diff --git a/docs/profanity.1 b/docs/profanity.1
index ef1f4541..a8ac092e 100755
--- a/docs/profanity.1
+++ b/docs/profanity.1
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ may be set to DEBUG, INFO (the default), WARN or ERROR.
 .BI "\-f, \-\-logfile"
 Specify a different logfile
 .TP
+.BI "\-r, \-\-cmd"
+Specify the commands that should be run right after starting up.
+This can be given multiple times, e.g.
+.EX
+profanity --cmd /foo --cmd "/sleep 10" --cmd /quit
+.EE
+.TP
 .BI "\-t, \-\-theme "THEME
 Specify which theme to use.
 .I THEME
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 4edd5cb8..64f7e8e0 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -55,16 +55,17 @@
 #include "common.h"
 #include "command/cmd_defs.h"
 
-static gboolean version = FALSE;
-static char* log = NULL;
-static char* log_file = NULL;
-static char* account_name = NULL;
-static char* config_file = NULL;
-static char* theme_name = NULL;
-
 int
 main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
+    gboolean version = FALSE;
+    auto_gchar gchar* log = NULL;
+    auto_gchar gchar* log_file = NULL;
+    auto_gchar gchar* account_name = NULL;
+    auto_gchar gchar* config_file = NULL;
+    auto_gchar gchar* theme_name = NULL;
+    auto_gcharv gchar** commands = NULL;
+
     if (argc == 2 && g_strcmp0(PACKAGE_STATUS, "development") == 0) {
         if (g_strcmp0(argv[1], "docgen") == 0) {
             command_docgen();
@@ -75,13 +76,14 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
         }
     }
 
-    static GOptionEntry entries[] = {
+    GOptionEntry entries[] = {
         { "version", 'v', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &version, "Show version information", NULL },
         { "account", 'a', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &account_name, "Auto connect to an account on startup" },
         { "log", 'l', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &log, "Set logging levels, DEBUG, INFO, WARN (default), ERROR", "LEVEL" },
         { "config", 'c', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &config_file, "Use an alternative configuration file", NULL },
         { "logfile", 'f', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &log_file, "Specify log file", NULL },
         { "theme", 't', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &theme_name, "Specify theme name", NULL },
+        { "cmd", 'r', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING_ARRAY, &commands, "First commands to run", NULL },
         { NULL }
     };
 
@@ -171,14 +173,7 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
 
     /* Default logging WARN */
-    prof_run(log ? log : "WARN", account_name, config_file, log_file, theme_name);
-
-    /* Free resources allocated by GOptionContext */
-    g_free(log);
-    g_free(account_name);
-    g_free(config_file);
-    g_free(log_file);
-    g_free(theme_name);
+    prof_run(log ? log : "WARN", account_name, config_file, log_file, theme_name, commands);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/profanity.c b/src/profanity.c
index c9e69292..dea5a6a1 100644
--- a/src/profanity.c
+++ b/src/profanity.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
  *
  */
 #include "config.h"
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #ifdef HAVE_GTK
 #include "ui/tray.h"
@@ -83,6 +84,8 @@
 #include "omemo/omemo.h"
 #endif
 
+static unsigned int min_runtime = 5;
+
 static void _init(char* log_level, char* config_file, char* log_file, char* theme_name);
 static void _shutdown(void);
 static void _connect_default(const char* const account);
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@ pthread_mutex_t lock;
 static gboolean force_quit = FALSE;
 
 void
-prof_run(char* log_level, char* account_name, char* config_file, char* log_file, char* theme_name)
+prof_run(gchar* log_level, gchar* account_name, gchar* config_file, gchar* log_file, gchar* theme_name, gchar** commands)
 {
     gboolean cont = TRUE;
 
@@ -105,17 +108,50 @@ prof_run(char* log_level, char* account_name, char* config_file, char* log_file,
 
     session_init_activity();
 
+    GTimer* runtime = g_timer_new();
+
     char* line = NULL;
+    GTimer* waittimer = g_timer_new();
+    g_timer_stop(waittimer);
+    int waittime;
     while (cont && !force_quit) {
         log_stderr_handler();
         session_check_autoaway();
 
-        line = inp_readline();
-        if (line) {
+        line = commands ? *commands : inp_readline();
+        if (commands && line && memcmp(line, "/sleep", 6) == 0) {
+            if (!g_timer_is_active(waittimer)) {
+                gchar* err_msg;
+                if (strtoi_range(line + 7, &waittime, 0, 300, &err_msg)) {
+                    g_timer_start(waittimer);
+                    /* Increase the minimal runtime by the waiting time
+                     * so we can be sure there's runtime left after executing
+                     * the last command.
+                     */
+                    min_runtime += waittime;
+                } else {
+                    log_error(err_msg);
+                    g_free(err_msg);
+                    commands = NULL;
+                }
+            } else if (g_timer_elapsed(waittimer, NULL) >= waittime) {
+                g_timer_stop(waittimer);
+                commands++;
+                if (!(*commands))
+                    commands = NULL;
+            }
+            cont = TRUE;
+        } else if (line) {
             ProfWin* window = wins_get_current();
             cont = cmd_process_input(window, line);
-            free(line);
-            line = NULL;
+            if (commands) {
+                commands++;
+                if (!(*commands))
+                    commands = NULL;
+            } else {
+                free(line);
+                line = NULL;
+            }
         } else {
             cont = TRUE;
         }
@@ -132,6 +168,9 @@ prof_run(char* log_level, char* account_name, char* config_file, char* log_file,
         tray_update();
 #endif
     }
+    g_timer_destroy(waittimer);
+    g_timer_elapsed(runtime, NULL) < min_runtime ? sleep(min_runtime) : (void)NULL;
+    g_timer_destroy(runtime);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/profanity.h b/src/profanity.h
index 8a7d525a..a7edc2cc 100644
--- a/src/profanity.h
+++ b/src/profanity.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <glib.h>
 
-void prof_run(char* log_level, char* account_name, char* config_file, char* log_file, char* theme_name);
+void prof_run(gchar* log_level, gchar* account_name, gchar* config_file, gchar* log_file, gchar* theme_name, gchar** commands);
 gboolean prof_set_quit(void);
 
 extern pthread_mutex_t lock;