diff --git a/pkg/parser/table_test.go b/pkg/parser/table_test.go
index 2ae11b77..4280f226 100644
--- a/pkg/parser/table_test.go
+++ b/pkg/parser/table_test.go
@@ -1010,6 +1010,199 @@ var _ = Describe("tables", func() {
 			}
 			Expect(ParseDocument(source)).To(MatchDocument(expected))
 		})
+		It("with header col option", func() {
+			source := `[cols="h,>,>",options="header"]
+|===
+|Dir (X,Y,Z) |Num Cells |Size
+|X |10 |0.1
+|Y |5  |0.2
+|Z |10 |0.1
+|===`
+			expected := &types.Document{
+				Elements: []interface{}{
+					&types.Table{
+						Attributes: types.Attributes{
+							types.AttrCols: []interface{}{
+								&types.TableColumn{
+									Multiplier: 1,
+									HAlign:     types.HAlignDefault,
+									VAlign:     types.VAlignDefault,
+									Weight:     1,
+									Style:      types.HeaderStyle,
+								},
+								&types.TableColumn{
+									Multiplier: 1,
+									HAlign:     types.HAlignRight,
+									VAlign:     types.VAlignDefault,
+									Weight:     1,
+								},
+								&types.TableColumn{
+									Multiplier: 1,
+									HAlign:     types.HAlignRight,
+									VAlign:     types.VAlignDefault,
+									Weight:     1,
+								},
+							},
+							types.AttrOptions: types.Options{"header"},
+						},
+						Header: &types.TableRow{
+							Cells: []*types.TableCell{
+								{
+									Elements: []interface{}{
+										&types.Paragraph{
+											Elements: []interface{}{
+												&types.StringElement{
+													Content: "Dir (X,Y,Z)",
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								{
+									Elements: []interface{}{
+										&types.Paragraph{
+											Elements: []interface{}{
+												&types.StringElement{
+													Content: "Num Cells",
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+								{
+									Elements: []interface{}{
+										&types.Paragraph{
+											Elements: []interface{}{
+												&types.StringElement{
+													Content: "Size",
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+						Rows: []*types.TableRow{
+							{
+								Cells: []*types.TableCell{
+									{
+										// Format: string(types.HeaderStyle),
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "X",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "10",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "0.1",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+							{
+								Cells: []*types.TableCell{
+									{
+										// Format: string(types.HeaderStyle),
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "Y",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "5",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "0.2",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+							{
+								Cells: []*types.TableCell{
+									{
+										// Format: string(types.HeaderStyle),
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "Z",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "10",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+									{
+										Elements: []interface{}{
+											&types.Paragraph{
+												Elements: []interface{}{
+													&types.StringElement{
+														Content: "0.1",
+													},
+												},
+											},
+										},
+									},
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			}
+			Expect(ParseDocument(source)).To(MatchDocument(expected))
+		})
 
 		It("with header and footer options", func() {
 			source := `[%header%footer,cols="2,2,1"] 
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
index 212dada0..e8738f3e 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
@@ -592,6 +592,48 @@ var _ = Describe("tables", func() {
 </tr>
 </tbody>
 </table>
+`
+		Expect(RenderHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
+	})
+	It("with header col option", func() {
+		source := `[cols="h,>,>",options="header"]
+|===
+|Dir (X,Y,Z) |Num Cells |Size
+|X |10 |0.1
+|Y |5  |0.2
+|Z |10 |0.1
+|===`
+		expected := `<table class="tableblock frame-all grid-all stretch">
+<colgroup>
+<col style="width: 33.3333%;">
+<col style="width: 33.3333%;">
+<col style="width: 33.3334%;">
+</colgroup>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top">Dir (X,Y,Z)</th>
+<th class="tableblock halign-right valign-top">Num Cells</th>
+<th class="tableblock halign-right valign-top">Size</th>
+</tr>
+</thead>
+<tbody>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">X</p></th>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">10</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">0.1</p></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Y</p></th>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">5</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">0.2</p></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Z</p></th>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">10</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-right valign-top"><p class="tableblock">0.1</p></td>
+</tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>
 `
 		Expect(RenderHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
 	})
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
index e2acec29..75819f47 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
@@ -261,7 +261,11 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderTableCell(ctx *context, cell *types.TableCell, col
 		}
 		buff.WriteString(renderedElement)
 	}
-	return r.execute(r.tableCell, struct {
+	tmpl := r.tableCell
+	if col.Style == types.HeaderStyle {
+		tmpl = r.tableHeaderCell
+	}
+	return r.execute(tmpl, struct {
 		Context *context
 		Content string
 		Cell    *types.TableCell
diff --git a/pkg/types/types.go b/pkg/types/types.go
index e2914408..784b4814 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types.go
@@ -3915,17 +3915,19 @@ func (t *Table) Reference(refs ElementReferences) {
 type HAlign string
 
 const (
-	HAlignLeft   HAlign = "<"
-	HAlignRight  HAlign = ">"
-	HAlignCenter HAlign = "^"
+	HAlignDefault HAlign = HAlignLeft
+	HAlignLeft    HAlign = "<" // default
+	HAlignRight   HAlign = ">"
+	HAlignCenter  HAlign = "^"
 )
 
 type VAlign string
 
 const (
-	VAlignTop    VAlign = "<"
-	VAlignBottom VAlign = ">"
-	VAlignMiddle VAlign = "^"
+	VAlignDefault VAlign = VAlignTop
+	VAlignTop     VAlign = "<" // default
+	VAlignBottom  VAlign = ">"
+	VAlignMiddle  VAlign = "^"
 )
 
 type ContentStyle string