diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2691a02c..4a83718c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ gem 'dotenv-rails', groups: [:development, :test]
 
 And then execute:
 
-```shell
+```console
 $ bundle
 ```
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ gem 'gem-that-requires-env-variables'
 
 Install the gem:
 
-```shell
+```console
 $ gem install dotenv
 ```
 
@@ -72,16 +72,22 @@ Dotenv.load('file1.env', 'file2.env')
 
 Alternatively, you can use the `dotenv` executable to launch your application:
 
-```shell
+```console
 $ dotenv ./script.rb
 ```
 
-The `dotenv` executable also accepts a single flag, `-f`. Its value should be a comma-separated list of configuration files, in the order of most important to least. All of the files must exist. There _must_ be a space between the flag and its value.
+The `dotenv` executable also accepts the flag `-f`. Its value should be a comma-separated list of configuration files, in the order of most important to least. All of the files must exist. There _must_ be a space between the flag and its value.
 
-```
+```console
 $ dotenv -f ".env.local,.env" ./script.rb
 ```
 
+The `dotenv` executable can optionally ignore missing files with the `-i` or `--ignore` flag. For example, if the `.env.local` file does not exist, the following will ignore the missing file and only load the `.env` file.
+
+```console
+$ dotenv -i -f ".env.local,.env" ./script.rb
+```
+
 To ensure `.env` is loaded in rake, load the tasks:
 
 ```ruby
@@ -223,7 +229,8 @@ Credentials should only be accessible on the machines that need access to them.
 
 
 You can use the `-t` or `--template` flag on the dotenv cli to create a template of your `.env` file.
-```shell
+
+```console
 $ dotenv -t .env
 ```
 A template will be created in your working directory named `{FINAME}.template`. So in the above example, it would create a `.env.template` file.
@@ -251,7 +258,8 @@ Personally, I prefer to commit the `.env` file with development-only settings. T
 By default, it **won't** overwrite existing environment variables as dotenv assumes the deployment environment has more knowledge about configuration than the application does. To overwrite existing environment variables you can use `Dotenv.overload`.
 
 You can also use the `-o` or `--overload` flag on the dotenv cli to override existing `ENV` variables.
-```shell
+
+```console
 $ dotenv -o -f ".env.local,.env"
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/dotenv/cli.rb b/lib/dotenv/cli.rb
index 4d3b6f48..70ca18f4 100644
--- a/lib/dotenv/cli.rb
+++ b/lib/dotenv/cli.rb
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class CLI < OptionParser
     def initialize(argv = [])
       @argv = argv.dup
       @filenames = []
+      @ignore = false
       @overload = false
 
       super("Usage: dotenv [options]")
@@ -20,6 +21,10 @@ def initialize(argv = [])
         @filenames = list
       end
 
+      on("-i", "--ignore", "ignore missing env files") do
+        @ignore = true
+      end
+
       on("-o", "--overload", "override existing ENV variables") do
         @overload = true
       end
@@ -43,11 +48,10 @@ def initialize(argv = [])
     end
 
     def run
-      if @overload
-        Dotenv.overload!(*@filenames)
-      else
-        Dotenv.load!(*@filenames)
-      end
+      method = @overload ? "overload" : "load"
+      method = "#{method}!" unless @ignore
+
+      Dotenv.public_send(method, *@filenames)
     rescue Errno::ENOENT => e
       abort e.message
     else
diff --git a/spec/dotenv/cli_spec.rb b/spec/dotenv/cli_spec.rb
index 012e5258..afcb1431 100644
--- a/spec/dotenv/cli_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/dotenv/cli_spec.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ def run(*args)
     end.to raise_error(SystemExit, /No such file/)
   end
 
+  it "ignores missing files when --ignore flag given" do
+    expect do
+      run "--ignore", "-f", ".doesnotexist"
+    end.not_to raise_error
+  end
+
   it "loads from multiple files specified by -f" do
     expect(ENV).not_to have_key("PLAIN")
     expect(ENV).not_to have_key("QUOTED")