diff --git a/src/theme/book.css b/src/theme/book.css
index f1d73dbd2c..abf7868556 100644
--- a/src/theme/book.css
+++ b/src/theme/book.css
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ code {
 .hidden {
   display: none;
 }
+.play-button.hidden {
+  display: none;
+}
 h2,
 h3 {
   margin-top: 2.5em;
diff --git a/src/theme/book.js b/src/theme/book.js
index 12e72019a5..4c5108b8cd 100644
--- a/src/theme/book.js
+++ b/src/theme/book.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
         tabReplace: '    ', // 4 spaces
         languages: [],      // Languages used for auto-detection
     });
-    
+
     if (window.ace) {
         // language-rust class needs to be removed for editable
         // blocks or highlightjs will capture events
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
             hljs.highlightBlock(block);
         });
     }
-    
+
     // Adding the hljs class gives code blocks the color css
     // even if highlighting doesn't apply
     $('code').addClass('hljs');
@@ -128,27 +128,27 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
 
     function set_theme(theme) {
         let ace_theme;
-        
+
         if (theme == 'coal' || theme == 'navy') {
             $("[href='ayu-highlight.css']").prop('disabled', true);
             $("[href='tomorrow-night.css']").prop('disabled', false);
             $("[href='highlight.css']").prop('disabled', true);
-            
+
             ace_theme = "ace/theme/tomorrow_night";
         } else if (theme == 'ayu') {
             $("[href='ayu-highlight.css']").prop('disabled', false);
             $("[href='tomorrow-night.css']").prop('disabled', true);
             $("[href='highlight.css']").prop('disabled', true);
-            
+
             ace_theme = "ace/theme/tomorrow_night";
         } else {
             $("[href='ayu-highlight.css']").prop('disabled', true);
             $("[href='tomorrow-night.css']").prop('disabled', true);
             $("[href='highlight.css']").prop('disabled', false);
-            
+
             ace_theme = "ace/theme/dawn";
         }
-        
+
         if (window.ace && window.editors) {
             window.editors.forEach(function(editor) {
                 editor.setTheme(ace_theme);
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
             pre_block.prepend("<div class=\"buttons\"></div>");
             buttons = pre_block.find(".buttons");
         }
-        buttons.prepend("<i class=\"fa fa-play play-button\"></i>");
+        buttons.prepend("<i class=\"fa fa-play play-button hidden\"></i>");
         buttons.prepend("<i class=\"fa fa-copy clip-button\"><i class=\"tooltiptext\"></i></i>");
 
         let code_block = pre_block.find("code").first();
@@ -245,14 +245,7 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
         text: function(trigger) {
             hideTooltip(trigger);
             let playpen = $(trigger).parents(".playpen");
-            let code_block = playpen.find("code").first();
-
-            if (window.ace && code_block.hasClass("editable")) {
-                let editor = window.ace.edit(code_block.get(0));
-                return editor.getValue();
-            } else {
-                return code_block.get(0).textContent;
-            }
+            return playpen_text(playpen);
         }
     });
     clipboardSnippets.on('success', function(e) {
@@ -262,8 +255,83 @@ $( document ).ready(function() {
     clipboardSnippets.on('error', function(e) {
             showTooltip(e.trigger, "Clipboard error!");
     });
+
+    $.ajax({
+        url: "https://play.rust-lang.org/meta/crates",
+        method: "POST",
+        crossDomain: true,
+        dataType: "json",
+        contentType: "application/json",
+        success: function(response){
+            // get list of crates available in the rust playground
+            let playground_crates = response.crates.map(function(item) {return item["id"];} );
+            $(".playpen").each(function(block) {
+                handle_crate_list_update($(this), playground_crates);
+            });
+        },
+    });
+
 });
 
+function playpen_text(playpen) {
+    let code_block = playpen.find("code").first();
+
+    if (window.ace && code_block.hasClass("editable")) {
+        let editor = window.ace.edit(code_block.get(0));
+        return editor.getValue();
+    } else {
+        return code_block.get(0).textContent;
+    }
+}
+
+function handle_crate_list_update(playpen_block, playground_crates) {
+    // update the play buttons after receiving the response
+    update_play_button(playpen_block, playground_crates);
+
+    // and install on change listener to dynamically update ACE editors
+    if (window.ace) {
+        let code_block = playpen_block.find("code").first();
+        if (code_block.hasClass("editable")) {
+            let editor = window.ace.edit(code_block.get(0));
+            editor.on("change", function(e){
+                update_play_button(playpen_block, playground_crates);
+            });
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+// updates the visibility of play button based on `no_run` class and
+// used crates vs ones available on http://play.rust-lang.org
+function update_play_button(pre_block, playground_crates) {
+    var play_button = pre_block.find(".play-button");
+
+    var classes = pre_block.find("code").attr("class").split(" ");
+    // skip if code is `no_run`
+    if (classes.indexOf("no_run") > -1) {
+        play_button.addClass("hidden");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // get list of `extern crate`'s from snippet
+    var txt = playpen_text(pre_block);
+    var re = /extern\s+crate\s+([a-zA-Z_0-9]+)\s*;/g;
+    var snippet_crates = [];
+    while (item = re.exec(txt)) {
+        snippet_crates.push(item[1]);
+    }
+
+    // check if all used crates are available on play.rust-lang.org
+    var all_available = snippet_crates.every(function(elem) {
+        return playground_crates.indexOf(elem) > -1;
+    });
+
+    if (all_available) {
+        play_button.removeClass("hidden");
+    } else {
+        play_button.addClass("hidden");
+    }
+}
+
 function hideTooltip(elem) {
     elem.firstChild.innerText="";
     elem.setAttribute('class', 'fa fa-copy clip-button');
@@ -300,15 +368,7 @@ function run_rust_code(code_block) {
         result_block = code_block.find(".result");
     }
 
-    let text;
-
-    let inner_code_block = code_block.find("code").first();
-    if (window.ace && inner_code_block.hasClass("editable")) {
-        let editor = window.ace.edit(inner_code_block.get(0));
-        text = editor.getValue();
-    } else {
-        text = inner_code_block.text();
-    }
+    let text = playpen_text(code_block);;
 
     var params = {
         version: "stable",
diff --git a/src/theme/stylus/general.styl b/src/theme/stylus/general.styl
index 7d3a583e2d..210c378832 100644
--- a/src/theme/stylus/general.styl
+++ b/src/theme/stylus/general.styl
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ code {
     display: none;
 }
 
+.play-button.hidden {
+    display: none;
+}
+
 h2, h3 { margin-top: 2.5em }
 h4, h5 { margin-top: 2em }