diff --git a/config/jsdoc/api/conf.json b/config/jsdoc/api/conf.json
index 4b202607a5..dc8374343c 100644
--- a/config/jsdoc/api/conf.json
+++ b/config/jsdoc/api/conf.json
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     },
     "plugins": [
         "node_modules/jsdoc/plugins/markdown",
+        "config/jsdoc/api/plugins/inheritdoc",
         "config/jsdoc/api/plugins/typedefs",
         "config/jsdoc/api/plugins/events",
         "config/jsdoc/api/plugins/observable",
diff --git a/config/jsdoc/api/plugins/inheritdoc.js b/config/jsdoc/api/plugins/inheritdoc.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..04397af7c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/jsdoc/api/plugins/inheritdoc.js
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+/*
+ * This is a hack to prevent inheritDoc tags from entirely removing
+ * documentation of the method that inherits the documentation.
+ *
+ * TODO: Remove this hack when https://github.com/jsdoc3/jsdoc/issues/53
+ * is addressed.
+ */
+
+
+exports.defineTags = function(dictionary) {
+  dictionary.defineTag('inheritDoc', {
+    mustHaveValue: false,
+    canHaveType: false,
+    canHaveName: false,
+    onTagged: function(doclet, tag) {
+      doclet.inheritdoc = true;
+    }
+  });
+};
+
+
+var lookup = {};
+var incompleteByClass = {};
+var keepKeys = ['comment', 'meta', 'name', 'memberof', 'longname', 'augment',
+    'stability'];
+
+exports.handlers = {
+
+  newDoclet: function(e) {
+    var doclet = e.doclet;
+    var incompletes;
+    if (!(doclet.longname in lookup)) {
+      lookup[doclet.longname] = [];
+    }
+    lookup[doclet.longname].push(doclet);
+    if (doclet.inheritdoc) {
+      if (!(doclet.memberof in incompleteByClass)) {
+        incompleteByClass[doclet.memberof] = [];
+      }
+      incompletes = incompleteByClass[doclet.memberof];
+      if (incompletes.indexOf(doclet.name) == -1) {
+        incompletes.push(doclet.name);
+      }
+    }
+  },
+
+  parseComplete: function(e) {
+    var ancestors, candidate, candidates, doclet, i, j, k, l, key;
+    var incompleteDoclet, stability, incomplete, incompletes;
+    var doclets = e.doclets;
+    for (i = doclets.length - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
+      doclet = doclets[i];
+      if (doclet.augments) {
+        ancestors = [].concat(doclet.augments);
+      }
+      incompletes = incompleteByClass[doclet.longname];
+      if (ancestors && incompletes) {
+        // collect ancestors from the whole hierarchy
+        for (j = 0; j < ancestors.length; ++j) {
+          candidates = lookup[ancestors[j]];
+          if (candidates) {
+            for (k = candidates.length - 1; k >= 0; --k) {
+              candidate = candidates[k];
+              if (candidate.augments) {
+                ancestors = ancestors.concat(candidate.augments);
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        // walk through all inheritDoc members
+        for (j = incompletes.length - 1; j >= 0; --j) {
+          incomplete = incompletes[j];
+          candidates = lookup[doclet.longname + '#' + incomplete];
+          if (candidates) {
+            // get the incomplete doclet that needs to be augmented
+            for (k = candidates.length - 1; k >= 0; --k) {
+              incompleteDoclet = candidates[k];
+              if (incompleteDoclet.inheritdoc) {
+                break;
+              }
+            }
+          }
+          // find the documented ancestor
+          for (k = ancestors.length - 1; k >= 0; --k) {
+            candidates = lookup[ancestors[k] + '#' + incomplete];
+            if (candidates) {
+              for (l = candidates.length - 1; l >= 0; --l) {
+                candidate = candidates[l];
+                if (candidate && !candidate.inheritdoc) {
+                  stability = candidate.stability || incompleteDoclet.stability;
+                  if (stability) {
+                    incompleteDoclet.stability = stability;
+                    for (key in candidate) {
+                      if (candidate.hasOwnProperty(key) &&
+                          keepKeys.indexOf(key) == -1) {
+                        incompleteDoclet[key] = candidate[key];
+                      }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+};