diff --git a/doc/man/_options.txt b/doc/man/_options.txt
index d3c728e..11a1629 100644
--- a/doc/man/_options.txt
+++ b/doc/man/_options.txt
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
   with 1, and negative numbers indicate page numbers starting from the end
   of the document, -1 being the last page.
 
+-f, --find=string
+  Opens the document and searches for the given string.
+
 -l, --log-level=level
   Set log level (debug, info, warning, error)
 
diff --git a/doc/man/_synopsis.txt b/doc/man/_synopsis.txt
index 9311e9d..e802966 100644
--- a/doc/man/_synopsis.txt
+++ b/doc/man/_synopsis.txt
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 zathura [-e XID] [-c PATH] [-d PATH] [-p PATH] [-w PASSWORD] [-P NUMBER]
 [--fork] [-l LEVEL] [-s] [-x CMD] [--synctex-forward INPUT] [--synctex-pid PID]
+[-f STRING]
 <files>
diff --git a/zathura/commands.c b/zathura/commands.c
index 715b164..70ecfa9 100644
--- a/zathura/commands.c
+++ b/zathura/commands.c
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ cmd_open(girara_session_t* session, girara_list_t* argument_list)
 
     document_open_idle(zathura, girara_list_nth(argument_list, 0),
                        (argc == 2) ? girara_list_nth(argument_list, 1) : NULL,
-                       ZATHURA_PAGE_NUMBER_UNSPECIFIED, NULL, NULL);
+                       ZATHURA_PAGE_NUMBER_UNSPECIFIED, NULL, NULL, NULL);
   } else {
     girara_notify(session, GIRARA_ERROR, _("No arguments given."));
     return false;
diff --git a/zathura/dbus-interface.c b/zathura/dbus-interface.c
index 43ad66a..c788aa1 100644
--- a/zathura/dbus-interface.c
+++ b/zathura/dbus-interface.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ handle_open_document(zathura_t* zathura, GVariant* parameters,
   document_open_idle(zathura, filename,
                      strlen(password) > 0 ? password : NULL,
                      page,
-                     NULL, NULL);
+                     NULL, NULL, NULL);
   g_free(filename);
   g_free(password);
 
diff --git a/zathura/main.c b/zathura/main.c
index 024d3a9..690d88e 100644
--- a/zathura/main.c
+++ b/zathura/main.c
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
   gchar* synctex_editor = NULL;
   gchar* synctex_fwd    = NULL;
   gchar* mode           = NULL;
+  gchar* search_string  = NULL;
   bool   forkback       = false;
   bool   print_version  = false;
   int    page_number    = ZATHURA_PAGE_NUMBER_UNSPECIFIED;
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
     { "synctex-forward",        '\0', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,   &synctex_fwd,    _("Move to given synctex position"),                    "position" },
     { "synctex-pid",            '\0', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_INT,      &synctex_pid,    _("Highlight given position in the given process"),     "pid" },
     { "mode",                   '\0', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,   &mode,           _("Start in a non-default mode"),                       "mode" },
+    { "find",                   'f',  0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING,   &search_string,  _("Search for the given phrase and display results"),   "string" },
     { NULL, '\0', 0, 0, NULL, NULL, NULL }
   };
 
@@ -297,7 +299,12 @@ main(int argc, char* argv[])
       --page_number;
     }
     document_open_idle(zathura, argv[file_idx], password, page_number, mode,
-                       synctex_fwd);
+                       synctex_fwd, search_string);
+  } else if (search_string != NULL) {
+    girara_error("Can not use find argument when no file is given");
+    ret = -1;
+    zathura_free(zathura);
+    goto free_and_ret;
   }
 
   /* run zathura */
@@ -316,6 +323,7 @@ free_and_ret:
   g_free(synctex_editor);
   g_free(synctex_fwd);
   g_free(mode);
+  g_free(search_string);
 
   return ret;
 }
diff --git a/zathura/zathura.c b/zathura/zathura.c
index df7970a..6a4d475 100644
--- a/zathura/zathura.c
+++ b/zathura/zathura.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "bookmarks.h"
 #include "callbacks.h"
 #include "config.h"
+#include "commands.h"
 #ifdef WITH_SQLITE
 #include "database-sqlite.h"
 #endif
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ typedef struct zathura_document_info_s {
   int page_number;
   char* mode;
   char* synctex;
+  char* search_string;
 } zathura_document_info_t;
 
 
@@ -76,6 +78,7 @@ free_document_info(zathura_document_info_t* document_info)
   g_free(document_info->password);
   g_free(document_info->mode);
   g_free(document_info->synctex);
+  g_free(document_info->search_string);
   g_free(document_info);
 }
 
@@ -879,6 +882,14 @@ document_info_open(gpointer data)
           girara_error("Unknown mode: %s", document_info->mode);
         }
       }
+
+      if (document_info->search_string != NULL) {
+        girara_argument_t search_arg;
+        search_arg.n = 1; // Forward search
+        search_arg.data = NULL;
+        cmd_search(document_info->zathura->ui.session, document_info->search_string,
+                &search_arg);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -1297,7 +1308,8 @@ document_open_synctex(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path, const char* uri,
 
 void
 document_open_idle(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path, const char* password,
-                   int page_number, const char* mode, const char* synctex)
+                   int page_number, const char* mode, const char* synctex,
+                   const char *search_string)
 {
   g_return_if_fail(zathura != NULL);
   g_return_if_fail(path != NULL);
@@ -1319,6 +1331,9 @@ document_open_idle(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path, const char* password,
   if (synctex != NULL) {
     document_info->synctex   = g_strdup(synctex);
   }
+  if (search_string != NULL) {
+    document_info->search_string = g_strdup(search_string);
+  }
 
   gdk_threads_add_idle(document_info_open, document_info);
 }
diff --git a/zathura/zathura.h b/zathura/zathura.h
index 77fa751..566a77a 100644
--- a/zathura/zathura.h
+++ b/zathura/zathura.h
@@ -342,7 +342,8 @@ bool document_open_synctex(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path, const char* uri
  */
 void document_open_idle(zathura_t* zathura, const char* path,
                         const char* password, int page_number,
-                        const char* mode, const char* synctex);
+                        const char* mode, const char* synctex,
+                        const char* search_string);
 
 /**
  * Save a open file