diff --git a/launcher/et b/launcher/et
index 543b84508..63daec5b4 100755
--- a/launcher/et
+++ b/launcher/et
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ SSH_COMMAND=""
 TMP_DIR=${TMPDIR:-${TMP:-${TEMP:-/tmp}}}
 LOG_DIR=$TMP_DIR
 VERBOSITY=""
+INITIAL_COMMAND=""
 
 for i in "$@"
 do
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ do
             VERBOSITY="--v=9"
             shift
             ;;
+        -c=*|--command=*)
+            INITIAL_COMMAND="${i#*=}"
+            shift
+            ;;
         -h|--help)
             printf "et (options) [user@]hostname[:port]
 
@@ -41,6 +46,7 @@ Options:
 -u Username to connect to ssh & ET
 -l Directory where log files will go
 -v verbose log files
+-c Initial command to execute upon connecting
 "
             exit 0
             ;;
@@ -110,5 +116,5 @@ else
     echo "${PASSKEY}" > "${TMPFILE}"
     PASSKEY=""
     SSH_OUTPUT=""
-    $CLIENT_BINARY --idpasskeyfile="$TMPFILE" $VERBOSITY --host="$HOSTNAME" --port="$PORT" --log_dir="$LOG_DIR" 2> /tmp/etclient_err
+    $CLIENT_BINARY --idpasskeyfile="$TMPFILE" $VERBOSITY --host="$HOSTNAME" --port="$PORT" --log_dir="$LOG_DIR" --command="$INITIAL_COMMAND" 2> /tmp/etclient_err
 fi
diff --git a/terminal/TerminalClient.cpp b/terminal/TerminalClient.cpp
index 14ac3f625..360062ea6 100644
--- a/terminal/TerminalClient.cpp
+++ b/terminal/TerminalClient.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ DEFINE_int32(port, 2022, "port to connect on");
 DEFINE_string(id, "", "Unique ID assigned to this session");
 DEFINE_string(passkey, "", "Passkey to encrypt/decrypt packets");
 DEFINE_string(idpasskeyfile, "", "File containing client ID and key to encrypt/decrypt packets");
+DEFINE_string(command, "", "Command to run immediately after connecting");
 
 shared_ptr<ClientConnection> createClient() {
   string id = FLAGS_id;
@@ -158,6 +159,17 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
   time_t keepaliveTime = time(NULL) + 5;
   bool waitingOnKeepalive = false;
 
+  if (FLAGS_command.length()) {
+    LOG(INFO) << "Got command: " << FLAGS_command << endl;
+    et::TerminalBuffer tb;
+    tb.set_buffer(FLAGS_command + "\n");
+
+    char c = et::PacketType::TERMINAL_BUFFER;
+    string headerString(1, c);
+    globalClient->writeMessage(headerString);
+    globalClient->writeProto(tb);
+  }
+
   while (run && !globalClient->isShuttingDown()) {
     // Data structures needed for select() and
     // non-blocking I/O.