diff --git a/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp b/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp
index cfc668e..5db32fd 100644
--- a/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp
+++ b/include/cppast/compile_config.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ namespace cppast
     {
     public:
         /// \effects Sets the given C++ standard and compilation flags.
-        void set_standard(cpp_standard standard, type_safe::flag_set<compile_flag> flags)
+        void set_flags(cpp_standard standard, type_safe::flag_set<compile_flag> flags = {})
         {
             do_set_flags(standard, flags);
         }
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ namespace cppast
             do_remove_macro_definition(std::move(name));
         }
 
+        /// \returns A unique name of the configuration.
+        /// \notes This allows detecting mismatches of configurations and parsers.
+        const char* name() const noexcept
+        {
+            return do_get_name();
+        }
+
     protected:
         compile_config(std::vector<std::string> def_flags) : flags_(std::move(def_flags))
         {
@@ -110,6 +117,10 @@ namespace cppast
         /// \effects Undefines the given macro.
         virtual void do_remove_macro_definition(std::string name) = 0;
 
+        /// \returns A unique name of the configuration.
+        /// \notes This allows detecting mismatches of configurations and parsers.
+        virtual const char* do_get_name() const noexcept = 0;
+
         std::vector<std::string> flags_;
     };
 } // namespace cppast
diff --git a/include/cppast/libclang_parser.hpp b/include/cppast/libclang_parser.hpp
index df56294..78d8697 100644
--- a/include/cppast/libclang_parser.hpp
+++ b/include/cppast/libclang_parser.hpp
@@ -9,12 +9,31 @@
 
 namespace cppast
 {
+    class libclang_compile_config;
+
+    namespace detail
+    {
+        struct libclang_compile_config_access
+        {
+            static const std::string& clang_binary(const libclang_compile_config& config);
+
+            static const std::vector<std::string>& flags(const libclang_compile_config& config);
+        };
+    } // namespace detail
+
     /// Compilation config for the [cppast::libclang_parser]().
     class libclang_compile_config final : public compile_config
     {
     public:
         libclang_compile_config();
 
+        /// \effects Sets the path to the location of the `clang++` binary.
+        /// \notes It will be used for preprocessing.
+        void set_clang_binary(std::string binary)
+        {
+            clang_binary_ = std::move(binary);
+        }
+
     private:
         void do_set_flags(cpp_standard standard, type_safe::flag_set<compile_flag> flags) override;
 
@@ -23,6 +42,15 @@ namespace cppast
         void do_add_macro_definition(std::string name, std::string definition) override;
 
         void do_remove_macro_definition(std::string name) override;
+
+        const char* do_get_name() const noexcept override
+        {
+            return "libclang";
+        }
+
+        std::string clang_binary_;
+
+        friend detail::libclang_compile_config_access;
     };
 
     /// A parser that uses libclang.
@@ -33,7 +61,7 @@ namespace cppast
         ~libclang_parser() noexcept override;
 
     private:
-        std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, const std::string& path,
+        std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, std::string path,
                                            const compile_config& config) const override;
 
         struct impl;
diff --git a/include/cppast/parser.hpp b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
index 2c6803d..68b6902 100644
--- a/include/cppast/parser.hpp
+++ b/include/cppast/parser.hpp
@@ -25,10 +25,11 @@ namespace cppast
 
         /// \effects Parses the given file.
         /// \returns The [cppast::cpp_file]() object describing it.
-        std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, const std::string& path,
+        /// \requires The dynamic type of `config` must match the required config type.
+        std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, std::string path,
                                         const compile_config& config) const
         {
-            return do_parse(idx, path, config);
+            return do_parse(idx, std::move(path), config);
         }
 
     protected:
@@ -37,9 +38,8 @@ namespace cppast
     private:
         /// \effects Parses the given file.
         /// \returns The [cppast::cpp_file]() object describing it.
-        virtual std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx,
-                                                   const std::string&      path,
-                                                   const compile_config&   config) const = 0;
+        virtual std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, std::string path,
+                                                   const compile_config& config) const = 0;
     };
 } // namespace cppast
 
diff --git a/src/libclang/libclang_parser.cpp b/src/libclang/libclang_parser.cpp
index d031815..0ef6ec3 100644
--- a/src/libclang/libclang_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/libclang/libclang_parser.cpp
@@ -4,12 +4,28 @@
 
 #include <cppast/libclang_parser.hpp>
 
+#include <cstring>
+
 #include "raii_wrapper.hpp"
+#include "preprocessor.hpp"
 
 using namespace cppast;
 
+const std::string& detail::libclang_compile_config_access::clang_binary(
+    const libclang_compile_config& config)
+{
+    return config.clang_binary_;
+}
+
+const std::vector<std::string>& detail::libclang_compile_config_access::flags(
+    const libclang_compile_config& config)
+{
+    return config.get_flags();
+}
+
 libclang_compile_config::libclang_compile_config() : compile_config({})
 {
+    set_clang_binary("clang++");
 }
 
 void libclang_compile_config::do_set_flags(cpp_standard                      standard,
@@ -84,9 +100,18 @@ libclang_parser::~libclang_parser() noexcept
 {
 }
 
-std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> libclang_parser::do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx,
-                                                    const std::string&      path,
-                                                    const compile_config&   config) const
+std::unique_ptr<cpp_file> libclang_parser::do_parse(const cpp_entity_index& idx, std::string path,
+                                                    const compile_config& c) const
 {
-    return nullptr;
+    DEBUG_ASSERT(std::strcmp(c.name(), "libclang") == 0, detail::precondition_error_handler{},
+                 "config has mismatched type");
+    auto& config       = static_cast<const libclang_compile_config&>(c);
+    auto  preprocessed = detail::preprocess(config, path.c_str());
+
+    cpp_file::builder builder(std::move(path));
+
+    for (auto& e : preprocessed.entities)
+        builder.add_child(std::move(e.entity));
+
+    return builder.finish(idx);
 }
diff --git a/src/libclang/preprocessor.cpp b/src/libclang/preprocessor.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ce8edb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libclang/preprocessor.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,413 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+// This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+// found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+#include "preprocessor.hpp"
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <cstdio>
+
+// treat the tiny-process-library as header only
+#include <process.hpp>
+#include <process.cpp>
+#if defined(WIN32) || defined(_WIN32) || defined(__WIN32)
+#include <process_win.cpp>
+#else
+#include <process_unix.cpp>
+#endif
+
+#include <type_safe/flag.hpp>
+#include <type_safe/optional.hpp>
+#include <type_safe/reference.hpp>
+
+#include <cppast/cpp_entity_kind.hpp>
+
+using namespace cppast;
+namespace ts = type_safe;
+
+namespace
+{
+    // build the command that runs the preprocessor
+    std::string get_command(const libclang_compile_config& c, const char* full_path)
+    {
+        // -E: print preprocessor output
+        // -CC: keep comments, even in macro
+        // -dD: print macro definitions as well
+        // -Wno-pragma-once-outside-header: hide wrong warning
+        std::string cmd(detail::libclang_compile_config_access::clang_binary(c)
+                        + " -E -CC -dD -Wno-pragma-once-outside-header ");
+
+        // add other flags
+        for (auto& flag : detail::libclang_compile_config_access::flags(c))
+        {
+            cmd += flag;
+            cmd += ' ';
+        }
+
+        // add path to file being processed
+        cmd += full_path;
+
+        return cmd;
+    }
+
+    // gets the full preprocessor output
+    std::string get_full_preprocess_output(const libclang_compile_config& c, const char* full_path)
+    {
+        std::string preprocessed;
+
+        auto    cmd = get_command(c, full_path);
+        Process process(cmd, "",
+                        [&](const char* str, std::size_t n) {
+                            preprocessed.reserve(preprocessed.size() + n);
+                            for (auto end = str + n; str != end; ++str)
+                                if (*str != '\r')
+                                    preprocessed.push_back(*str);
+                        },
+                        [&](const char* str, std::size_t n) {
+                            std::fprintf(stderr, "%.*s\n", static_cast<int>(n),
+                                         str); // TODO: log error properly
+                        });
+
+        auto exit_code = process.get_exit_status();
+        if (exit_code != 0)
+            DEBUG_UNREACHABLE(detail::assert_handler{}); // TODO: improve error handling
+
+        return preprocessed;
+    }
+
+    class position
+    {
+    public:
+        position(ts::object_ref<std::string> result, const char* ptr) noexcept
+        : result_(result), cur_line_(1u), ptr_(ptr), write_(true)
+        {
+        }
+
+        void write_str(std::string str)
+        {
+            if (write_ == false)
+                return;
+            for (auto c : str)
+            {
+                *result_ += c;
+                if (c == '\n')
+                    ++cur_line_;
+            }
+        }
+
+        void bump() noexcept
+        {
+            if (write_ == true)
+            {
+                result_->push_back(*ptr_);
+                if (*ptr_ == '\n')
+                    ++cur_line_;
+            }
+            ++ptr_;
+        }
+
+        void bump(std::size_t offset) noexcept
+        {
+            for (std::size_t i = 0u; i != offset; ++i)
+                bump();
+        }
+
+        // no write, no newline detection
+        void skip(std::size_t offset = 1u) noexcept
+        {
+            ptr_ += offset;
+        }
+
+        void enable_write() noexcept
+        {
+            write_.set();
+        }
+
+        void disable_write() noexcept
+        {
+            write_.try_reset();
+        }
+
+        explicit operator bool() const noexcept
+        {
+            return *ptr_ != '\0';
+        }
+
+        const char* ptr() const noexcept
+        {
+            return ptr_;
+        }
+
+        unsigned cur_line() const noexcept
+        {
+            return cur_line_;
+        }
+
+        bool was_newl() const noexcept
+        {
+            return result_->empty() || result_->back() == '\n';
+        }
+
+    private:
+        ts::object_ref<std::string> result_;
+        unsigned                    cur_line_;
+        const char*                 ptr_;
+        ts::flag                    write_;
+    };
+
+    bool starts_with(const position& p, const char* str)
+    {
+        return std::strncmp(p.ptr(), str, std::strlen(str)) == 0;
+    }
+
+    bool bump_c_str(position& p)
+    {
+        if (!starts_with(p, "/*"))
+            return false;
+        p.bump(2u);
+
+        while (!starts_with(p, "*/"))
+            p.bump();
+        p.bump(2u);
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    bool bump_cpp_str(position& p)
+    {
+        if (!starts_with(p, "//"))
+            return false;
+        p.bump(2u);
+
+        while (!starts_with(p, "\n"))
+            p.bump();
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    void skip_spaces(position& p)
+    {
+        while (starts_with(p, " "))
+            p.skip();
+    }
+
+    std::unique_ptr<cpp_macro_definition> parse_macro(position& p)
+    {
+        // format (at new line): #define <name> [replacement]
+        // or: #define <name>(<args>) [replacement]
+        if (!p.was_newl() || !starts_with(p, "#define"))
+            return nullptr;
+        p.skip(std::strlen("#define"));
+        skip_spaces(p);
+
+        std::string name;
+        while (!starts_with(p, "(") && !starts_with(p, " ") && !starts_with(p, "\n"))
+        {
+            name += *p.ptr();
+            p.skip();
+        }
+
+        ts::optional<std::string> args;
+        if (starts_with(p, "("))
+        {
+            std::string str;
+            for (p.skip(); !starts_with(p, ")"); p.skip())
+                str += *p.ptr();
+            p.skip();
+            args = std::move(str);
+        }
+
+        std::string rep;
+        for (skip_spaces(p); !starts_with(p, "\n"); p.skip())
+            rep += *p.ptr();
+        // don't skip newline
+
+        return cpp_macro_definition::build(std::move(name), std::move(args), std::move(rep));
+    }
+
+    ts::optional<std::string> parse_undef(position& p)
+    {
+        // format (at new line): #undef <name>
+        if (!p.was_newl() || !starts_with(p, "#undef"))
+            return ts::nullopt;
+        p.skip(std::strlen("#undef"));
+
+        std::string result;
+        for (skip_spaces(p); !starts_with(p, "\n"); p.skip())
+            result += *p.ptr();
+        // don't skip newline
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    bool skip_pragma(position& p)
+    {
+        // format (at new line): #pragma <stuff..>\n
+        if (!p.was_newl() || !starts_with(p, "#pragma"))
+            return false;
+
+        while (!starts_with(p, "\n"))
+            p.skip();
+        // don't skip newline
+
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    struct linemarker
+    {
+        std::string file;
+        unsigned    line;
+        enum
+        {
+            line_directive, // no change in file
+            enter_new,      // open a new file
+            enter_old,      // return to an old file
+        } flag         = line_directive;
+        bool is_system = false;
+    };
+
+    ts::optional<linemarker> parse_linemarker(position& p)
+    {
+        // format (at new line): # <line> "<filename>" <flags>
+        // flag 1: enter_new
+        // flag 2: enter_old
+        // flag 3: system file
+        // flag 4: ignored
+        if (!p.was_newl() || !starts_with(p, "#"))
+            return ts::nullopt;
+        p.skip();
+        DEBUG_ASSERT(!starts_with(p, "define") && !starts_with(p, "undef")
+                         && !starts_with(p, "pragma"),
+                     detail::assert_handler{}, "handle macros first");
+
+        linemarker result;
+
+        std::string line;
+        for (skip_spaces(p); std::isdigit(*p.ptr()); p.skip())
+            line += *p.ptr();
+        result.line = unsigned(std::stoi(line));
+
+        skip_spaces(p);
+        DEBUG_ASSERT(*p.ptr() == '"', detail::assert_handler{});
+        p.skip();
+
+        std::string file_name;
+        for (; !starts_with(p, "\""); p.skip())
+            file_name += *p.ptr();
+        p.skip();
+        result.file = std::move(file_name);
+
+        for (; !starts_with(p, "\n"); p.skip())
+        {
+            skip_spaces(p);
+
+            switch (*p.ptr())
+            {
+            case '1':
+                DEBUG_ASSERT(result.flag == linemarker::line_directive, detail::assert_handler{});
+                result.flag = linemarker::enter_new;
+                break;
+            case '2':
+                DEBUG_ASSERT(result.flag == linemarker::line_directive, detail::assert_handler{});
+                result.flag = linemarker::enter_old;
+                break;
+            case '3':
+                result.is_system = true;
+                break;
+            case '4':
+                break; // ignored
+
+            default:
+                DEBUG_UNREACHABLE(detail::assert_handler{}, "invalid line marker");
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        p.skip();
+
+        return result;
+    }
+}
+
+detail::preprocessor_output detail::preprocess(const libclang_compile_config& config,
+                                               const char*                    path)
+{
+    detail::preprocessor_output result;
+
+    auto output = get_full_preprocess_output(config, path);
+
+    position    p(ts::ref(result.source), output.c_str());
+    std::size_t file_depth = 0u;
+    while (p)
+    {
+        if (auto macro = parse_macro(p))
+        {
+            if (file_depth == 0u)
+                result.entities.push_back({std::move(macro), p.cur_line()});
+        }
+        else if (auto undef = parse_undef(p))
+        {
+            if (file_depth == 0u)
+                result.entities
+                    .erase(std::remove_if(result.entities.begin(), result.entities.end(),
+                                          [&](const pp_entity& e) {
+                                              return e.entity->kind()
+                                                         == cpp_entity_kind::macro_definition_t
+                                                     && e.entity->name() == undef.value();
+                                          }),
+                           result.entities.end());
+        }
+        else if (skip_pragma(p))
+            continue;
+        else if (auto lm = parse_linemarker(p))
+        {
+            switch (lm.value().flag)
+            {
+            case linemarker::line_directive:
+                break; // ignore
+            // no need to handle it, preprocessed output doesn't need to match line numbers precisely
+
+            case linemarker::enter_new:
+                if (file_depth == 0u && lm.value().file.front() != '<')
+                {
+                    // this file is directly included by the given file
+                    // so build entity (first, the write updates the line count)
+                    result.entities.push_back(
+                        {cpp_include_directive::build(cpp_file_ref(cpp_entity_id(lm.value().file),
+                                                                   lm.value().file),
+                                                      // not really correct, but nice approximation
+                                                      lm.value().is_system ?
+                                                          cpp_include_kind::system :
+                                                          cpp_include_kind::local),
+                         p.cur_line()});
+                    // but also write the include directive again
+                    p.write_str("#include \"" + lm.value().file + "\"\n");
+                }
+
+                ++file_depth;
+                p.disable_write();
+                break;
+
+            case linemarker::enter_old:
+                --file_depth;
+                if (file_depth == 0u)
+                {
+                    DEBUG_ASSERT(lm.value().file == path, detail::assert_handler{});
+                    p.enable_write();
+                }
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        else if (bump_c_str(p))
+            // write an additional newline after each string
+            // this allows matching documentation comments to entities generated from macros
+            // as the entity corresponding to the documentation comment will be on the next line
+            // otherwise all entities would have the same line number
+            p.write_str("\n");
+        else if (bump_cpp_str(p))
+            continue;
+        else
+            p.bump();
+    }
+
+    return result;
+}
diff --git a/src/libclang/preprocessor.hpp b/src/libclang/preprocessor.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bc268c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libclang/preprocessor.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2017 Jonathan Müller <jonathanmueller.dev@gmail.com>
+// This file is subject to the license terms in the LICENSE file
+// found in the top-level directory of this distribution.
+
+#ifndef CPPAST_PREPROCESSOR_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define CPPAST_PREPROCESSOR_HPP_INCLUDED
+
+#include <cppast/cpp_preprocessor.hpp>
+#include <cppast/libclang_parser.hpp>
+
+namespace cppast
+{
+    namespace detail
+    {
+        struct pp_entity
+        {
+            std::unique_ptr<cpp_entity> entity;
+            unsigned                    line;
+        };
+
+        struct preprocessor_output
+        {
+            std::string            source;
+            std::vector<pp_entity> entities;
+        };
+
+        preprocessor_output preprocess(const libclang_compile_config& config, const char* path);
+    }
+} // namespace cppast::detail
+
+#endif // CPPAST_PREPROCESSOR_HPP_INCLUDED