diff --git a/core/includes/theme.inc b/core/includes/theme.inc
index 5e0a40a6c5f15294b963d0e85dfa11f8962233f8..99e872ed85443991ee50d903b0904c928faf8893 100644
--- a/core/includes/theme.inc
+++ b/core/includes/theme.inc
@@ -2546,6 +2546,9 @@ function template_preprocess_html(&$variables) {
   $variables['head_title_array'] = $head_title;
   $variables['head_title'] = implode(' | ', $head_title);
 
+  // Display the html.tpl.php’s default mobile metatags for responsive design.
+  $variables['default_mobile_metatags'] = TRUE;
+
   // Populate the page template suggestions.
   if ($suggestions = theme_get_suggestions(arg(), 'html')) {
     $variables['theme_hook_suggestions'] = $suggestions;
diff --git a/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php b/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
index 960eefbdb63b6b1278799357c79ba4cdc4f4efba..59a52b9bcebf4838d126f898c272efc91113b158 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
+++ b/core/modules/system/html.tpl.php
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
  *   - slogan: The slogan of the site, if any, and if there is no title.
  * - $head: Markup for the HEAD section (including meta tags, keyword tags, and
  *   so on).
+ * - $default_mobile_metatags: TRUE if default mobile metatags for responsive
+ *   design should be displayed.
  * - $styles: Style tags necessary to import all CSS files for the page.
  * - $scripts: Script tags necessary to load the JavaScript files and settings
  *   for the page.
@@ -43,6 +45,12 @@
 <html<?php print $html_attributes; ?>>
   <head>
     <?php print $head; ?>
+    <?php if ($default_mobile_metatags): ?>
+      <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />
+      <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />
+      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />
+      <meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />
+    <?php endif; ?>
     <title><?php print $head_title; ?></title>
     <?php print $styles; ?>
     <?php print $scripts; ?>
diff --git a/core/modules/system/system.test b/core/modules/system/system.test
index 78f6a23cdd997332b0932d7c88575071bf562ca6..16348cc8203cf791e736021fe2f884fc16b9b9e1 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/system.test
+++ b/core/modules/system/system.test
@@ -946,6 +946,47 @@ class AdminMetaTagTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 }
 
+class DefaultMobileMetaTagsTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
+  public static function getInfo() {
+    return array(
+      'name' => 'Default mobile meta tags',
+      'description' => 'Confirm that the default mobile meta tags appear as expected.',
+      'group' => 'System'
+    );
+  }
+
+  function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+    $this->default_metatags = array(
+      'MobileOptimized' => '<meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" />',
+      'HandheldFriendly' => '<meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" />',
+      'viewport' => '<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" />',
+      'cleartype' => '<meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" />'
+    );
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verifies that the default mobile meta tags are added.
+   */
+  public function testDefaultMetaTagsExist() {
+    $this->drupalGet('');
+    foreach ($this->default_metatags as $name => $metatag) {
+      $this->assertRaw($metatag, 'Default Mobile meta tag "' . $name . '" displayed properly.', t('System'));
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Verifies that the default mobile meta tags can be removed.
+   */
+  public function testRemovingDefaultMetaTags() {
+    module_enable(array('system_module_test'));
+    $this->drupalGet('');
+    foreach ($this->default_metatags as $name => $metatag) {
+      $this->assertNoRaw($metatag, 'Default Mobile meta tag "' . $name . '" removed properly.', t('System'));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Tests custom access denied functionality.
  */
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.info b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.info
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5184a33a7e20461d73d5d9b09a8defe0c98485d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.info
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+name = "System test"
+description = "Provides hook implementations for testing System module functionality."
+package = Testing
+version = VERSION
+core = 8.x
+hidden = TRUE
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..ec90b15618f9b2b5a0727bc9d82b5c14ae32d1ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/modules/system_module_test/system_module_test.module
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * @file
+ * Provides System module hook implementations for testing purposes.
+ */
+
+function system_module_test_preprocess_html(&$variables) {
+  $variables['default_mobile_metatags'] = FALSE;
+}