diff --git a/collects/scribble/base.rkt b/collects/scribble/base.rkt
index 0aed83450c..f81dc1cd29 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/base.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/base.rkt
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@
 
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 
+(provide ._ .__)
+
+(define ._ (make-element (make-style "Sendabbrev" null) "."))
+(define .__ (make-element (make-style "Sendsentence" null) "."))
+
+;; ----------------------------------------
+
 (define elem-like-contract
   (->* () () #:rest (listof pre-content?) element?))
 
diff --git a/collects/scribble/scribble.tex b/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
index 8eca64f1c8..4734c70dc3 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
+++ b/collects/scribble/scribble.tex
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@
 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 % Etc.
 
+% ._ and .__
+\newcommand{\Sendabbrev}[1]{#1\@}
+\newcommand{\Sendsentence}[1]{\@#1}
+
 % Default style for a nested flow:
 \newenvironment{Subflow}{\begin{list}{}{\topsep=0pt\partopsep=0pt%
 \listparindent=0pt\itemindent=0pt\labelwidth=0pt\leftmargin=0pt\rightmargin=0pt%
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
index db7f935c93..829e32f30d 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/base.scrbl
@@ -348,6 +348,33 @@ See also @racket[verbatim].}
  }
 
 
+@defthing[._ element?]{
+
+Generates a period that ends an abbreviation in the middle of a
+sentence, as opposed to a period that ends a sentence (since the
+latter may be typeset with extra space). Use @litchar|{@._}| in a
+document instead of just @litchar{.} for an abbreviation-ending period
+that is preceded by a lowercase letter and followed by a space.
+
+See @racket[.__] for an example.}
+
+
+@defthing[.__ element?]{
+
+Generates a period that ends a sentence (which may be typeset with
+extra space), as opposed to a period that ends an abbreviation in the
+middle of a sentence. Use @litchar|{@.__}| in a document instead of just
+@litchar{.} for a sentence-ending period that is preceded by an
+uppercase letter.
+
+The following example illustrates both @racket[._] and @racket[.__]:
+
+@codeblock|{
+ #lang scribble/base
+ My name is Mr@._ T@.__ I pity the fool who can't typeset punctuation.
+}|}
+
+
 @; ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 @section[#:tag "base-links"]{Links}