diff --git a/FlatCAMApp.py b/FlatCAMApp.py
index 7532f095..57d3b1a6 100644
--- a/FlatCAMApp.py
+++ b/FlatCAMApp.py
@@ -80,10 +80,14 @@ class App(QtCore.QObject):
 
     # Get Cmd Line Options
     cmd_line_shellfile = ''
-    cmd_line_help = "FlatCam.py --shellfile=<cmd_line_shellfile>"
+    cmd_line_shellvars = ''
+
+    cmd_line_help = "FlatCam.py --shellfile=<cmd_line_shellfile>\nFlatCam.py --shellvars=<cmd_line_shellvars"
     try:
         # Multiprocessing pool will spawn additional processes with 'multiprocessing-fork' flag
-        cmd_line_options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "h:", ["shellfile=", "multiprocessing-fork="])
+        cmd_line_options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "h:", ["shellfile=",
+                                                                    "shellvars=",
+                                                                    "multiprocessing-fork="])
     except getopt.GetoptError:
         print(cmd_line_help)
         sys.exit(2)
@@ -93,6 +97,8 @@ class App(QtCore.QObject):
             sys.exit()
         elif opt == '--shellfile':
             cmd_line_shellfile = arg
+        elif opt == '--shellvars':
+            cmd_line_shellvars = arg
 
     # ## Logging ###
     log = logging.getLogger('base')
@@ -2406,7 +2412,26 @@ class App(QtCore.QObject):
             except Exception as ext:
                 print("ERROR: ", ext)
                 sys.exit(2)
-
+        elif self.cmd_line_shellvars:
+            try:
+                with open(self.cmd_line_shellvars, "r") as myfile:
+                    if show_splash:
+                        self.splash.showMessage('%s: %ssec\n%s' % (
+                            _("Canvas initialization started.\n"
+                              "Canvas initialization finished in"), '%.2f' % self.used_time,
+                            _("Reading Shell vars ...")),
+                                                alignment=Qt.AlignBottom | Qt.AlignLeft,
+                                                color=QtGui.QColor("gray"))
+                    cmd_line_shellvars_text = myfile.read()
+                    for line in cmd_line_shellvars_text.splitlines():
+                        var, __, var_value = line.partition('=')
+                        var = var.replace(' ', '')
+                        var_value = var_value.replace(' ', '')
+                        command_tcl = 'set {var} {var_value}'.format(var=var, var_value=var_value)
+                        self.shell._sysShell.exec_command(command_tcl, no_echo=True)
+            except Exception as ext:
+                print("ERROR: ", ext)
+                sys.exit(2)
         # accept some type file as command line parameter: FlatCAM project, FlatCAM preferences or scripts
         # the path/file_name must be enclosed in quotes if it contain spaces
         if App.args:
@@ -3145,18 +3170,20 @@ class App(QtCore.QObject):
         self.display_tcl_error(text)
         raise self.TclErrorException(text)
 
-    def exec_command(self, text, no_plot=None):
+    def exec_command(self, text, no_echo=False):
         """
         Handles input from the shell. See FlatCAMApp.setup_shell for shell commands.
         Also handles execution in separated threads
 
         :param text: FlatCAM TclCommand with parameters
+        :param no_echo: If True it will not try to print to the Shell because most likely the shell is hidden and it
+        will create crashes of the _Expandable_Edit widget
         :return: output if there was any
         """
 
         self.report_usage('exec_command')
 
-        result = self.exec_command_test(text, False)
+        result = self.exec_command_test(text, False, no_echo=no_echo)
 
         # MS: added this method call so the geometry is updated once the TCL command is executed
         # if no_plot is None:
@@ -3164,35 +3191,40 @@ class App(QtCore.QObject):
 
         return result
 
-    def exec_command_test(self, text, reraise=True):
+    def exec_command_test(self, text, reraise=True, no_echo=False):
         """
         Same as exec_command(...) with additional control over  exceptions.
         Handles input from the shell. See FlatCAMApp.setup_shell for shell commands.
 
         :param text: Input command
         :param reraise: Re-raise TclError exceptions in Python (mostly for unitttests).
+        :param no_echo: If True it will not try to print to the Shell because most likely the shell is hidden and it
+        will create crashes of the _Expandable_Edit widget
         :return: Output from the command
         """
 
         tcl_command_string = str(text)
 
         try:
-            self.shell.open_proccessing()  # Disables input box.
+            if no_echo is False:
+                self.shell.open_proccessing()  # Disables input box.
 
             result = self.tcl.eval(str(tcl_command_string))
-            if result != 'None':
+            if result != 'None' and no_echo is False:
                 self.shell.append_output(result + '\n')
 
         except tk.TclError as e:
             # This will display more precise answer if something in TCL shell fails
             result = self.tcl.eval("set errorInfo")
             self.log.error("Exec command Exception: %s" % (result + '\n'))
-            self.shell.append_error('ERROR: ' + result + '\n')
+            if no_echo is False:
+                self.shell.append_error('ERROR: ' + result + '\n')
             # Show error in console and just return or in test raise exception
             if reraise:
                 raise e
         finally:
-            self.shell.close_proccessing()
+            if no_echo is False:
+                self.shell.close_proccessing()
             pass
         return result
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f8ba6ec4..51d8bdf5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ CAD program, and create G-Code for Isolation routing.
 - fixed issue #313 where TclCommand drillcncjob is spitting errors in Tcl Shell which should be ignored
 - fixed an bug where the pywrapcp name from Google OR-Tools is not defined; fix issue #316
 - if FlatCAM is started with the 'quit' or 'exit' as argument it will close immediately and it will close also another instance of FlatCAM that may be running
+- added a new command line parameter for FlatCAM named '--shellvars' which can load a text file with variables for Tcl Shell in the format: one variable assignment per line and looking like: 'a=3' without quotes
 
 16.09.2019