diff --git a/bin/tend b/bin/tend
index b470ee9..07c23ce 100755
--- a/bin/tend
+++ b/bin/tend
@@ -7,13 +7,14 @@ var doc = [
   'Usage:',
   '  tend',
   '  tend (--help | --version)',
-  '  tend [--restart] [--ignoreHidden] [<dir> <command>] [<filter>]',
+  '  tend [--restart] [--start] [--ignoreHidden] [<dir> <command>] [<filter>]',
   '',
   'Options:',
   '  -h --help          Show this help text',
   '  -v --version       Show tend version information',
   '  -r --restart       If <command> is still running when there is a change, stop and re-run it',
   '  -i --ignoreHidden  Ignore changes to files which start with "."',
+  '  -s --start         Run <command> as soon as tend executes',
 ].join('\r\n');
 
 var args = docopt.docopt(doc, {
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ if (args['<dir>'] && args['<command>']) {
     filter: args['<filter>'],
     ignoreHidden: args['--ignoreHidden'],
     restart: args['--restart'],
+    start: args['--start'],
     command: args['<command>'],
     directory: args['<dir>'],
   }
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 4bbe590..eeadc56 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ module.exports.tend = function(dir, rawCommand, options) {
     clearTimeout(timeout);
     timeout = setTimeout(startCommand, 300);
   });
+
+  if(options.start){
+    startCommand();
+  }
 };
 
 module.exports.parseConfig = function() {
@@ -85,6 +89,7 @@ module.exports.parseConfig = function() {
     filter: rawConfig.filter || '.',
     ignoreHidden: (rawConfig.ignoreHidden === undefined) ? false : rawConfig.ignoreHidden,
     restart: (rawConfig.restart === undefined) ? false : rawConfig.restart,
+    start: (rawConfig.start === undefined) ? false : rawConfig.start,
   };
 
   for (var key in rawConfig) {
@@ -103,6 +108,7 @@ module.exports.parseConfig = function() {
       filter: (section.filter === undefined) ? defaults.filter : section.filter,
       ignoreHidden: (section.ignoreHidden === undefined) ? defaults.ignoreHidden : section.ignoreHidden,
       restart: (section.restart === undefined) ? defaults.restart : section.restart,
+      start: (section.start === undefined) ? defaults.start : section.start,
       directory: section.directory,
       command: section.command
     };