diff --git a/django/template/defaulttags.py b/django/template/defaulttags.py
index edd8260aad..7085e04cdb 100644
--- a/django/template/defaulttags.py
+++ b/django/template/defaulttags.py
@@ -1088,6 +1088,11 @@ def ssi(parser, token):
 
         {% ssi "/home/html/ljworld.com/includes/right_generic.html" parsed %}
     """
+    warnings.warn(
+        "The {% ssi %} tag is deprecated. Use the {% include %} tag instead.",
+        RemovedInDjango20Warning,
+    )
+
     bits = token.split_contents()
     parsed = False
     if len(bits) not in (2, 3):
diff --git a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
index 14422c3cc8..b74f550ba8 100644
--- a/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
+++ b/docs/internals/deprecation.txt
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ details on these changes.
 
 * The ``--list`` option of the ``migrate`` management command will be removed.
 
+* The ``ssi`` template tag will be removed.
+
 .. _deprecation-removed-in-1.9:
 
 1.9
diff --git a/docs/ref/settings.txt b/docs/ref/settings.txt
index 3769695820..8d0d17c010 100644
--- a/docs/ref/settings.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/settings.txt
@@ -125,8 +125,14 @@ Default: ``()`` (Empty tuple)
 
 .. deprecated:: 1.8
 
-    Set the ``'allowed_include_roots'`` option in the :setting:`OPTIONS
-    <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` of a ``DjangoTemplates`` backend instead.
+    This setting, along with the :ttag:`ssi` template tag, is deprecated and
+    will be removed in Django 2.0.
+
+.. versionchanged:: 1.8
+
+    You can also set the ``'allowed_include_roots'`` option in the
+    :setting:`OPTIONS <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` of a ``DjangoTemplates`` backend
+    instead.
 
 A tuple of strings representing allowed prefixes for the ``{% ssi %}`` template
 tag. This is a security measure, so that template authors can't access files
diff --git a/docs/ref/templates/builtins.txt b/docs/ref/templates/builtins.txt
index dced4cdee6..b9d2afb603 100644
--- a/docs/ref/templates/builtins.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/templates/builtins.txt
@@ -705,8 +705,6 @@ available to the included template::
     been evaluated and rendered* - not blocks that can be overridden by, for
     example, an extending template.
 
-See also: :ttag:`{% ssi %}<ssi>`.
-
 .. templatetag:: load
 
 load
@@ -979,6 +977,11 @@ this example, the space around ``Hello`` won't be stripped::
 ssi
 ^^^
 
+.. deprecated:: 1.8
+
+    This tag has been deprecated and will be removed in Django 2.0. Use the
+    :ttag:`include` tag instead.
+
 Outputs the contents of a given file into the page.
 
 Like a simple :ttag:`include` tag, ``{% ssi %}`` includes the contents of
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.8.txt b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
index 7e7b93ec0f..cdb25c4c30 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.8.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.8.txt
@@ -1385,6 +1385,14 @@ of ``Field.rel``.  The latter is an instance of
 module has been removed and the ``Field.related`` attribute will be removed in
 Django 2.0.
 
+``ssi`` template tag
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The :ttag:`ssi` template tag allows files to be included in a template by
+absolute path. This is of limited use in most deployment situations, and
+the :ttag:`include` tag often makes more sense. This tag is now deprecated and
+will be removed in Django 2.0.
+
 .. removed-features-1.8:
 
 Features removed in 1.8
diff --git a/tests/template_tests/syntax_tests/test_ssi.py b/tests/template_tests/syntax_tests/test_ssi.py
index bc70aca9c6..b87c1f9c2c 100644
--- a/tests/template_tests/syntax_tests/test_ssi.py
+++ b/tests/template_tests/syntax_tests/test_ssi.py
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import os
 
 from django.test import ignore_warnings, SimpleTestCase
-from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango19Warning
+from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango19Warning, RemovedInDjango20Warning
 
 from ..utils import ROOT, setup
 
 
+@ignore_warnings(category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
 class SsiTagTests(SimpleTestCase):
 
     # Test normal behavior
diff --git a/tests/template_tests/tests.py b/tests/template_tests/tests.py
index 6712ad12b1..b404a83098 100644
--- a/tests/template_tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/template_tests/tests.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ from django.template import (base as template_base, loader,
 from django.template.engine import Engine
 from django.template.loaders import app_directories, filesystem
 from django.test import RequestFactory, SimpleTestCase
-from django.test.utils import override_settings, extend_sys_path
+from django.test.utils import extend_sys_path, ignore_warnings, override_settings
+from django.utils.deprecation import RemovedInDjango20Warning
 from django.utils._os import upath
 
 
@@ -501,6 +502,7 @@ class RequestContextTests(unittest.TestCase):
             RequestContext(request, dict_=test_data, engine=engine))
 
 
+@ignore_warnings(category=RemovedInDjango20Warning)
 class SSITests(SimpleTestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         self.this_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(upath(__file__)))