diff --git a/packages/gatsby-link/README.md b/packages/gatsby-link/README.md
index 1288cbacd87cc..495c82284d230 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-link/README.md
+++ b/packages/gatsby-link/README.md
@@ -52,3 +52,24 @@ render () {
   </div>
 }
 ```
+
+## Prefixed paths helper
+
+Gatsby allows you to [automatically prefix links](/docs/path-prefix/) for sites hosted on Github Pages or other places where your site isn't at the root of the domain.
+
+This can create problems during development as pathnames won't be prefixed. To handle both, gatsby-link exports a helper function `withPrefix` that prepends the prefix during production but doesn't in development.
+
+```jsx
+import { withPrefix } from "gatsby-link"
+
+const IndexLayout = ({ children, location }) => {
+  const isHomepage = location.pathname === withPrefix('/');
+
+  return (
+    <div>
+      <h1>Welcome {isHomepage ? 'home' : 'aboard'}!</h1>
+      {children()}
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+```
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-link/src/index.js b/packages/gatsby-link/src/index.js
index d2cbb7692f5ec..cfabd3ae10a16 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-link/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/gatsby-link/src/index.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ if (typeof __PREFIX_PATHS__ !== `undefined` && __PREFIX_PATHS__) {
   pathPrefix = __PATH_PREFIX__
 }
 
+export function withPrefix(path) {
+  return pathPrefix + path
+}
+
 function normalizePath(path) {
   return path.replace(/^\/\//g, `/`)
 }
@@ -49,7 +53,7 @@ class GatsbyLink extends React.Component {
     }
 
     this.state = {
-      to: normalizePath(pathPrefix + props.to),
+      to: normalizePath(withPrefix(props.to)),
       IOSupported,
     }
     this.handleRef = this.handleRef.bind(this)
@@ -58,7 +62,7 @@ class GatsbyLink extends React.Component {
   componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
     if (this.props.to !== nextProps.to) {
       this.setState({
-        to: normalizePath(pathPrefix + nextProps.to),
+        to: normalizePath(withPrefix(nextProps.to)),
       })
       // Preserve non IO functionality if no support
       if (!this.state.IOSupported) {
@@ -159,5 +163,5 @@ GatsbyLink.contextTypes = {
 export default GatsbyLink
 
 export const navigateTo = pathname => {
-  window.___navigateTo(normalizePath(pathPrefix + pathname))
+  window.___navigateTo(normalizePath(withPrefix(pathname)))
 }