diff --git a/calmwm.h b/calmwm.h
index 2272d69..8b796e9 100644
--- a/calmwm.h
+++ b/calmwm.h
@@ -211,6 +211,13 @@ struct autogroupwin {
 };
 TAILQ_HEAD(autogroupwin_q, autogroupwin);
 
+struct autostartcmd {
+	TAILQ_ENTRY(autostartcmd)	 entry;
+	char				*cmd;
+	int 				 num;
+};
+TAILQ_HEAD(autostartcmd_q, autostartcmd);
+
 struct screen_ctx {
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(screen_ctx)	 entry;
 	u_int			 which;
@@ -285,6 +292,7 @@ TAILQ_HEAD(menu_q, menu);
 struct conf {
 	struct keybinding_q	 keybindingq;
 	struct autogroupwin_q	 autogroupq;
+	struct autostartcmd_q	 autostartq;
 	struct winmatch_q	 ignoreq;
 	char			 conf_path[MAXPATHLEN];
 	struct cmd_q		 cmdq;
@@ -357,6 +365,7 @@ void			 group_cycle(struct screen_ctx *, int);
 void			 group_hidetoggle(struct screen_ctx *, int);
 void			 group_init(struct screen_ctx *);
 void			 group_make_autogroup(struct conf *, char *, int);
+void			 group_make_autostart(struct conf *, char *, int);
 void			 group_menu(XButtonEvent *);
 void			 group_movetogroup(struct client_ctx *, int);
 void			 group_only(struct screen_ctx *, int);
@@ -536,3 +545,5 @@ extern int				 HasXinerama, HasRandr, Randr_ev;
 extern Atom				 cwm_atoms[CWM_NO_ATOMS];
 
 #endif /* _CALMWM_H_ */
+
+#define debug(x...) fprintf(stderr, x);
diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index a5e307e..9f23326 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ conf_init(struct conf *c)
 	TAILQ_INIT(&c->cmdq);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&c->keybindingq);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&c->autogroupq);
+	TAILQ_INIT(&c->autostartq);
 	TAILQ_INIT(&c->mousebindingq);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < nitems(kb_binds); i++)
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ void
 conf_clear(struct conf *c)
 {
 	struct autogroupwin	*ag;
+	struct autostartcmd	*as;
 	struct keybinding	*kb;
 	struct winmatch		*wm;
 	struct cmd		*cmd;
@@ -247,6 +249,12 @@ conf_clear(struct conf *c)
 		xfree(ag);
 	}
 
+	while ((as = TAILQ_FIRST(&c->autostartq)) != NULL) {
+		TAILQ_REMOVE(&c->autostartq, as, entry);
+		xfree(as->cmd);
+		xfree(as);
+	}
+
 	while ((wm = TAILQ_FIRST(&c->ignoreq)) != NULL) {
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&c->ignoreq, wm, entry);
 		xfree(wm);
diff --git a/group.c b/group.c
index 85a0e67..88f3ed3 100644
--- a/group.c
+++ b/group.c
@@ -205,6 +205,18 @@ group_make_autogroup(struct conf *conf, char *val, int no)
 	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&conf->autogroupq, aw, entry);
 }
 
+void
+group_make_autostart(struct conf *conf, char *cmd, int no)
+{
+	struct autostartcmd	*as;
+
+	as = xcalloc(1, sizeof(*as));
+	as->cmd = xstrdup(cmd);
+	as->num = no;
+
+	TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&conf->autostartq, as, entry);
+}
+
 static void
 group_setactive(struct screen_ctx *sc, long idx)
 {
@@ -288,7 +300,20 @@ group_hidetoggle(struct screen_ctx *sc, int idx)
 		err(1, "group_hidetoggle: index out of range (%d)", idx);
 
 	gc = &sc->groups[idx];
+
+	if ( TAILQ_EMPTY(&gc->clients) ) {
+		struct autostartcmd 	*as;
+		TAILQ_FOREACH(as, &Conf.autostartq, entry) {
+			if ( as->num == idx + 1 ) {
+				debug("run %s\n", as->cmd);
+				u_spawn(as->cmd);
+			}
+		}
+		//return;
+	}
+
 	group_fix_hidden_state(gc);
+	debug("group_hidetoggle %i\n", gc->hidden);
 
 	if (gc->hidden)
 		group_show(sc, gc);
diff --git a/parse.y b/parse.y
index 913e046..df5db09 100644
--- a/parse.y
+++ b/parse.y
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ typedef struct {
 %token	FONTNAME STICKY GAP MOUSEBIND
 %token	AUTOGROUP BIND COMMAND IGNORE
 %token	YES NO BORDERWIDTH MOVEAMOUNT
-%token	COLOR SNAPDIST
+%token	COLOR SNAPDIST AUTOSTART
 %token	ACTIVEBORDER INACTIVEBORDER
 %token	GROUPBORDER UNGROUPBORDER
 %token	MENUBG MENUFG FONTCOLOR
@@ -141,6 +141,16 @@ main		: FONTNAME STRING		{
 			group_make_autogroup(conf, $3, $2);
 			free($3);
 		}
+		| AUTOSTART NUMBER STRING {
+			if ($2 < 0 || $2 > CALMWM_NGROUPS) {
+				free($3);
+				yyerror("autostart number out of range: %d", $2);
+				YYERROR;
+			}
+
+			group_make_autostart(conf, $3, $2);
+			free($3);
+		}
 		| IGNORE STRING {
 			struct winmatch	*wm;
 
@@ -234,6 +244,7 @@ lookup(char *s)
 	static const struct keywords keywords[] = {
 		{ "activeborder",	ACTIVEBORDER},
 		{ "autogroup",		AUTOGROUP},
+		{ "autostart",		AUTOSTART},
 		{ "bind",		BIND},
 		{ "borderwidth",	BORDERWIDTH},
 		{ "color",		COLOR},
@@ -532,6 +543,7 @@ parse_config(const char *filename, struct conf *xconf)
 	}
 	else {
 		struct autogroupwin	*ag;
+		struct autostartcmd	*as;
 		struct keybinding	*kb;
 		struct winmatch		*wm;
 		struct cmd		*cmd;
@@ -561,6 +573,11 @@ parse_config(const char *filename, struct conf *xconf)
 			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->autogroupq, ag, entry);
 		}
 
+		while ((as = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->autostartq)) != NULL) {
+			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->autostartq, as, entry);
+			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->autostartq, as, entry);
+		}
+
 		while ((wm = TAILQ_FIRST(&conf->ignoreq)) != NULL) {
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&conf->ignoreq, wm, entry);
 			TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&xconf->ignoreq, wm, entry);