diff --git a/pelican/__init__.py b/pelican/__init__.py
index 6469c607..9204d952 100644
--- a/pelican/__init__.py
+++ b/pelican/__init__.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from pelican.plugins import signals
 from pelican.plugins._utils import load_plugins
 from pelican.readers import Readers
 from pelican.server import ComplexHTTPRequestHandler, RootedHTTPServer
-from pelican.settings import read_settings
+from pelican.settings import coerce_overrides, read_settings
 from pelican.utils import (FileSystemWatcher, clean_output_dir, maybe_pluralize)
 from pelican.writers import Writer
 
@@ -230,6 +230,18 @@ class PrintSettings(argparse.Action):
         parser.exit()
 
 
+class ParseDict(argparse.Action):
+    def __call__(self, parser, namespace, values, option_string=None):
+        d = {}
+        if values:
+            for item in values:
+                split_items = item.split("=", 1)
+                key = split_items[0].strip()
+                value = split_items[1].strip()
+                d[key] = value
+        setattr(namespace, self.dest, d)
+
+
 def parse_arguments(argv=None):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description='A tool to generate a static blog, '
@@ -323,6 +335,18 @@ def parse_arguments(argv=None):
                         help='IP to bind to when serving files via HTTP '
                         '(default: 127.0.0.1)')
 
+    parser.add_argument('-c', '--setting-overrides', dest='overrides',
+                        help='Specify one ore more SETTING=VALUE pairs '
+                             '(without spaces around =) to override '
+                             'settings files. If VALUE contains spaces, add quotes: '
+                             'SETTING="VALUE". '
+                             'Integers and strings are autoconverted, other values '
+                        'can be passed in in json notation, '
+                             'e.g. SETTING=none',
+                        nargs='*',
+                        action=ParseDict
+                        )
+
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
     if args.port is not None and not args.listen:
@@ -358,6 +382,7 @@ def get_config(args):
     if args.bind is not None:
         config['BIND'] = args.bind
     config['DEBUG'] = args.verbosity == logging.DEBUG
+    config.update(coerce_overrides(args.overrides))
 
     return config
 
diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 7b333de8..40804e0b 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import copy
 import importlib.util
 import inspect
+import json
 import locale
 import logging
 import os
@@ -658,3 +659,23 @@ def configure_settings(settings):
             continue            # setting not specified, nothing to do
 
     return settings
+
+
+def coerce_overrides(overrides):
+    coerced = {}
+    types_to_cast = {int, str}
+    for k, v in overrides.items():
+        if k not in overrides:
+            logger.warning('Override for unknown setting %s, ignoring', k)
+            continue
+        setting_type = type(DEFAULT_CONFIG[k])
+        if setting_type not in types_to_cast:
+            coerced[k] = json.loads(v)
+        else:
+            try:
+                coerced[k] = setting_type(v)
+            except ValueError:
+                logger.debug('ValueError for %s override with %s, try to '
+                             'load as json', k, v)
+                coerced[k] = json.loads(v)
+    return coerced
diff --git a/pelican/tests/test_settings.py b/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
index 708c0981..83203ae5 100644
--- a/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/pelican/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ from sys import platform
 
 from pelican.settings import (DEFAULT_CONFIG, DEFAULT_THEME,
                               _printf_s_to_format_field,
-                              configure_settings, handle_deprecated_settings,
-                              read_settings)
+                              coerce_overrides, configure_settings,
+                              handle_deprecated_settings, read_settings)
 from pelican.tests.support import unittest
 
 
@@ -304,3 +304,18 @@ class TestSettingsConfiguration(unittest.TestCase):
                          [(r'C\+\+', 'cpp')] +
                          self.settings['SLUG_REGEX_SUBSTITUTIONS'])
         self.assertNotIn('SLUG_SUBSTITUTIONS', settings)
+
+    def test_coerce_overrides(self):
+        overrides = coerce_overrides({
+            'ARTICLE_EXCLUDES': '["testexcl"]',
+            'READERS': '{"foo": "bar"}',
+            'STATIC_EXCLUDE_SOURCES': 'true',
+            'THEME_STATIC_DIR': 'theme',
+            })
+        expected = {
+            'ARTICLE_EXCLUDES': ["testexcl"],
+            'READERS': {"foo": "bar"},
+            'STATIC_EXCLUDE_SOURCES': True,
+            'THEME_STATIC_DIR': 'theme',
+        }
+        self.assertDictEqual(overrides, expected)