diff --git a/reviewboard/settings.py b/reviewboard/settings.py
--- a/reviewboard/settings.py
+++ b/reviewboard/settings.py
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ LANGUAGES = (
 
 # List of callables that know how to import templates from various sources.
 TEMPLATE_LOADERS = (
+    'reviewboard.template_loader.ExtensionLoader',
+#    'reviewboard.template_loader.DefaultLoader',
     'django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader',
     'django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader',
 )
diff --git a/reviewboard/template_loader.py b/reviewboard/template_loader.py
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reviewboard/template_loader.py
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+from django.conf import settings
+from django.template.loaders import app_directories
+from django.template import Template
+
+class ExtensionLoader(app_directories.Loader):
+    is_usable = True
+
+    def load_template(self, template_name, template_dirs=None):
+        """Template loader that loads templates with the _extended suffix or
+            reviewboard/ prefix"""
+
+        template_dirs = getattr(settings, "TEMPLATE_DIRS", [])
+
+        # if the path starts with reviewboard/ then this is an extended template
+        # that is including a default template, so load the default
+        # otherwise try to load an extended version first
+        if template_name.startswith("reviewboard/"):
+            template_name.replace("reviewboard/")
+        else:
+            template_name.replace(".html", "_extended.html")
+
+        source, origin = self.load_template_source(template_name, template_dirs)
+        template = Template(source)
+        return template, origin
diff --git a/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard.html b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard.html
--- a/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard.html
+++ b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard.html
@@ -14,89 +14,20 @@
 {% block content %}
 <div class="colMS">
  <div id="content-main">
-  {# "Manage" section #}
-  <div class="module manage">
-   <table summary="{% trans "Common management operations." %}">
-    <caption>{% trans "Manage" %}</caption>
-    <tbody>
-     <tr>
-      <th scope="row"><a href="db/auth/user/">{% trans "Users" %}</a>
-        <span class="count">({{user_count}})</span></th>
-      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/auth/user/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
-     </tr>
-     <tr>
-      <th scope="row"><a href="db/reviews/group/">{% trans "Review groups" %}</a>
-        <span class="count">({{reviewgroup_count}})</span></th>
-      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/reviews/group/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
-     </tr>
-     <tr>
-      <th scope="row"><a href="db/reviews/defaultreviewer/">{% trans "Default reviewers" %}</a>
-        <span class="count">({{defaultreviewer_count}})</span></th>
-      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/reviews/defaultreviewer/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
-     </tr>
-     <tr>
-      <th scope="row"><a href="db/scmtools/repository/">{% trans "Repositories" %}</a>
-        <span class="count">({{repository_count}})</span></th>
-      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/scmtools/repository/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
-     </tr>
-    </tbody>
-   </table>
-  </div>
+   {# manage section #}
+   {% include "admin/dashboard_manage.html" %}
  </div> {# content-main #}
 
  <div id="content-related">
   {# "Server Info" section #}
-  <div class="module serverinfo">
-   <table summary="{% trans "Server information." %}">
-    <caption>{% trans "Server Information" %}</caption>
-    <tbody>
-     <tr>
-      <th>{% trans "Review Board version" %}</th>
-      <td>{{version}}</td>
-     </tr>
-     <tr>
-      <th colspan="2"><a href="cache/">{% trans "Server Cache" %}</a></th>
-     </tr>
-{% if settings.LOGGING_ENABLED and settings.LOGGING_DIRECTORY %}
-     <tr>
-      <th colspan="2"><a href="{% url server-log %}">{% trans "Server Log" %}</a></th>
-     </tr>
-{% endif %}
-    </tbody>
-   </table>
-  </div>
+  {% include "admin/dashboard_server_info.html" %}
  </div> {# content-related #}
 </div> {# colMS #}
 
 <br class="clear" />
 <div class="colM">
  {# "News" section #}
- <div class="module news">
-  <table summary="{% trans "Latest Review Board news updates." %}">
-   <caption>
-    <span class="title">{% trans "News" %}</span>
-	<span class="actions">
-     <a href="http://www.reviewboard.org/news/">View All News</a>
-	 |
-     <a href="." id="reload-news">{% trans "Reload" %}</a>
-     |
-     <a href="feed/news/rss/">
-      <img src="{{MEDIA_URL}}rb/images/rss.png?{{MEDIA_SERIAL}}" width="14" height="14" />
-      RSS
-     </a>
-    </span>
-   </caption>
-   <tbody>
-    <tr>
-     <td id="news-content">
-	  <img src="{{MEDIA_URL}}rb/images/spinner.gif?{{MEDIA_SERIAL}}"
-	       class="loading-indicator" width="16" height="16" border="0" alt="" />
-	  {% trans "Loading..." %}
-	 </td>
-    </tr>
-   </tbody>
-  </table>
- </div>
+ {% include "admin/dashboard_news.html" %}
 </div>
 <script language="javascript">
     $(document).ready(function() {
diff --git a/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_manage.html b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_manage.html
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_manage.html
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{# the dashboard manager in the admin view #}
+
+{% load i18n %}
+  <div class="module manage">
+   <table summary="{% trans "Common management operations." %}">
+    <caption>{% trans "Manage" %}</caption>
+    <tbody>
+     <tr>
+      <th scope="row"><a href="db/auth/user/">{% trans "Users" %}</a>
+        <span class="count">({{user_count}})</span></th>
+      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/auth/user/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
+     </tr>
+     <tr>
+      <th scope="row"><a href="db/reviews/group/">{% trans "Review groups" %}</a>
+        <span class="count">({{reviewgroup_count}})</span></th>
+      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/reviews/group/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
+     </tr>
+     <tr>
+      <th scope="row"><a href="db/reviews/defaultreviewer/">{% trans "Default reviewers" %}</a>
+        <span class="count">({{defaultreviewer_count}})</span></th>
+      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/reviews/defaultreviewer/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
+     </tr>
+     <tr>
+      <th scope="row"><a href="db/scmtools/repository/">{% trans "Repositories" %}</a>
+        <span class="count">({{repository_count}})</span></th>
+      <td><a class="addlink" href="db/scmtools/repository/add/">{% trans "Add" %}</a></td>
+     </tr>
+    </tbody>
+   </table>
+  </div>
diff --git a/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_news.html b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_news.html
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_news.html
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+{# dashboard news component #}
+
+{% load i18n %}
+
+ <div class="module news">
+  <table summary="{% trans "Latest Review Board news updates." %}">
+   <caption>
+    <span class="title">{% trans "News" %}</span>
+	<span class="actions">
+     <a href="http://www.reviewboard.org/news/">View All News</a>
+	 |
+     <a href="." id="reload-news">{% trans "Reload" %}</a>
+     |
+     <a href="feed/news/rss/">
+      <img src="{{MEDIA_URL}}rb/images/rss.png?{{MEDIA_SERIAL}}" width="14" height="14" />
+      RSS
+     </a>
+    </span>
+   </caption>
+   <tbody>
+    <tr>
+     <td id="news-content">
+	  <img src="{{MEDIA_URL}}rb/images/spinner.gif?{{MEDIA_SERIAL}}"
+	       class="loading-indicator" width="16" height="16" border="0" alt="" />
+	  {% trans "Loading..." %}
+	 </td>
+    </tr>
+   </tbody>
+  </table>
+ </div>
diff --git a/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_server_info.html b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_server_info.html
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reviewboard/templates/admin/dashboard_server_info.html
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{# dashboard server section #}
+{% load i18n %}
+
+<div class="module serverinfo">
+ <table summary="{% trans "Server information." %}">
+  <caption>{% trans "Server Information" %}</caption>
+   <tbody>
+    <tr>
+     <th>{% trans "Review Board version" %}</th>
+     <td>{{version}}</td>
+    </tr>
+    <tr>
+     <th colspan="2"><a href="cache/">{% trans "Server Cache" %}</a></th>
+    </tr>
+{% if settings.LOGGING_ENABLED and settings.LOGGING_DIRECTORY %}
+    <tr>
+     <th colspan="2"><a href="{% url server-log %}">{% trans "Server Log" %}</a></th>
+    </tr>
+{% endif %}
+  </tbody>
+ </table>
+</div>
