diff --git a/AUTHORS.rst b/AUTHORS.rst
index db47776..aae000b 100644
--- a/AUTHORS.rst
+++ b/AUTHORS.rst
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ These people have contributed to `pytest-bdd`, in alphabetical order:
 * `Laurence Rowe <l@lrowe.co.uk>`_
 * `Leonardo Santagada <santagada@github.com>`_
 * `Robin Pedersen <ropez@github.com>`_
+* `Sergey Kraynev <sergejyit@gmail.com>`_
diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index fe33981..c1cf0a7 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 Changelog
 =========
 
+2.18.2
+------
+
+- Fix check for out section steps definitions for no strict gherkin feature
+
 2.18.1
 ------
 
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9f51984..2354cdc 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -884,6 +884,14 @@ steps, adding possibility to prepare some common setup for multiple scenarios in
 About background best practices, please read
 `here <https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber/wiki/Background#good-practices-for-using-background>`_.
 
+.. NOTE:: There is only step "Given" should be used in "Background" section,
+          steps "When" and "Then" are prohibited, because their purpose are
+          related to actions and consuming outcomes, that is conflict with
+          "Background" aim - prepare system for tests or "put the system
+          in a known state" as "Given" does it.
+          The statement above is applied for strict Gherkin mode, which is
+          enabled by default.
+
 
 Reusing fixtures
 ----------------
diff --git a/pytest_bdd/feature.py b/pytest_bdd/feature.py
index 6c4c50d..950fda2 100644
--- a/pytest_bdd/feature.py
+++ b/pytest_bdd/feature.py
@@ -293,7 +293,11 @@ class Feature(object):
                     continue
                 mode = get_step_type(clean_line) or mode
 
-                if not scenario and prev_mode not in (types.BACKGROUND, types.GIVEN) and mode in types.STEP_TYPES:
+                allowed_prev_mode = (types.BACKGROUND, types.GIVEN)
+                if not strict_gherkin:
+                    allowed_prev_mode += (types.WHEN, )
+
+                if not scenario and prev_mode not in allowed_prev_mode  and mode in types.STEP_TYPES:
                     raise exceptions.FeatureError(
                         "Step definition outside of a Scenario or a Background", line_number, clean_line, filename)
 
diff --git a/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_background.feature b/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_background.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5192e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_background.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Feature: No strict Gherkin Background support
+
+    Background:
+        When foo has a value "bar"
+        And foo is not boolean
+        And foo has not a value "baz"
+
+    Scenario: Test background
diff --git a/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_scenario.feature b/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_scenario.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..029d17b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/feature/no_sctrict_gherkin_scenario.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Feature: No strict Gherkin Scenario support
+
+    Scenario: Test scenario
+        When foo has a value "bar"
+        And foo is not boolean
+        And foo has not a value "baz"
diff --git a/tests/feature/test_no_scenario.py b/tests/feature/test_no_scenario.py
index 6b05f91..af275f6 100644
--- a/tests/feature/test_no_scenario.py
+++ b/tests/feature/test_no_scenario.py
@@ -24,3 +24,25 @@ def test_no_scenarios(testdir):
             '*FeatureError: Step definition outside of a Scenario or a Background.*',
         ],
     )
+
+
+def test_only_background_strict_mode(testdir):
+    """Test only wrong background defined in the feature file."""
+    features = testdir.mkdir('features')
+    features.join('test.feature').write_text(textwrap.dedent(u"""
+    Background:
+        Given foo
+        When bar
+    """), 'utf-8', ensure=True)
+    testdir.makepyfile(py.code.Source("""
+
+        from pytest_bdd import scenarios
+
+        scenarios('features')
+    """))
+    result = testdir.runpytest()
+    result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
+        [
+            '*FeatureError: Background section can only contain Given steps.*',
+        ],
+    )
diff --git a/tests/feature/test_no_sctrict_gherkin.py b/tests/feature/test_no_sctrict_gherkin.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a8a827
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/feature/test_no_sctrict_gherkin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Test no strict gherkin for sections."""
+
+import py
+import pytest
+
+from pytest_bdd import (
+    when,
+    scenario,
+)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def pytestbdd_strict_gherkin():
+    return False
+
+
+def test_background_no_strict_gherkin(request):
+    """Test background no strict gherkin."""
+    @scenario(
+        "no_sctrict_gherkin_background.feature",
+        "Test background",
+    )
+    def test():
+        pass
+
+    test(request)
+
+def test_scenario_no_strict_gherkin(request):
+    """Test scenario no strict gherkin."""
+    @scenario(
+        "no_sctrict_gherkin_scenario.feature",
+        "Test scenario",
+    )
+    def test():
+        pass
+
+    test(request)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def foo():
+    return {}
+
+
+@when('foo has a value "bar"')
+def bar(foo):
+    foo["bar"] = "bar"
+    return foo["bar"]
+
+
+@when('foo is not boolean')
+def not_boolean(foo):
+    assert foo is not bool
+
+
+@when('foo has not a value "baz"')
+def has_not_baz(foo):
+    assert "baz" not in foo
+