@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ static size_t scrolloff = 1;

 static const char *prompt = "> ";

 #define SEARCH_SIZE_MAX 4096

-static size_t search_size;

 static char search[SEARCH_SIZE_MAX + 1] = {0};

 static void clear(tty_t *tty) {

@@ -112,6 +111,7 @@ static void run(tty_t *tty, choices_t *choices) {

 	do {

 		draw(tty, choices);

 		ch = tty_getchar(tty);

+		size_t search_size = strlen(search);

 		if (isprint(ch)) {

 			if (search_size < SEARCH_SIZE_MAX) {

 				search[search_size++] = ch;

@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ static void run(tty_t *tty, choices_t *choices) {

 			choices_prev(choices);

 		} else if (ch == KEY_CTRL('I')) { /* TAB (C-I) */

 			strncpy(search, choices_get(choices, choices->selection), SEARCH_SIZE_MAX);

-			search_size = strlen(search);

 			choices_search(choices, search);

 		} else if (ch == KEY_CTRL('C') || ch == KEY_CTRL('D')) { /* ^C || ^D */

 			clear(tty);

@@ -173,6 +172,7 @@ static const char *usage_str =

     "Usage: fzy [OPTION]...\n"

     " -l, --lines=LINES        Specify how many lines of results to show (default 10)\n"

     " -p, --prompt=PROMPT      Input prompt (default '> ')\n"

+    " -q, --query=QUERY        Use QUERY as the initial search string\n"

     " -e, --show-matches=QUERY Output the sorted matches of QUERY\n"

     " -t, --tty=TTY            Specify file to use as TTY device (default /dev/tty)\n"

     " -s, --show-scores        Show the scores of each match\n"

@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ static void usage(const char *argv0) {

 }

 static struct option longopts[] = {{"show-matches", required_argument, NULL, 'e'},

+				   {"query", required_argument, NULL, 'q'},

 				   {"lines", required_argument, NULL, 'l'},

 				   {"tty", required_argument, NULL, 't'},

 				   {"prompt", required_argument, NULL, 'p'},

@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

 	const char *filter = NULL;

 	const char *tty_filename = "/dev/tty";

 	char c;

-	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "vhse:l:t:p:", longopts, NULL)) != -1) {

+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "vhse:q:l:t:p:", longopts, NULL)) != -1) {

 		switch (c) {

 			case 'v':

 				printf("%s " VERSION " (c) 2014 John Hawthorn\n", argv[0]);

@@ -206,6 +207,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {

 			case 's':

 				flag_show_scores = 1;

 				break;

+			case 'q':

+				strncpy(search, optarg, SEARCH_SIZE_MAX);

+				break;

 			case 'e':

 				filter = optarg;

 				break;