diff --git a/System/Console/Haskeline.hs b/System/Console/Haskeline.hs
index f42277bc..a1d80f3e 100644
--- a/System/Console/Haskeline.hs
+++ b/System/Console/Haskeline.hs
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ import System.Console.Haskeline.RunCommand
 import Control.Monad.Catch (MonadMask, handle)
 import Data.Char (isSpace, isPrint)
 import Data.Maybe (isJust)
+import Control.Monad (when)
 import System.IO
 
 
@@ -188,13 +189,18 @@ maybeAddHistory :: forall m . MonadIO m => Maybe String -> InputT m ()
 maybeAddHistory result = do
     settings :: Settings m <- InputT ask
     histDupes <- InputT $ asks historyDuplicates
+    doFlush <- InputT $ asks incAppendHistory
     case result of
         Just line | autoAddHistory settings && not (all isSpace line)
             -> let adder = case histDupes of
                         AlwaysAdd -> addHistory
                         IgnoreConsecutive -> addHistoryUnlessConsecutiveDupe
                         IgnoreAll -> addHistoryRemovingAllDupes
-               in modifyHistory (adder line)
+               in do
+                 modifyHistory (adder line)
+                 when doFlush $ case historyFile settings of
+                   Nothing -> pure ()
+                   Just f -> liftIO $ appendFile f (line ++ "\n")
         _ -> return ()
 
 ----------
diff --git a/System/Console/Haskeline/Command/History.hs b/System/Console/Haskeline/Command/History.hs
index f1891f2d..c3e3b40a 100644
--- a/System/Console/Haskeline/Command/History.hs
+++ b/System/Console/Haskeline/Command/History.hs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import Data.List
 import Data.Maybe(fromMaybe)
 import System.Console.Haskeline.History
 import Data.IORef
+import Control.Monad (when)
 import Control.Monad.Catch
 
 data HistLog = HistLog {pastHistory, futureHistory :: [[Grapheme]]}
@@ -28,12 +29,17 @@ histLog :: History -> HistLog
 histLog hist = HistLog {pastHistory = map stringToGraphemes $ historyLines hist,
                         futureHistory = []}
 
-runHistoryFromFile :: (MonadIO m, MonadMask m) => Maybe FilePath -> Maybe Int
-                            -> ReaderT (IORef History) m a -> m a
-runHistoryFromFile Nothing _ f = do
+runHistoryFromFile
+  :: (MonadIO m, MonadMask m)
+  => Maybe FilePath
+  -> Maybe Int
+  -> Bool
+  -> ReaderT (IORef History) m a
+  -> m a
+runHistoryFromFile Nothing _ _ f = do
     historyRef <- liftIO $ newIORef emptyHistory
     runReaderT f historyRef
-runHistoryFromFile (Just file) stifleAmt f = do
+runHistoryFromFile (Just file) stifleAmt writeHistoryOnExit f = do
     oldHistory <- liftIO $ readHistory file
     historyRef <- liftIO $ newIORef $ stifleHistory stifleAmt oldHistory
     -- Run the action and then write the new history, even on an exception.
@@ -41,7 +47,8 @@ runHistoryFromFile (Just file) stifleAmt f = do
     -- the user's previously-entered commands.
     -- (Note that this requires using ReaderT (IORef History) instead of StateT.
     x <- runReaderT f historyRef
-            `finally` (liftIO $ readIORef historyRef >>= writeHistory file)
+            `finally` when writeHistoryOnExit
+              (liftIO $ readIORef historyRef >>= writeHistory file)
     return x
 
 prevHistory, firstHistory :: Save s => s -> HistLog -> (s, HistLog)
diff --git a/System/Console/Haskeline/History.hs b/System/Console/Haskeline/History.hs
index 3328b033..cc84412e 100644
--- a/System/Console/Haskeline/History.hs
+++ b/System/Console/Haskeline/History.hs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ readHistory file = handle (\(_::IOException) -> return emptyHistory) $ do
         then readUTF8File file
         else return ""
     _ <- evaluate (length contents) -- force file closed
-    return History {histLines = Seq.fromList $ lines contents,
+    return History {histLines = Seq.fromList $ reverse $ lines contents,
                     stifleAmt = Nothing}
 
 -- | Writes the line history to the given file.  If there is an
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ readHistory file = handle (\(_::IOException) -> return emptyHistory) $ do
 writeHistory :: FilePath -> History -> IO ()
 writeHistory file = handle (\(_::IOException) -> return ())
         . writeUTF8File file
-        . unlines . historyLines 
+        . unlines . reverse . historyLines
 
 -- | Limit the number of lines stored in the history.
 stifleHistory :: Maybe Int -> History -> History
diff --git a/System/Console/Haskeline/InputT.hs b/System/Console/Haskeline/InputT.hs
index d8849b96..3ae2b840 100644
--- a/System/Console/Haskeline/InputT.hs
+++ b/System/Console/Haskeline/InputT.hs
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ execInputT prefs settings run (InputT f)
     = runReaderT' settings $ runReaderT' prefs
             $ runKillRing
             $ runHistoryFromFile (historyFile settings) (maxHistorySize prefs)
+              (incAppendHistory prefs)
             $ runReaderT f run
 
 -- | Map a user interaction by modifying the base monad computation.
diff --git a/System/Console/Haskeline/Prefs.hs b/System/Console/Haskeline/Prefs.hs
index 8033a8f8..4b717a52 100644
--- a/System/Console/Haskeline/Prefs.hs
+++ b/System/Console/Haskeline/Prefs.hs
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ data Prefs = Prefs { bellStyle :: !BellStyle,
                         -- presses @TAB@ again.
                      customBindings :: Map.Map Key [Key],
                         -- (termName, keysequence, key)
-                     customKeySequences :: [(Maybe String, String,Key)]
+                     customKeySequences :: [(Maybe String, String,Key)],
+                     incAppendHistory :: Bool
+                        -- ^ If 'True' and @historyFile@ not 'Nothing'    
+                        -- flushes command history after every command
                      }
                         deriving Show
 
@@ -77,7 +80,8 @@ defaultPrefs = Prefs {bellStyle = AudibleBell,
                       listCompletionsImmediately = True,
                       historyDuplicates = AlwaysAdd,
                       customBindings = Map.empty,
-                      customKeySequences = []
+                      customKeySequences = [],
+                      incAppendHistory = False
                     }
 
 mkSettor :: Read a => (a -> Prefs -> Prefs) -> String -> Prefs -> Prefs
@@ -100,6 +104,7 @@ settors = [("bellstyle", mkSettor $ \x p -> p {bellStyle = x})
           ,("historyduplicates", mkSettor $ \x p -> p {historyDuplicates = x})
           ,("bind", addCustomBinding)
           ,("keyseq", addCustomKeySequence)
+          ,("incappendhistory", mkSettor $ \x p -> p {incAppendHistory = x})
           ]
 
 addCustomBinding :: String -> Prefs -> Prefs