diff --git a/r0c/__main__.py b/r0c/__main__.py
index fc95d83..42d5082 100644
--- a/r0c/__main__.py
+++ b/r0c/__main__.py
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ def optgen(ap, pwd):
 
     ac = ap.add_argument_group("ux")
     ac.add_argument("--no-all", action="store_true", help="default-disable @all / @everyone")
+    ac.add_argument("--motd", metavar="PATH", type=u, default="", help="file to include at the end of the welcome-text (can be edited at runtime)")
 
     ac = ap.add_argument_group("perf")
     ac.add_argument("--hist-rd", metavar="N", type=int, default=65535, help="max num msgs to load from disk when joining a channel")
diff --git a/r0c/user.py b/r0c/user.py
index d9a2553..7b7dd2e 100644
--- a/r0c/user.py
+++ b/r0c/user.py
@@ -172,6 +172,14 @@ class User(object):
         )
         text += HELP_INTRO
 
+        if self.ar.motd:
+            try:
+                with open(self.ar.motd, "rb") as f:
+                    text += f.read().replace(b"\r", b"").decode("utf-8", "replace")[:-1]
+            except Exception as ex:
+                t = "WARNING: could not read motd-file [%s]: %s"
+                print(t % (self.ar.motd, ex))
+
         # x = u"`1;30m░▒▓█▀▀▀▀`37m█▀`46m▓`0;1;30m▀▀▀▀█▓▒░`0;36m┌ "
         # text += x.replace(u"`", u"\033[") * 66