diff --git a/lua/nvim-treesitter.lua b/lua/nvim-treesitter.lua
index ab3edf071..abb3b6d91 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-treesitter.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-treesitter.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local api = vim.api
 local parsers = require'nvim-treesitter.parsers'
+local install = require'nvim-treesitter.install'
 
 local M = {}
 
@@ -10,4 +11,8 @@ function M.setup(lang)
   end
 end
 
+-- To install, run `:lua require'nvim-treesitter'.install_parser('language')`
+-- we should add a vim layer over the lua function
+M.install_parser = install.install_parser
+
 return M
diff --git a/lua/nvim-treesitter/install.lua b/lua/nvim-treesitter/install.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f40db11c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/nvim-treesitter/install.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+local api = vim.api
+local fn = vim.fn
+
+local M = {}
+local package_path = nil
+local repositories = {
+  javascript = {
+    url = "https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter-javascript",
+    files = "src/parser.c src/scanner.c",
+  },
+  c = {
+    url = "https://github.com/tree-sitter/tree-sitter-c",
+    files = "src/parser.c"
+  }
+}
+
+-- TODO(kyazdani): there might be a better way to get the plugin path
+for _, path in pairs(api.nvim_list_runtime_paths()) do
+  if string.match(path, '.*/nvim%-treesitter') then
+    package_path = path
+    break
+  end
+end
+
+local function create_compile_command(ft, path, files)
+  -- TODO(kyazdani): should download the parser in $XDG_CACHE_HOME instead of /tmp
+  return "cd /tmp/tree-sitter-"..ft..[[ && \
+    gcc -o parser.so -shared ]]..files..[[ -Os -I./src && \
+    mv parser.so ]]..path.."/parsers/"..ft..[[.so && \
+    rm -rf /tmp/tree-sitter-]]..ft
+end
+
+local function create_download_command(url)
+  return "cd /tmp && git clone "..url
+end
+
+function M.install_parser(lang)
+  if fn.has('win32') == 1 then
+    -- TODO(kyazdani): this should work on windows too
+    api.nvim_err_writeln('This command is not available on windows at the moment.')
+    return
+  end
+
+  if not lang then
+    api.nvim_err_writeln("usage: install_parser('language')")
+    return
+  end
+
+  local repository = repositories[lang]
+  if not repository then
+    api.nvim_err_writeln('Parser not available for language '..lang)
+    return
+  end
+
+  if not package_path then
+    api.nvim_err_writeln('Plugin runtime path not found.')
+    return
+  end
+
+  if not fn.executable('git') == 1 then
+    api.nvim_err_writeln('Please install `git` to download parsers.')
+    return
+  end
+
+  print("Downloading parser...")
+  fn.system(create_download_command(repository.url))
+
+  print("Compiling parser...")
+  fn.system(create_compile_command(lang, package_path, repository.files))
+
+  print("Install for the " ..lang.." parser was successfull")
+end
+
+return M
diff --git a/parser/.gitignore b/parser/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6b7ef32c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parser/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*
+!.gitignore