diff --git a/doc/minetest.6 b/doc/minetest.6
index 50b085de0..c1c814e49 100644
--- a/doc/minetest.6
+++ b/doc/minetest.6
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ Set player name
 .B \-\-password <value>
 Set password
 .TP
+.B \-\-password\-file <value>
+Set password from contents of file
+.TP
 .B \-\-random\-input
 Enable random user input, for testing (client only)
 .TP
diff --git a/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp b/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
index 0820177b4..9dfd248a2 100644
--- a/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
+++ b/src/client/clientlauncher.cpp
@@ -392,6 +392,20 @@ bool ClientLauncher::launch_game(std::string &error_message,
 	if (cmd_args.exists("password"))
 		menudata.password = cmd_args.get("password");
 
+
+	if (cmd_args.exists("password-file")) {
+		std::ifstream passfile(cmd_args.get("password-file"));
+		if (passfile.good()) {
+			getline(passfile, menudata.password);
+		} else {
+			error_message = gettext("Provided password file "
+					"failed to open: ")
+					+ cmd_args.get("password-file");
+			errorstream << error_message << std::endl;
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	// If a world was commanded, append and select it
 	if (!game_params.world_path.empty()) {
 		worldspec.gameid = getWorldGameId(game_params.world_path, true);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 546eb2a00..26ad978c6 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@ static void set_allowed_options(OptionList *allowed_options)
 			_("Set player name"))));
 	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("password", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_STRING,
 			_("Set password"))));
+	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("password-file", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_STRING,
+			_("Set password from contents of file"))));
 	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("go", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_FLAG,
 			_("Disable main menu"))));
 	allowed_options->insert(std::make_pair("console", ValueSpec(VALUETYPE_FLAG,