diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
index 9f7fc6c62a8..18d1187da31 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Main.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 package org.eclipse.jetty.start;
 
-import static org.eclipse.jetty.start.UsageException.ERR_BAD_GRAPH;
 import static org.eclipse.jetty.start.UsageException.ERR_INVOKE_MAIN;
 import static org.eclipse.jetty.start.UsageException.ERR_NOT_STOPPED;
 import static org.eclipse.jetty.start.UsageException.ERR_UNKNOWN;
@@ -205,7 +204,7 @@ public class Main
 
         StartLog.debug("%s - %s",invoked_class,invoked_class.getPackage().getImplementationVersion());
 
-        CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(baseHome,false);
+        CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(false);
         String argArray[] = cmd.getArgs().toArray(new String[0]);
         StartLog.debug("Command Line Args: %s",cmd.toString());
 
@@ -223,7 +222,7 @@ public class Main
         StartLog.endStartLog();
         
         // Dump Jetty Home / Base
-        args.dumpEnvironment(baseHome);
+        args.dumpEnvironment();
 
         // Dump JVM Args
         args.dumpJvmArgs();
@@ -238,7 +237,7 @@ public class Main
         dumpClasspathWithVersions(args.getClasspath());
 
         // Dump Resolved XMLs
-        args.dumpActiveXmls(baseHome);
+        args.dumpActiveXmls();
     }
 
     public void listModules(StartArgs args)
@@ -288,7 +287,7 @@ public class Main
         // the various start inis
         // and then the raw command line arguments
         StartLog.debug("Parsing collected arguments");
-        StartArgs args = new StartArgs();
+        StartArgs args = new StartArgs(baseHome);
         args.parse(baseHome.getConfigSources());
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -330,17 +329,17 @@ public class Main
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------
         // 5) Lib & XML Expansion / Resolution
-        args.expandLibs(baseHome);
-        args.expandModules(baseHome,activeModules);
+        args.expandLibs();
+        args.expandModules(activeModules);
 
 
         // ------------------------------------------------------------
         // 6) Resolve Extra XMLs
-        args.resolveExtraXmls(baseHome);
+        args.resolveExtraXmls();
         
         // ------------------------------------------------------------
         // 9) Resolve Property Files
-        args.resolvePropertyFiles(baseHome);
+        args.resolvePropertyFiles();
         
         return args;
     }
@@ -391,7 +390,7 @@ public class Main
         // Show Command Line to execute Jetty
         if (args.isDryRun())
         {
-            CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(baseHome,true);
+            CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(true);
             System.out.println(cmd.toString(StartLog.isDebugEnabled()?" \\\n":" "));
         }
 
@@ -419,7 +418,7 @@ public class Main
         // execute Jetty in another JVM
         if (args.isExec())
         {
-            CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(baseHome,true);
+            CommandLineBuilder cmd = args.getMainArgs(true);
             cmd.debug();
             ProcessBuilder pbuilder = new ProcessBuilder(cmd.getArgs());
             StartLog.endStartLog();
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Module.java b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Module.java
index 31d5fe6c376..a68d9a1fe21 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Module.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/Module.java
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ public class Module implements Comparable<Module>
             {
                 String name = m.group(2);
                 Prop p = props.getProp(name);
-                if (p!=null && CommandLineConfigSource.ORIGIN_CMD_LINE.equals(p.origin))
+                if (p!=null && p.origin.startsWith(CommandLineConfigSource.ORIGIN_CMD_LINE))
                 {
                     StartLog.info("%-15s property set %s=%s",this._name,name,p.value);
                     out.printf("%s=%s%n",name,p.value);
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/StartArgs.java b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/StartArgs.java
index aa3715c42ab..5e699aa2fd4 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/StartArgs.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/StartArgs.java
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ public class StartArgs
 
     private static final String SERVER_MAIN = "org.eclipse.jetty.xml.XmlConfiguration";
 
+    private final BaseHome baseHome;
+    
     /** List of enabled modules */
     private List<String> modules = new ArrayList<>();
 
@@ -182,8 +184,9 @@ public class StartArgs
     private boolean approveAllLicenses = false;
    
 
-    public StartArgs()
+    public StartArgs(BaseHome baseHome)
     {
+        this.baseHome = baseHome;
         classpath = new Classpath();
     }
 
@@ -234,7 +237,7 @@ public class StartArgs
         }
     }
 
-    public void dumpActiveXmls(BaseHome baseHome)
+    public void dumpActiveXmls()
     {
         System.out.println();
         System.out.println("Jetty Active XMLs:");
@@ -251,7 +254,7 @@ public class StartArgs
         }
     }
 
-    public void dumpEnvironment(BaseHome baseHome)
+    public void dumpEnvironment()
     {
         // Java Details
         System.out.println();
@@ -442,7 +445,7 @@ public class StartArgs
      * @throws IOException
      *             if unable to expand the libraries
      */
-    public void expandLibs(BaseHome baseHome) throws IOException
+    public void expandLibs() throws IOException
     {
         StartLog.debug("Expanding Libs");
         for (String rawlibref : rawLibs)
@@ -464,14 +467,12 @@ public class StartArgs
     /**
      * Build up the Classpath and XML file references based on enabled Module list.
      *
-     * @param baseHome
-     *            the base home in use
      * @param activeModules
      *            the active (selected) modules
      * @throws IOException
      *             if unable to expand the modules
      */
-    public void expandModules(BaseHome baseHome, List<Module> activeModules) throws IOException
+    public void expandModules(List<Module> activeModules) throws IOException
     {
         StartLog.debug("Expanding Modules");
         for (Module module : activeModules)
@@ -543,7 +544,7 @@ public class StartArgs
         return jvmArgs;
     }
 
-    public CommandLineBuilder getMainArgs(BaseHome baseHome, boolean addJavaInit) throws IOException
+    public CommandLineBuilder getMainArgs(boolean addJavaInit) throws IOException
     {
         CommandLineBuilder cmd = new CommandLineBuilder();
 
@@ -851,6 +852,28 @@ public class StartArgs
             return;
         }
 
+        if (arg.startsWith("--commands="))
+        {
+            Path commands = baseHome.getPath(Props.getValue(arg));
+            
+            if (!Files.exists(commands) || !Files.isReadable(commands))
+                throw new UsageException(ERR_BAD_ARG,"--commands file must be readable: %s",commands);
+            try
+            {
+                TextFile file = new TextFile(commands);
+                StartLog.info("reading commands from %s",baseHome.toShortForm(commands));
+                String s = source+"|"+baseHome.toShortForm(commands);
+                for (String line: file)
+                {
+                    parse(line,s);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (IOException e)
+            {
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            }
+        }
+
         if (arg.startsWith("--include-jetty-dir="))
         {
             // valid, but handled in ConfigSources instead
@@ -1133,7 +1156,7 @@ public class StartArgs
         }
     }
     
-    public void resolveExtraXmls(BaseHome baseHome) throws IOException
+    public void resolveExtraXmls() throws IOException
     {
         // Find and Expand XML files
         for (String xmlRef : xmlRefs)
@@ -1148,7 +1171,7 @@ public class StartArgs
         }
     }
 
-    public void resolvePropertyFiles(BaseHome baseHome) throws IOException
+    public void resolvePropertyFiles() throws IOException
     {
         // Find and Expand property files
         for (String propertyFileRef : propertyFileRefs)
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/usage.txt b/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/usage.txt
index d6c5932edf2..65e84a80de9 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/usage.txt
+++ b/jetty-start/src/main/resources/org/eclipse/jetty/start/usage.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ Command Line Options:
                    properties to the sub process. This allows the 
                    generated properties file to be saved and reused.
                    Without this option, a temporary file is used.
+                   
+  --commands=<filename>
+                   Use each line of the file as arguments on the command
+                   line.
 
 Debug and Start Logging:
 ------------------------
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModuleGraphWriterTest.java b/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModuleGraphWriterTest.java
index c750733e9ec..192f3bbc9d8 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModuleGraphWriterTest.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModuleGraphWriterTest.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class ModuleGraphWriterTest
         // Initialize
         BaseHome basehome = new BaseHome(config);
         
-        StartArgs args = new StartArgs();
+        StartArgs args = new StartArgs(basehome);
         args.parse(config);
 
         Modules modules = new Modules(basehome, args);
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModulesTest.java b/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModulesTest.java
index e30c26183d5..bae8becba9f 100644
--- a/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModulesTest.java
+++ b/jetty-start/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/start/ModulesTest.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class ModulesTest
         // Initialize
         BaseHome basehome = new BaseHome(config);
 
-        StartArgs args = new StartArgs();
+        StartArgs args = new StartArgs(basehome);
         args.parse(config);
 
         // Test Modules
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class ModulesTest
         // Initialize
         BaseHome basehome = new BaseHome(config);
 
-        StartArgs args = new StartArgs();
+        StartArgs args = new StartArgs(basehome);
         args.parse(config);
 
         // Test Modules
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public class ModulesTest
         // Initialize
         BaseHome basehome = new BaseHome(config);
 
-        StartArgs args = new StartArgs();
+        StartArgs args = new StartArgs(basehome);
         args.parse(config);
 
         // Test Modules
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.assert.txt b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.assert.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eadc75d87bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.assert.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+## The XMLs we expect (order is important)
+XML|${jetty.home}/etc/base.xml
+XML|${jetty.home}/etc/main.xml
+
+# The LIBs we expect (order is irrelevant)
+LIB|${jetty.home}/lib/base.jar
+LIB|${jetty.home}/lib/main.jar
+LIB|${jetty.home}/lib/other.jar
+
+# The Properties we expect (order is irrelevant)
+PROP|main.prop=value0
+PROP|name=value
+PROP|name0=changed0
+PROP|name1=changed1
+
+# Files / Directories to create
+EXISTS|start.d/parameterized.ini
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.prepare.txt b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.prepare.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d9de4cf59ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized.commands.prepare.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+other=value
+name=changed
+--commands=etc/commands.txt
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized/etc/commands.txt b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized/etc/commands.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..aa292749197
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jetty-start/src/test/resources/usecases/parameterized/etc/commands.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+name0=changed0
+name1=changed1
+--add-to-start=parameterized
+
+# ignore this
\ No newline at end of file