diff --git a/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py b/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
index 42bc8cd77..32a4ce9b8 100644
--- a/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
+++ b/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from copy import deepcopy
 from warnings import warn
 
-from traitlets import Unicode, default
+from traitlets import Bool, Unicode, default
 
 from .html import HTMLExporter
 
@@ -103,6 +103,21 @@ def _reveal_url_prefix_default(self):
         """
     ).tag(config=True)
 
+    reveal_transition = Unicode('slide',
+        help="""
+        Name of the reveal.js transition to use.
+
+        The list of transitions that ships by default with reveal.js are:
+        none, fade, slide, convex, concave and zoom.
+        """
+    ).tag(config=True)
+
+    reveal_scroll = Bool(False,
+        help="""
+        If True, enable scrolling within each slide
+        """
+    ).tag(config=True)
+
     require_js_url = Unicode(
         "https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/require.js/2.1.10/require.min.js",
         help="""
@@ -146,6 +161,8 @@ def from_notebook_node(self, nb, resources=None, **kw):
             resources['reveal'] = {}
         resources['reveal']['url_prefix'] = self.reveal_url_prefix
         resources['reveal']['theme'] = self.reveal_theme
+        resources['reveal']['transition'] = self.reveal_transition
+        resources['reveal']['scroll'] = self.reveal_scroll
         resources['reveal']['require_js_url'] = self.require_js_url
         resources['reveal']['jquery_url'] = self.jquery_url
         resources['reveal']['font_awesome_url'] = self.font_awesome_url
diff --git a/nbconvert/postprocessors/serve.py b/nbconvert/postprocessors/serve.py
index 872c8db7f..6c73240c4 100644
--- a/nbconvert/postprocessors/serve.py
+++ b/nbconvert/postprocessors/serve.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class ServePostProcessor(PostProcessorBase):
     open_in_browser = Bool(True,
         help="""Should the browser be opened automatically?"""
     ).tag(config=True)
-    reveal_cdn = Unicode("https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/reveal.js/3.1.0",
+    reveal_cdn = Unicode("https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/reveal.js/3.5.0",
         help="""URL for reveal.js CDN."""
     ).tag(config=True)
     reveal_prefix = Unicode("reveal.js", help="URL prefix for reveal.js").tag(config=True)
diff --git a/nbconvert/templates/html/slides_reveal.tpl b/nbconvert/templates/html/slides_reveal.tpl
index 16890c174..bd1e06b15 100644
--- a/nbconvert/templates/html/slides_reveal.tpl
+++ b/nbconvert/templates/html/slides_reveal.tpl
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ if( window.location.search.match( /print-pdf/gi ) ) {
 /* Overrides of notebook CSS for static HTML export */
 .reveal {
   font-size: 160%;
-  overflow-y: scroll;
 }
 .reveal pre {
   width: inherit;
@@ -116,6 +115,41 @@ if( window.location.search.match( /print-pdf/gi ) ) {
 .reveal .progress {
   position: static;
 }
+.reveal .controls .navigate-left,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-left.enabled {
+  border-right-color: #727272;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-left.enabled:hover,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-left.enabled.enabled:hover {
+  border-right-color: #dfdfdf;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-right,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-right.enabled {
+  border-left-color: #727272;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-right.enabled:hover,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-right.enabled.enabled:hover {
+  border-left-color: #dfdfdf;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-up,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-up.enabled {
+  border-bottom-color: #727272;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-up.enabled:hover,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-up.enabled.enabled:hover {
+  border-bottom-color: #dfdfdf;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-down,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-down.enabled {
+  border-top-color: #727272;
+}
+.reveal .controls .navigate-down.enabled:hover,
+.reveal .controls .navigate-down.enabled.enabled:hover {
+  border-top-color: #dfdfdf;
+}
+.reveal .progress span {
+  background: #727272;
+}
 div.input_area {
   padding: 0.06em;
 }
@@ -149,6 +183,19 @@ a.anchor-link {
 .rendered_html p {
   text-align: inherit;
 }
+::-webkit-scrollbar
+{
+  width: 6px;
+  height: 6px;
+}
+::-webkit-scrollbar *
+{
+  background:transparent;
+}
+::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb
+{
+  background: #727272 !important;
+}
 </style>
 
 <!-- Custom stylesheet, it must be in the same directory as the html file -->
@@ -190,8 +237,7 @@ require(
             progress: true,
             history: true,
 
-            theme: Reveal.getQueryHash().theme, // available themes are in /css/theme
-            transition: Reveal.getQueryHash().transition || 'linear', // default/cube/page/concave/zoom/linear/none
+            transition: "{{resources.reveal.transition}}",
 
             // Optional libraries used to extend on reveal.js
             dependencies: [
@@ -211,13 +257,25 @@ require(
 
         Reveal.addEventListener('slidechanged', update);
 
-        var update_scroll = function(event){
-          $(".reveal").scrollTop(0);
-        };
-
-        Reveal.addEventListener('slidechanged', update_scroll);
+        function setScrollingSlide() {
+            var scroll = {{ resources.reveal.scroll | json_dumps }}
+            if (scroll === true) {
+              var h = $('.reveal').height() * 0.95;
+              $('section.present').find('section')
+                .filter(function() {
+                  return $(this).height() > h;
+                })
+                .css('height', 'calc(95vh)')
+                .css('overflow-y', 'scroll')
+                .css('margin-top', '20px');
+            }
+        }
+
+        // check and set the scrolling slide every time the slide change
+        Reveal.addEventListener('slidechanged', setScrollingSlide);
 
     }
+
 );
 </script>