diff --git a/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.cpp b/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.cpp
index 3903617809..cf41110b9f 100644
--- a/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.cpp
+++ b/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #include <QGlobalStatic>
 #include <QWidget>
 #include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QMessageBox>
 #include <QTextCodec>
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #include "prefscontext.h"
 #include "prefstable.h"
 #include "prefsmanager.h"
-#include "scribusapp.h" // need it to acces ScQApp->pythonScript
+#include "scribusapp.h" // need it to acces ScQApp->pythonScript & ScQApp->pythonScriptArgs
 
 ScripterCore::ScripterCore(QWidget* parent)
 {
@@ -227,6 +228,12 @@ void ScripterCore::RecentScript(QString fn)
 }
 
 void ScripterCore::slotRunScriptFile(QString fileName, bool inMainInterpreter)
+{
+	slotRunScriptFile(fileName, QStringList(), inMainInterpreter);
+}
+
+void ScripterCore::slotRunScriptFile(QString fileName, QStringList arguments, bool inMainInterpreter)
+/** run "filename" python script with the additional arguments provided in "arguments" */
 {
 	// Prevent two scripts to be run concurrently or face crash!
 	if (ScCore->primaryMainWindow()->scriptIsRunning())
@@ -252,16 +259,27 @@ void ScripterCore::slotRunScriptFile(QString fileName, bool inMainInterpreter)
 		// Init the scripter module in the sub-interpreter
 		initscribus(ScCore->primaryMainWindow());
 	}
+
 	// Make sure sys.argv[0] is the path to the script
-	char* comm[2];
-	comm[0] = na.data();
+	arguments.prepend(na.data());
+	
 	// and tell the script if it's running in the main intepreter or
 	// a subinterpreter using the second argument, ie sys.argv[1]
 	if (inMainInterpreter)
-		comm[1] = const_cast<char*>("ext");
+		arguments.insert(1,QString("ext"));
 	else
-		comm[1] = const_cast<char*>("sub");
-	PySys_SetArgv(2, comm);
+		arguments.insert(1,QString("sub"));
+
+	//convert arguments (QListString) to char** for Python bridge
+	/* typically arguments == ['path/to/script.py','ext','--argument1','valueforarg1','--flag']*/
+	char *comm[arguments.size()];
+	for (int i = 0; i < arguments.size(); i++)
+	{
+		comm[i] = new char[arguments.at(i).toLocal8Bit().size()+1]; //+1 to allow adding '\0'. may be useless, don't know how to check.
+		strcpy(comm[i],arguments.at(i).toLocal8Bit().data()+'\0');
+	}
+	PySys_SetArgv(arguments.size(), comm);
+	
 	// call python script
 	PyObject* m = PyImport_AddModule((char*)"__main__");
 	if (m == NULL)
@@ -357,7 +375,7 @@ void ScripterCore::slotRunPythonScript()
 {
 	if (!ScQApp->pythonScript.isNull())
 	{
-		slotRunScriptFile(ScQApp->pythonScript, true);
+		slotRunScriptFile(ScQApp->pythonScript, ScQApp->pythonScriptArgs, true);
 		FinishScriptRun();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.h b/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.h
index 1e929f4706..72e546141e 100644
--- a/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.h
+++ b/scribus/plugins/scriptplugin/scriptercore.h
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ public slots:
 	void StdScript(QString filebasename);
 	void RecentScript(QString fn);
 	void slotRunScriptFile(QString fileName, bool inMainInterpreter = false);
+	void slotRunScriptFile(QString fileName, QStringList arguments, bool inMainInterpreter = false);
 	void slotRunPythonScript(); // needed for running python script from CLI
-	void slotRunScript(const QString Script);
+	void slotRunScript(const QString script);
 	void slotInteractiveScript(bool);
 	void slotExecute();
 	/*! \brief Show docstring of the script to the user.
diff --git a/scribus/scribusapp.cpp b/scribus/scribusapp.cpp
index fec40559ad..a1f4c52c2c 100644
--- a/scribus/scribusapp.cpp
+++ b/scribus/scribusapp.cpp
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #include <QLibraryInfo>
 #include <QLocale>
 #include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
 #include <QTextCodec>
 #include <QTextStream>
 #include <QTranslator>
@@ -71,6 +72,8 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #define ARG_UPGRADECHECK "--upgradecheck"
 #define ARG_TESTS "--tests"
 #define ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT "--python-script"
+#define ARG_SCRIPTARG "--python-arg"
+#define CMD_OPTIONS_END "--"
 
 #define ARG_VERSION_SHORT "-v"
 #define ARG_HELP_SHORT "-h"
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #define ARG_UPGRADECHECK_SHORT "-u"
 #define ARG_TESTS_SHORT "-T"
 #define ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT_SHORT "-py"
+#define ARG_SCRIPTARG_SHORT "-pa"
 
 // Qt wants -display not --display or -d
 #define ARG_DISPLAY_QT "-display"
@@ -108,6 +112,7 @@ ScribusQApp::ScribusQApp( int & argc, char ** argv ) : QApplication(argc, argv),
 	m_scDLMgr = 0;
 	m_ScCore = NULL;
 	initDLMgr();
+
 }
 
 ScribusQApp::~ScribusQApp()
@@ -151,18 +156,36 @@ void ScribusQApp::parseCommandLine()
 	int testargsc;
 #endif
 	showFontInfo=false;
-	showProfileInfo=false;
+	showProfileInfo=false;	
+	bool neversplash = false;
 
-	//Parse for command line information options, and lang
+	//Parse for command line options
 	// Qt5 port: do this in a Qt compatible manner
 	QStringList args = arguments();
 	int argsc = args.count();
-	for(int i = 1; i < argsc; i++)
-	{
-		arg = args[i];
 
-		if ((arg == ARG_LANG || arg == ARG_LANG_SHORT) && (++i < argsc)) {
-			lang = args[i];
+	//Init translations
+	initLang();
+	
+	useGUI = true;
+	int argi = 1;
+	for( ; argi < argsc; argi++) { //handle options (not positional parameters)
+		arg = args[argi];
+
+		if (arg == ARG_SCRIPTARG || arg == ARG_SCRIPTARG_SHORT) { //needs to be first to give precedence to script argument name over scribus' options
+			if (++argi<argsc and (args[argi] != CMD_OPTIONS_END)) {
+				pythonScriptArgs.append(args[argi]); // script argument
+			} else {
+				std::cout << tr("Invalid argument use: '%1' requires to be followed by <argument> [value]").arg(arg).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
+				showUsage();
+				std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
+			}
+			if (++argi<argsc and !args[argi].startsWith("-")) {   // arg value
+				pythonScriptArgs.append( QFile::decodeName(args[argi].toLocal8Bit()) );
+			}
+		}
+		else if ((arg == ARG_LANG || arg == ARG_LANG_SHORT) && (++argi < argsc)) {
+			lang = args[argi];
 		}
 		else if (arg == ARG_VERSION || arg == ARG_VERSION_SHORT) {
 			header=true;
@@ -175,8 +198,8 @@ void ScribusQApp::parseCommandLine()
 		else if (arg == ARG_TESTS || arg == ARG_TESTS_SHORT) {
 			header=true;
 			runtests=true;
-			testargsc = argc() - i;
-			testargsv = argv() + i;
+			testargsc = argc() - argi;
+			testargsv = argv() + argi;
 			break;
 		}
 #endif
@@ -187,104 +210,94 @@ void ScribusQApp::parseCommandLine()
 			header=true;
 			runUpgradeCheck=true;
 		}
-	}
-	//Init translations
-	initLang();
-	//Show command line help
-	if (header)
-		showHeader();
-	if (version)
-		showVersion();
-	if (availlangs)
-		showAvailLangs();
-	if (usage)
-		showUsage();
-#ifdef WITH_TESTS
-	if (runtests)
-		RunTests::runTests(testargsc, testargsv);
-#endif
-	if (runUpgradeCheck)
-	{
-		UpgradeChecker uc;
-		uc.fetch();
-	}
-	//Dont run the GUI init process called from main.cpp, and return
-	if (header)
-		std::exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-	useGUI = true;
-	//We are going to run something other than command line help
-	for(int i = 1; i < argsc; i++) {
-		arg = args[i];
-
-		if ((arg == ARG_LANG || arg == ARG_LANG_SHORT) && (++i < argsc)) {
+		else if ((arg == ARG_LANG || arg == ARG_LANG_SHORT) && (++argi < argsc)) {
 			continue;
-		} else if ( arg == ARG_CONSOLE || arg == ARG_CONSOLE_SHORT ) {
+		} 
+		else if ( arg == ARG_CONSOLE || arg == ARG_CONSOLE_SHORT ) {
 			continue;
 		} else if (arg == ARG_NOSPLASH || arg == ARG_NOSPLASH_SHORT) {
 			showSplash = false;
 		}
 		else if (arg == ARG_NEVERSPLASH || arg == ARG_NEVERSPLASH_SHORT) {
 			showSplash = false;
-			neverSplash(true);
+			neversplash = true;
 		} else if (arg == ARG_NOGUI || arg == ARG_NOGUI_SHORT) {
 			useGUI=false;
 		} else if (arg == ARG_FONTINFO || arg == ARG_FONTINFO_SHORT) {
 			showFontInfo=true;
 		} else if (arg == ARG_PROFILEINFO || arg == ARG_PROFILEINFO_SHORT) {
 			showProfileInfo=true;
-		} else if ((arg == ARG_DISPLAY || arg==ARG_DISPLAY_SHORT || arg==ARG_DISPLAY_QT) && ++i < argsc) {
+		} else if ((arg == ARG_DISPLAY || arg==ARG_DISPLAY_SHORT || arg==ARG_DISPLAY_QT) && ++argi < argsc) {
 			// allow setting of display, QT expect the option -display <display_name> so we discard the
 			// last argument. FIXME: Qt only understands -display not --display and -d , we need to work
 			// around this.
 		} else if (arg == ARG_PREFS || arg == ARG_PREFS_SHORT) {
-			prefsUserFile = QFile::decodeName(args[i + 1].toLocal8Bit());
+			prefsUserFile = QFile::decodeName(args[argi + 1].toLocal8Bit());
 			if (!QFileInfo(prefsUserFile).exists()) {
-				showHeader();
-				if (prefsUserFile.left(1) == "-" || prefsUserFile.left(2) == "--") {
-					std::cout << tr("Invalid argument: ").toLocal8Bit().data() << prefsUserFile.toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				} else {
-					std::cout << tr("File %1 does not exist, aborting.").arg(prefsUserFile).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				}
-				showUsage();
+				showError(prefsUserFile);
 				std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			} else {
-				++i;
+				++argi;
 			}
 		} else if (strncmp(arg.toLocal8Bit().data(),"-psn_",4) == 0)
 		{
 			// Andreas Vox: Qt/Mac has -psn_blah flags that must be accepted.
 		} else if (arg == ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT || arg == ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT_SHORT) {
-			pythonScript = QFile::decodeName(args[i + 1].toLocal8Bit());
+			pythonScript = QFile::decodeName(args[argi + 1].toLocal8Bit());
 			if (!QFileInfo(pythonScript).exists()) {
-				showHeader();
-				if (pythonScript.left(1) == "-" || pythonScript.left(2) == "--") {
-					std::cout << tr("Invalid argument: ").toLocal8Bit().data() << pythonScript.toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				} else {
-					std::cout << tr("File %1 does not exist, aborting.").arg(pythonScript).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				}
-				showUsage();
+				showError(pythonScript);
 				std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 			} else {
-				++i;
+				++argi;
 			}
+		} else if (arg == CMD_OPTIONS_END) { //double dash, indicates end of command line options, see http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/11376/what-does-double-dash-mean-also-known-as-bare-double-dash
+			argi++;
+			break;
+		} else { //argument is not a known option, but either positional parameter or invalid.
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+	// parse for remaining (positional) arguments, if any
+	for ( ; argi<argsc; argi++) {
+		fileName = QFile::decodeName(args[argi].toLocal8Bit());
+		if (!QFileInfo(fileName).exists()) {
+			showError(fileName);
+			std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 		} else {
-			fileName = QFile::decodeName(args[i].toLocal8Bit());
-			if (!QFileInfo(fileName).exists()) {
-				showHeader();
-				if (fileName.left(1) == "-" || fileName.left(2) == "--") {
-					std::cout << tr("Invalid argument: %1").arg(fileName).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				} else {
-					std::cout << tr("File %1 does not exist, aborting.").arg(fileName).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
-				}
-				showUsage();
-				std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
-			}
-			else
-			{
-				filesToLoad.append(fileName);
-			}
+			filesToLoad.append(fileName);
 		}
 	}
+
+	
+	//Show command line info
+	if (header) {
+		useGUI = false;
+		showHeader();
+	}
+	if (version)
+		showVersion();
+	if (availlangs)
+		showAvailLangs();
+	if (usage)
+		showUsage();
+#ifdef WITH_TESTS
+	if (runtests)
+		RunTests::runTests(testargsc, testargsv);
+#endif
+	if (runUpgradeCheck)
+	{
+		UpgradeChecker uc;
+		uc.fetch();
+	}
+	//Dont run the GUI init process called from main.cpp, and return
+	if (header) {		
+		std::exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+	}
+	//proceed
+	if(neversplash) {
+		neverSplash(true);
+	}
+	
 }
 
 int ScribusQApp::init()
@@ -485,7 +498,7 @@ void ScribusQApp::showUsage()
 	QFile f;
 	f.open(stderr, QIODevice::WriteOnly);
 	QTextStream ts(&f);
-	ts << tr("Usage: scribus [option ... ] [file]") ; endl(ts);
+	ts << tr("Usage: scribus [options] [files]") ; endl(ts); endl(ts);
 	ts << tr("Options:") ; endl(ts);
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_FONTINFO_SHORT, ARG_FONTINFO, tr("Show information on the console when fonts are being loaded") );
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_HELP_SHORT, ARG_HELP, tr("Print help (this message) and exit") );
@@ -498,7 +511,10 @@ void ScribusQApp::showUsage()
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_UPGRADECHECK_SHORT, ARG_UPGRADECHECK, tr("Download a file from the Scribus website and show the latest available version") );
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_VERSION_SHORT, ARG_VERSION, tr("Output version information and exit") );
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT_SHORT, qPrintable(QString("%1 <%2>").arg(ARG_PYTHONSCRIPT).arg(tr("filename"))), tr("Run filename in Python scripter") );
+	printArgLine(ts, ARG_SCRIPTARG_SHORT, qPrintable(QString("%1 <%2> [%3]").arg(ARG_SCRIPTARG).arg(tr("argument")).arg(tr("value"))), tr("Argument passed on to python script, with an optional value, no effect without -py") );
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_NOGUI_SHORT, ARG_NOGUI, tr("Do not start GUI") );
+	ts << (QString("     %1").arg(CMD_OPTIONS_END,-39)) << tr("Explicit end of command line options"); endl(ts);
+ 	
 	
 #if defined(_WIN32) && !defined(_CONSOLE)
 	printArgLine(ts, ARG_CONSOLE_SHORT, ARG_CONSOLE, tr("Display a console window") );
@@ -558,6 +574,18 @@ void ScribusQApp::showHeader()
 	endl(ts);
 }
 
+void ScribusQApp::showError(QString arg)
+{
+	showHeader();
+	if (arg.left(1) == "-" || arg.left(2) == "--") {
+		std::cout << tr("Invalid argument: %1").arg(arg).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
+	} else {
+		std::cout << tr("File %1 does not exist, aborting.").arg(arg).toLocal8Bit().data() << std::endl;
+	}
+	showUsage();
+	std::cout << tr("Scribus Version").toLocal8Bit().data() << " " << VERSION << std::endl;
+}
+
 void ScribusQApp::neverSplash(bool splashOff)
 {
 	QString prefsDir = ScPaths::getApplicationDataDir();
diff --git a/scribus/scribusapp.h b/scribus/scribusapp.h
index 2857306d75..0add48f719 100644
--- a/scribus/scribusapp.h
+++ b/scribus/scribusapp.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ for which a new license (GPL+exception) is in place.
 #define SCRIBUSAPP_H
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QString>
+#include <QStringList>
 
 #include "scribusapi.h"
 
@@ -71,10 +72,12 @@ class SCRIBUS_API ScribusQApp : public QApplication
 		const QString& currGUILanguage() { return GUILang; }
 		ScDLManager* dlManager() { return m_scDLMgr; }
 		QString pythonScript; // script to be run in python from CLI
+		QStringList pythonScriptArgs; // command line arguments and flags for script from CLI
 
 	private:
 		ScribusCore* m_ScCore;
 		void showHeader();
+		void showError(QString arg);
 		void showVersion();
 		/*!
 		\author Franz Schmid