diff --git a/include/ptycon/ptycon.h b/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
index ce0fbd7..78282cf 100644
--- a/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
+++ b/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct ptyc_common_ctx {
 	nt_pty *			hpts;
 	nt_pty *			hptm;
 	char **				catv;
+	char **				eargv;
 };
 
 struct ptyc_driver_ctx {
diff --git a/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
index ab4cbdb..459abe2 100644
--- a/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ struct ptyc_driver_ctx_alloc {
 	const char *			units[];
 };
 
+struct ptyc_split_vector {
+	char **		targv;
+	char **		eargv;
+};
+
 static int32_t ptyc_once = 0;
 
 static int32_t ptyc_vtbl_init(void)
@@ -161,6 +166,45 @@ static int ptyc_get_driver_ctx_fail(struct argv_meta * meta)
 	return -1;
 }
 
+#define PTYC_SARGV_ELEMENTS		1024
+
+static int ptyc_split_argv(
+	char **				argv,
+	struct ptyc_split_vector *	sargv)
+{
+	ptrdiff_t	argc;
+	char **		parg;
+
+	/* argc */
+	for (parg=argv; *parg; )
+		parg++;
+
+	if ((argc = parg - argv) >= PTYC_SARGV_ELEMENTS)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* clone argv into targv */
+	ntapi->tt_aligned_block_memset(
+		(uintptr_t *)sargv->targv,
+		0,PTYC_SARGV_ELEMENTS*sizeof(char *));
+
+	ntapi->tt_aligned_block_memcpy(
+		(uintptr_t *)sargv->targv,
+		(uintptr_t *)argv,
+		argc*sizeof(char *));
+
+	/* eargv */
+	for (parg=sargv->targv; *parg; parg++) {
+		if (!(strcmp(*parg,"-e")) || !(strcmp(*parg,"--exec"))) {
+			sargv->eargv = parg;
+			sargv->eargv++;
+			*parg = 0;
+			return 0;
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 	char **				argv,
 	char **				envp,
@@ -169,11 +213,13 @@ int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 {
 	struct ptyc_driver_ctx_impl *	ctx;
 	struct ptyc_common_ctx		cctx;
+	struct ptyc_split_vector	sargv;
 	const struct argv_option *	options;
 	struct argv_meta *		meta;
 	struct argv_entry *		entry;
 	size_t				nunits;
 	const char *			program;
+	char *				targv[PTYC_SARGV_ELEMENTS];
 
 	(void)envp;
 
@@ -185,13 +231,20 @@ int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 
 	options = ptyc_default_options;
 
-	if (!(meta = argv_get(argv,options,ptyc_argv_flags(flags))))
+	sargv.targv = targv;
+	sargv.eargv = 0;
+
+	if (ptyc_split_argv(argv,&sargv))
+		return -1;
+
+	if (!(meta = argv_get(sargv.targv,options,ptyc_argv_flags(flags))))
 		return -1;
 
 	nunits	= 0;
 	program = argv_program_name(argv[0]);
 	memset(&cctx,0,sizeof(cctx));
 	cctx.drvflags = flags;
+	cctx.eargv = sargv.eargv;
 
 	if (!argv[1] && (flags & PTYC_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_USAGE))
 		return ptyc_driver_usage(program,0,options,meta);
@@ -243,7 +296,9 @@ int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 					cctx.drvflags |= PTYC_DRIVER_DBG_WAIT;
 					break;
 			}
-		}
+		} else
+			/* strict */
+			return ptyc_driver_usage(program,0,options,meta);
 	}
 
 	if (!(ctx = ptyc_driver_ctx_alloc(meta,&cctx,nunits)))
diff --git a/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
index b1eefc7..03f0c9b 100644
--- a/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ enum app_tags {
 	TAG_DAEMON,
 	TAG_DEBUG,
 	TAG_CAT,
+	TAG_EXEC,
 	TAG_WAIT,
 };
 
diff --git a/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c b/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
index 1239947..814f6c2 100644
--- a/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
+++ b/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
@@ -8,6 +8,15 @@ const struct argv_option ptyc_default_options[] = {
 	{"help",		'h',TAG_HELP,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"short|long",0,
 				"show usage information [listing %s options only]"},
 
+	{"-exec",		0,TAG_EXEC,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,
+				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY | ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,
+				0,"<cmd> ... [argv] ...",
+				"execute %s; default is /bin/sh."},
+
+	{"e",			0,TAG_EXEC,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,
+				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY | ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,
+				0,0,"synonym for --exec."},
+
 	{"daemon",		0,TAG_DAEMON,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"default|always|never",0,
 				"create a daemon thread and handle signals sent by the "
 				"application's own controlling terminal. The default is "