diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/opts.cc b/gtk2_ardour/opts.cc
index 792fde3a10..4c362f0bba 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/opts.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/opts.cc
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ print_help (const char *execname)
 	     << _("  -c, --name  name                 Use a specific jack client name, default is ardour\n")
 	     << _("  -N, --new session-name           Create a new session from the command line\n")                       
 	     << _("  -O, --no-hw-optimizations        Disable h/w specific optimizations\n")
+	     << _("  -S, --sync	                   Draw the gui synchronously \n")
 #ifdef VST_SUPPORT
 	     << _("  -V, --novst                      Do not use VST support\n")
 #endif
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@ int
 GTK_ARDOUR::parse_opts (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 {
-	const char *optstring = "U:hbvVnOc:C:N:k:";
+	const char *optstring = "U:hSbvVnOc:C:N:k:";
 	const char *execname = strrchr (argv[0], '/');
 
 	if (execname == 0) {
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ GTK_ARDOUR::parse_opts (int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "novst", 0, 0, 'V' },
 		{ "new", 1, 0, 'N' },
 		{ "no-hw-optimizations", 0, 0, 'O' },
+		{ "sync", 0, 0, 'O' },
 		{ "curvetest", 1, 0, 'C' },
 		{ 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 	};
@@ -118,6 +120,10 @@ GTK_ARDOUR::parse_opts (int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'n':
 			no_splash = false;
 			break;
+		
+		case 'S':
+		//	; just pass this through to gtk it will figure it out
+			break;
 
 		case 'N':
 			new_session = true;