diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4b13473e..59f67b32 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+## Changes in 0.30.0
+  - Transparently add `build-tool-depends` on `hspec-discover`/`markdown-unlit`
+    when a packages depends on `hspec`/`markdown-unlit` for compatibility of
+    existing package specifications with `cabal new-build` (see #254)
+
 ## Changes in 0.29.5
   - Fix a regression related to indentation sniffing (close #310)
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7230007d..b0ec7c14 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+TODO: ConCon: A convention over configuration extension for Hpack
+
 # hpack: A modern format for Haskell packages
 
 Hpack is a format for Haskell packages.  It is a modern alternative to the
@@ -35,6 +37,30 @@ at the Singapore Haskell meetup: http://typeful.net/talks/hpack
 
 ## Documentation
 
+### Build tools and compatibility with cabal new-build
+
+When using sandboxes, `cabal` makes all executables of all transitive
+dependencies available during the build so that they can be used as build
+tools.
+
+However, with `cabal new-build` build tools have to be specified explicitly via
+`build-tool-depends`.
+
+For compatibility of existing package specifications with `cabal new-build` we
+transparently add `build-tool-depends` when a package directly depends on
+certain packages.
+
+- When a package depends on `hspec` then `hpack` adds `hspec-discover` to `build-tool-depends`
+- When a package depends on `markdown-unlit` then `hpack` adds `markdown-unlit` to `build-tool-depends`
+
+You can opt out of this behavior by adding
+
+```yaml
+verbatim:
+  build-tool-depends: null
+```
+to `package.yaml`.
+
 ### Quick-reference
 
 #### Top-level fields
@@ -149,7 +175,7 @@ this reason it is recommended to only use tags as Git references.
 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | `dependencies` | `setup-depends` | | Implies `build-type: Custom` | |
 
-#### <a name="common-fields">Common fields
+#### <a name="common-fields"></a>Common fields
 
 These fields can be specified top-level or on a per section basis; top-level
 values are merged with per section values.
@@ -178,8 +204,48 @@ values are merged with per section values.
 | `ld-options` | · | | |
 | `dependencies` | `build-depends` | | |
 | `pkg-config-dependencies` | `pkgconfig-depends` | | |
-| `build-tools` | · | | |
 | `when` | | | Accepts a list of conditionals (see [Conditionals](#conditionals)) |
+| `haskell-build-tools` | `build-tools` and/or `build-tool-depends` | | |
+| `system-build-tools` | `build-tools` | | | -- FIXME: separate PR
+
+**`build-tools`: A set of Haskell executables that are needed to build this component**
+
+Each entry consists of a *name* and an optional *version constraint*.
+
+The name can be specified in two ways:
+
+1. Qualified: `<package>:<executable>`
+1. Unqualified: `<executable>`
+
+A qualified name refers to an executable named `<executable>` in a
+package named `<package>`.
+
+An unqualified name refers to one of two things:
+
+1. Another executable from the same package named `<executable>`
+2. An executable from another package where the executable name and the package name are identical
+
+The first takes precedence over the second; if this is undesired then
+qualified names must be used instead.
+
+Examples:
+```yaml
+build-tools:
+  - alex
+  - happy:happy
+
+build-tools:
+  alex:alex: 0.1.0
+  alex: 0.1.0
+```
+
+
+`build-tools` field subsumes Cabal's `build-tools` and
+`build-tool-depends` fields.
+
+alex 
+
+<package-name>
 
 #### <a name="library-fields"></a>Library fields
 
diff --git a/hpack.cabal b/hpack.cabal
index ae31eb54..4ee8203f 100644
--- a/hpack.cabal
+++ b/hpack.cabal
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 cabal-version: >= 1.10
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.29.5.
+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.30.0.
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: 0ff0fec4e3939cb7b4ceee3340f6b006edeac6c8114cb165b6495e61a76c79c0
+-- hash: d081afc89b25afda429f687327eccfed9c8212f1f01f3ed42966c1706e518152
 
 name:           hpack
-version:        0.29.5
+version:        0.30.0
 synopsis:       A modern format for Haskell packages
 description:    See README at <https://github.com/sol/hpack#readme>
 category:       Development
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ test-suite spec
     , unordered-containers
     , vector
     , yaml >=0.8.28
+  build-tool-depends:
+      hspec-discover:hspec-discover ==2.*
   other-modules:
       Data.Aeson.Config.FromValueSpec
       Data.Aeson.Config.TypesSpec
diff --git a/package.yaml b/package.yaml
index b5bfaaec..b0767a23 100644
--- a/package.yaml
+++ b/package.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: hpack
-version: 0.29.5
+version: 0.30.0
 synopsis: A modern format for Haskell packages
 description: See README at <https://github.com/sol/hpack#readme>
 maintainer: Simon Hengel <sol@typeful.net>
diff --git a/src/Hpack/Config.hs b/src/Hpack/Config.hs
index 6757da6c..a15efb28 100644
--- a/src/Hpack/Config.hs
+++ b/src/Hpack/Config.hs
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ module Hpack.Config (
 , Dependencies(..)
 , DependencyVersion(..)
 , SourceDependency(..)
+, BuildTools
+, BuildTool(..)
 , GitRef
 , GitUrl
 , GhcOption
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ packageDependencies Package{..} = nub . sortBy (comparing (lexicographically . f
     deps xs = [(name, version) | (name, version) <- (Map.toList . unDependencies . sectionDependencies) xs]
 
 section :: a -> Section a
-section a = Section a [] mempty [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] Nothing [] mempty []
+section a = Section a [] mempty [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] Nothing [] mempty mempty []
 
 packageConfig :: FilePath
 packageConfig = "package.yaml"
@@ -644,7 +646,7 @@ determineCabalVersion inferredLicense pkg@Package{..} = (
       | version >= makeVersion [2,1] = showVersion version
       | otherwise = (">= " ++) . showVersion $ version
 
-    version = fromMaybe (makeVersion [1,10]) $ maximum [
+    version = fromMaybe (makeVersion [1,12]) $ maximum [
         packageCabalVersion
       , packageLibrary >>= libraryCabalVersion
       , internalLibsCabalVersion packageInternalLibraries
@@ -788,9 +790,17 @@ data Section a = Section {
 , sectionBuildable :: Maybe Bool
 , sectionConditionals :: [Conditional (Section a)]
 , sectionBuildTools :: Dependencies
+, sectionBuildToolDepends :: BuildTools
 , sectionVerbatim :: [Verbatim]
 } deriving (Eq, Show, Functor, Foldable, Traversable)
 
+type BuildTools = Map BuildTool DependencyVersion
+
+data BuildTool = BuildTool {
+  buildToolPackage :: String
+, buildToolExecutable :: String
+} deriving (Eq, Ord, Show)
+
 data Conditional a = Conditional {
   conditionalCondition :: String
 , conditionalThen :: a
@@ -1228,13 +1238,15 @@ toSection_ (Product CommonOptions{..} a) = Section {
       , sectionInstallIncludes = fromMaybeList commonOptionsInstallIncludes
       , sectionLdOptions = fromMaybeList commonOptionsLdOptions
       , sectionBuildable = commonOptionsBuildable
-      , sectionDependencies = fromMaybe mempty commonOptionsDependencies
+      , sectionDependencies = dependencies
       , sectionPkgConfigDependencies = fromMaybeList commonOptionsPkgConfigDependencies
       , sectionConditionals = conditionals
       , sectionBuildTools = fromMaybe mempty commonOptionsBuildTools
+      , sectionBuildToolDepends = hardCodedBuildToolsFromDependencies dependencies
       , sectionVerbatim = fromMaybeList commonOptionsVerbatim
       }
   where
+    dependencies = fromMaybe mempty commonOptionsDependencies
     conditionals = map toConditional (fromMaybeList commonOptionsWhen)
 
     toConditional :: ConditionalSection CSources CxxSources JsSources a -> Conditional (Section a)
@@ -1244,6 +1256,15 @@ toSection_ (Product CommonOptions{..} a) = Section {
       where
         conditional (Condition (Cond c)) = Conditional c
 
+hardCodedBuildToolsFromDependencies :: Dependencies -> BuildTools
+hardCodedBuildToolsFromDependencies = Map.fromList . mapMaybe f . Map.toList . unDependencies
+  where
+    f (pkg, version) = (,) <$> lookup pkg known <*> pure version
+    known = [
+        ("hspec", BuildTool "hspec-discover" "hspec-discover")
+      , ("markdown-unlit", BuildTool "markdown-unlit" "markdown-unlit")
+      ]
+
 pathsModuleFromPackageName :: String -> String
 pathsModuleFromPackageName name = "Paths_" ++ map f name
   where
diff --git a/src/Hpack/Render.hs b/src/Hpack/Render.hs
index 9fd6ab3e..1575fbb3 100644
--- a/src/Hpack/Render.hs
+++ b/src/Hpack/Render.hs
@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ renderSection renderSectionData extraFieldsStart extraFieldsEnd Section{..} = ad
   , renderDependencies "build-depends" sectionDependencies
   , Field "pkgconfig-depends" (CommaSeparatedList sectionPkgConfigDependencies)
   , renderDependencies "build-tools" sectionBuildTools
+  , renderBuildToolDepends sectionBuildToolDepends
   ]
   ++ maybe [] (return . renderBuildable) sectionBuildable
   ++ map (renderConditional renderSectionData) sectionConditionals
@@ -312,13 +313,20 @@ renderSignatures = Field "signatures" . CommaSeparatedList
 renderDependencies :: String -> Dependencies -> Element
 renderDependencies name = Field name . CommaSeparatedList . map renderDependency . Map.toList . unDependencies
 
+renderBuildToolDepends :: BuildTools -> Element
+renderBuildToolDepends = Field "build-tool-depends" . CommaSeparatedList . map renderBuildTool . Map.toList
+
+renderBuildTool :: (BuildTool,  DependencyVersion) -> String
+renderBuildTool (BuildTool pkg executable, version) = pkg ++ ":" ++ executable ++ renderVersion version
+
 renderDependency :: (String, DependencyVersion) -> String
-renderDependency (name, version) = name ++ v
-  where
-    v = case version of
-      AnyVersion -> ""
-      VersionRange x -> " " ++ x
-      SourceDependency _ -> ""
+renderDependency (name, version) = name ++ renderVersion version
+
+renderVersion :: DependencyVersion -> String
+renderVersion version = case version of
+  AnyVersion -> ""
+  VersionRange x -> " " ++ x
+  SourceDependency _ -> ""
 
 renderGhcOptions :: [GhcOption] -> Element
 renderGhcOptions = Field "ghc-options" . WordList
diff --git a/test/EndToEndSpec.hs b/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
index 86bf448e..828b08ab 100644
--- a/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
+++ b/test/EndToEndSpec.hs
@@ -435,6 +435,17 @@ spec = around_ (inTempDirectoryNamed "foo") $ do
           - "*.markdown"
         |] `shouldWarn` ["Specified pattern \"*.markdown\" for extra-doc-files does not match any files"]
 
+    describe "build-tools" $ do
+      it "accepts known build tool" $ do
+        [i|
+        executable:
+          build-tools:
+            alex == 0.1.0
+        |] `shouldRenderTo` executable_ "foo" [i|
+        build-tools:
+            alex ==0.1.0
+        |]
+
     describe "dependencies" $ do
       it "accepts single dependency" $ do
         [i|
@@ -457,17 +468,42 @@ spec = around_ (inTempDirectoryNamed "foo") $ do
           , transformers
         |]
 
+      context "when package depends on hspec" $ do
+        it "adds build-tool-depends on hspec-discover:hspec-discover" $ do
+          [i|
+          executable:
+            dependencies:
+              - hspec == 2.*
+          |] `shouldRenderTo` executable_ "foo" [i|
+          build-depends:
+              hspec ==2.*
+          build-tool-depends:
+              hspec-discover:hspec-discover ==2.*
+          |]
+
+        it "gives verbatim precedence" $ do
+          [i|
+          executable:
+            dependencies:
+              - hspec == 2.*
+            verbatim:
+              build-tool-depends: null
+          |] `shouldRenderTo` executable_ "foo" [i|
+          build-depends:
+              hspec ==2.*
+          |]
+
       context "with both global and section specific dependencies" $ do
         it "combines dependencies" $ do
           [i|
           dependencies:
             - base
           executable:
-            dependencies: hspec
+            dependencies: transformers
           |] `shouldRenderTo` executable_ "foo" [i|
           build-depends:
               base
-            , hspec
+            , transformers
           |]
 
         it "gives section specific dependencies precedence" $ do
@@ -1413,7 +1449,7 @@ executable #{name}
 |]
 
 package :: String -> Package
-package = Package "foo" "0.0.0" "Simple" ">= 1.10"
+package = Package "foo" "0.0.0" "Simple" ">= 1.12"
 
 data Package = Package {
   packageName :: String