diff --git a/frontend/main.c b/frontend/main.c
index 022e8890..1cc808c9 100644
--- a/frontend/main.c
+++ b/frontend/main.c
@@ -102,7 +102,8 @@ void usage(void)
 		"  --binary              Treat input as Binary data\n"
 		"  --notext              Remove human readable text\n"
 		"  --square              Force Data Matrix symbols to be square\n"
-	, ZINT_VERSION);
+		"  --init                Create reader initialisation symbol (Code 128)\n"
+		, ZINT_VERSION);
 }
 
 int validator(char test_string[], char source[])
@@ -218,6 +219,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			{"binary", 0, 0, 0},
 			{"notext", 0, 0, 0},
 			{"square", 0, 0, 0},
+			{"init", 0, 0, 0},
 			{0, 0, 0, 0}
 		};
 		c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "htb:w:d:o:i:rcmp", long_options, &option_index);
@@ -231,6 +233,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 				if(!strcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "box")) {
 					my_symbol->output_options += BARCODE_BOX;
 				}
+				if(!strcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "init")) {
+					my_symbol->output_options += READER_INIT;
+				}
 				if(!strcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "directeps")) {
 					my_symbol->output_options += BARCODE_STDOUT;
 					strncpy(my_symbol->outfile, "dummy.eps", 10);