diff --git a/include/catch_session.hpp b/include/catch_session.hpp
index 550f9142..ec3ce7cc 100644
--- a/include/catch_session.hpp
+++ b/include/catch_session.hpp
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ namespace Catch {
                     << std::left << std::setw(16) << "version: " << libraryVersion() << std::endl;
         }
 
-
         int applyCommandLine( int argc, char const* const* const argv, OnUnusedOptions::DoWhat unusedOptionBehaviour = OnUnusedOptions::Fail ) {
             try {
                 m_cli.setThrowOnUnrecognisedTokens( unusedOptionBehaviour == OnUnusedOptions::Fail );
@@ -207,6 +206,35 @@ namespace Catch {
     #endif
 
         int run() {
+            if( ( m_configData.waitForKeypress & WaitForKeypress::BeforeStart ) != 0 ) {
+                Catch::cout() << "...waiting for enter/ return before starting" << std::endl;
+                std::getchar();
+            }
+            int exitCode = runInternal();
+            if( ( m_configData.waitForKeypress & WaitForKeypress::BeforeExit ) != 0 ) {
+                Catch::cout() << "...waiting for enter/ return before exiting, with code: " << exitCode << std::endl;
+                std::getchar();
+            }
+            return exitCode;
+        }
+
+        Clara::CommandLine<ConfigData> const& cli() const {
+            return m_cli;
+        }
+        std::vector<Clara::Parser::Token> const& unusedTokens() const {
+            return m_unusedTokens;
+        }
+        ConfigData& configData() {
+            return m_configData;
+        }
+        Config& config() {
+            if( !m_config )
+                m_config = new Config( m_configData );
+            return *m_config;
+        }
+    private:
+
+        int runInternal() {
             if( m_configData.showHelp || m_configData.libIdentify )
                 return 0;
 
@@ -231,21 +259,6 @@ namespace Catch {
             }
         }
 
-        Clara::CommandLine<ConfigData> const& cli() const {
-            return m_cli;
-        }
-        std::vector<Clara::Parser::Token> const& unusedTokens() const {
-            return m_unusedTokens;
-        }
-        ConfigData& configData() {
-            return m_configData;
-        }
-        Config& config() {
-            if( !m_config )
-                m_config = new Config( m_configData );
-            return *m_config;
-        }
-    private:
         Clara::CommandLine<ConfigData> m_cli;
         std::vector<Clara::Parser::Token> m_unusedTokens;
         ConfigData m_configData;
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_commandline.hpp b/include/internal/catch_commandline.hpp
index 2ea41a00..a5b09695 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_commandline.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_commandline.hpp
@@ -76,6 +76,19 @@ namespace Catch {
         else
             throw std::runtime_error( "colour mode must be one of: auto, yes or no" );
     }
+    inline void setWaitForKeypress( ConfigData& config, std::string const& keypress ) {
+        auto keypressLc = toLower( keypress );
+        if( keypressLc == "start" )
+            config.waitForKeypress = WaitForKeypress::BeforeStart;
+        else if( keypressLc == "exit" )
+            config.waitForKeypress = WaitForKeypress::BeforeExit;
+        else if( keypressLc == "both" )
+            config.waitForKeypress = WaitForKeypress::BeforeStartAndExit;
+        else
+            throw std::runtime_error( "keypress argument must be one of: start, exit or both. '" + keypress + "' not recognised" );
+    };
+
+
     inline void forceColour( ConfigData& config ) {
         config.useColour = UseColour::Yes;
     }
@@ -219,6 +232,10 @@ namespace Catch {
             .describe( "report name and version according to libidentify standard" )
             .bind( &ConfigData::libIdentify );
 
+        cli["--wait-for-keypress"]
+                .describe( "waits for a keypress before exiting" )
+                .bind( &setWaitForKeypress, "start|exit|both" );
+
         return cli;
     }
 
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_config.hpp b/include/internal/catch_config.hpp
index b1275e08..b7f64bf1 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_config.hpp
+++ b/include/internal/catch_config.hpp
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ namespace Catch {
             warnings( WarnAbout::Nothing ),
             showDurations( ShowDurations::DefaultForReporter ),
             runOrder( RunTests::InDeclarationOrder ),
-            useColour( UseColour::Auto )
+            useColour( UseColour::Auto ),
+            waitForKeypress( WaitForKeypress::Never )
         {}
 
         bool listTests;
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ namespace Catch {
         ShowDurations::OrNot showDurations;
         RunTests::InWhatOrder runOrder;
         UseColour::YesOrNo useColour;
+        WaitForKeypress::When waitForKeypress;
 
         std::string outputFilename;
         std::string name;
diff --git a/include/internal/catch_interfaces_config.h b/include/internal/catch_interfaces_config.h
index 5730a8cd..f65515d1 100644
--- a/include/internal/catch_interfaces_config.h
+++ b/include/internal/catch_interfaces_config.h
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ namespace Catch {
         Yes,
         No
     }; };
+    struct WaitForKeypress { enum When {
+        Never,
+        BeforeStart = 1,
+        BeforeExit = 2,
+        BeforeStartAndExit = BeforeStart | BeforeExit
+    }; };
 
     class TestSpec;