04 100644
--- a/src/compiler/preprocess/index.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/preprocess/index.ts
@@ -195,27 +195,51 @@ async function process_markup(filename: string, process: MarkupPreprocessor, sou
 	}
 }
 
-export default async function preprocess(
-	source: string,
-	preprocessor: PreprocessorGroup | PreprocessorGroup[],
-	options?: { filename?: string }
-): Promise<Processed> {
-	// @ts-ignore todo: doublecheck
-	const filename = (options && options.filename) || preprocessor.filename; // legacy
+function ensureArray<T>(x: T): T extends readonly any[] ? T : T[] {
+	// @ts-ignore
+	return Array.isArray(x)? x : [x];
+}
 
-	const preprocessors = preprocessor ? (Array.isArray(preprocessor) ? preprocessor : [preprocessor]) : [];
+function groupPreprocessors(preprocessorsIn: Array<PreprocessorGroup|PreprocessorGroup[]>): PreprocessorGroup[][] {
+	const preprocessors = { completed: [], building: [] };
 
-	const markup = preprocessors.map(p => p.markup).filter(Boolean);
-	const script = preprocessors.map(p => p.script).filter(Boolean);
-	const style = preprocessors.map(p => p.style).filter(Boolean);
+	function cleanUpBuilding() {
+		if (preprocessors.building.length) {
+		preprocessors.completed.push(preprocessors.building);
+		preprocessors.building = [];
+		}
+	}
 
-	const result = new PreprocessResult(source, filename);
+	for (const current of preprocessorsIn) {
+		if (Array.isArray(current)) {
+			cleanUpBuilding();
+			preprocessors.completed.push(current);
+		} else {
+			preprocessors.building.push(current);
+		}
+	}
+
+	cleanUpBuilding();
+
+	return preprocessors.completed;
+
+}
+
+async function preprocessGrouped<T extends PreprocessResult>(
+	result: T,
+	preprocessorGroup: PreprocessorGroup[]|PreprocessorGroup
+): Promise<void> {
+	const preprocessors = ensureArray(preprocessorGroup);
+	
+	const markup = preprocessors.map((p) => p.markup).filter(Boolean);
+	const script = preprocessors.map((p) => p.script).filter(Boolean);
+	const style = preprocessors.map((p) => p.style).filter(Boolean);
 
 	// TODO keep track: what preprocessor generated what sourcemap?
 	// to make debugging easier = detect low-resolution sourcemaps in fn combine_mappings
 
 	for (const process of markup) {
-		result.update_source(await process_markup(filename, process, result));
+		result.update_source(await process_markup(result.filename, process, result));
 	}
 
 	for (const process of script) {
@@ -226,5 +250,21 @@ export default async function preprocess(
 		result.update_source(await process_tag('style', preprocess, result));
 	}
 
+	return;
+}
+
+export default async function preprocess(
+	source: string,
+	preprocessor: PreprocessorGroup | Array<PreprocessorGroup | PreprocessorGroup[]> = [],
+	options?: { filename?: string }
+): Promise<Processed> {
+	// @ts-ignore todo: doublecheck
+	const filename = (options && options.filename) || preprocessor.filename; // legacy
+	const result = new PreprocessResult(source, filename);
+
+	for (const preprocessorGrouping of groupPreprocessors(ensureArray(preprocessor))) {
+		await preprocessGrouped(result, preprocessorGrouping);
+	}
+
 	return result.to_processed();
 }
diff --git a/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/_config.js b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/_config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e6a1040b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/_config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+export default {
+	preprocess: [
+		[
+			{
+				markup: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/one/g, 'two') }),
+				script: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/three/g, 'four') }),
+				style:  ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/four/g, 'nine') })
+			},
+			{
+				markup: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/two/g, 'three') }),
+				script: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/four/g, 'five') }),
+				style:  ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/three/g, 'four') })
+			}
+		],
+		{
+			markup: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/three|four|five/g, 'reset-markup') }),
+			script: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/reset-markup/g, 'reset-script') }),
+			style:  ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/reset-markup/g, 'reset-style') })
+		},
+		[
+			{
+				markup: ({ content }) => ({ 
+					code: content
+						.replace(/reset-markup/, 'six')
+						.replace(/reset-style/, 'six')
+						.replace(/reset-script/, 'six') }),
+				script: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/seven/g, 'eight') }),
+				style:  ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/eight/g, 'nine') })
+			},
+			{
+				markup: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/six/g, 'seven') }),
+				script: ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/eight/g, 'nine') }),
+				style:  ({ content }) => ({ code: content.replace(/seven/g, 'eight') })
+			}
+		]
+	]
+};
diff --git a/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/input.svelte b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/input.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6dbbfb47a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/input.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<p>one</p>
+
+<style>
+	.one {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
+
+<script>
+	console.log('one');
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/output.svelte b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/output.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbe3250348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/preprocess/samples/multiple-preprocessors-grouped/output.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<p>seven</p>
+
+<style>
+	.eight {
+		color: red;
+	}
+</style>
+
+<script>
+	console.log('nine');
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file