diff --git a/docs/usage.md b/docs/usage.md
index 3a30a41a..07200123 100644
--- a/docs/usage.md
+++ b/docs/usage.md
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ Example - With format conversion set to `dasherize`:
 
 #### Relationship types
 
-A similar option to JSON\_API\_FORMAT\_KEYS can be set for the relationship names:
+A similar option to JSON\_API\_FORMAT\_RELATION\_KEYS can be set for the relationship names:
 
 ``` python
 JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS = 'dasherize'
@@ -172,7 +172,57 @@ When set to dasherize:
     }]
 }
 ```
+It is also possible to pluralize the types like so:
 
+```python
+JSON_API_PLURALIZE_RELATION_TYPE = True
+```
+Example without pluralization:
+
+``` js
+{
+	"data": [{
+        "type": "identity",
+        "id": 3,
+        "attributes": {
+                ...
+        },
+        "relationships": {
+            "home_towns": {
+                "data": [{
+                    "type": "home_town",
+                    "id": 3
+                }]
+            }
+        }
+    }]
+}
+```
+
+When set to pluralize:
+
+
+``` js
+{
+	"data": [{
+        "type": "identities",
+        "id": 3,
+        "attributes": {
+                ...
+        },
+        "relationships": {
+            "home_towns": {
+                "data": [{
+                    "type": "home_towns",
+                    "id": 3
+                }]
+            }
+        }
+    }]
+}
+
+Both `JSON_API_PLURALIZE_RELATION_TYPE` and `JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS` can be combined to 
+achieve different results.
 
 <!-- 
 ### Relationships
diff --git a/example/settings/test.py b/example/settings/test.py
index 17d68007..15095606 100644
--- a/example/settings/test.py
+++ b/example/settings/test.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 JSON_API_FORMAT_KEYS = 'camelize'
 JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS = 'camelize'
+JSON_API_PLURALIZE_RELATION_TYPE = True
 REST_FRAMEWORK.update({
     'PAGINATE_BY': 1,
 })
diff --git a/example/tests/test_utils.py b/example/tests/test_utils.py
index a4c0092d..e13c37c5 100644
--- a/example/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/example/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import pytest
-
 from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth import get_user_model
 from rest_framework import serializers
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.views import APIView
+
 from rest_framework_json_api import utils
 
 pytestmark = pytest.mark.django_db
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ class Meta():
 def test_get_resource_name():
     view = ResourceView()
     context = {'view': view}
-    setattr(settings, 'JSON_API_FORMAT_KEYS', None)
+    setattr(settings, 'JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS', None)
     assert 'ResourceViews' == utils.get_resource_name(context), 'not formatted'
 
     view = ResourceView()
     context = {'view': view}
-    setattr(settings, 'JSON_API_FORMAT_KEYS', 'dasherize')
+    setattr(settings, 'JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS', 'dasherize')
     assert 'resource-views' == utils.get_resource_name(context), 'derived from view'
 
     view.model = get_user_model()
diff --git a/rest_framework_json_api/utils.py b/rest_framework_json_api/utils.py
index 546f133d..450ca1ee 100644
--- a/rest_framework_json_api/utils.py
+++ b/rest_framework_json_api/utils.py
@@ -68,9 +68,7 @@ def get_resource_name(context):
             if not isinstance(resource_name, six.string_types):
                 return resource_name
 
-            resource_name = format_value(resource_name)
-
-            resource_name = inflection.pluralize(resource_name)
+            resource_name = format_relation_name(resource_name)
 
     return resource_name
 
@@ -140,13 +138,13 @@ def format_relation_name(value, format_type=None):
     if format_type is None:
         format_type = getattr(settings, 'JSON_API_FORMAT_RELATION_KEYS', False)
 
-    if not format_type:
-        return value
+    pluralize = getattr(settings, 'JSON_API_PLURALIZE_RELATION_TYPE', False)
 
-    # format_type will never be None here so we can use format_value
-    value = format_value(value, format_type)
+    if format_type:
+        # format_type will never be None here so we can use format_value
+        value = format_value(value, format_type)
 
-    return inflection.pluralize(value)
+    return inflection.pluralize(value) if pluralize else value
 
 
 def build_json_resource_obj(fields, resource, resource_instance, resource_name):