diff --git a/cmd/codecrafters/main.go b/cmd/codecrafters/main.go
index e88504e..a95f447 100644
--- a/cmd/codecrafters/main.go
+++ b/cmd/codecrafters/main.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ USAGE
 
 EXAMPLES
   $ codecrafters submit            # Commit changes & run tests
+  $ codecrafters submit -m "msg"   # Commit changes & run tests with a custom commit message
   $ codecrafters test              # Run tests without committing changes
   $ codecrafters test --previous   # Run tests for all previous stages and the current stage without committing changes
 
@@ -77,12 +78,28 @@ func run() error {
 	switch cmd {
 	case "test":
 		testCmd := flag.NewFlagSet("test", flag.ExitOnError)
-		shouldTestPrevious := testCmd.Bool("previous", false, "run tests for the current stage and all previous stages in ascending order")
+		shouldTestPrevious := testCmd.Bool("previous", false, "Run tests for all previous stages and the current stage without committing changes")
 		testCmd.Parse(flag.Args()[1:]) // parse the args after the test command
 
 		return commands.TestCommand(*shouldTestPrevious)
 	case "submit":
-		return commands.SubmitCommand()
+		submitCmd := flag.NewFlagSet("submit", flag.ExitOnError)
+
+		var commitMessage string
+		defaultCommitMessage := "codecrafters submit"
+		usage := "Commit changes & run tests with a custom commit message"
+		submitCmd.StringVar(&commitMessage, "m", defaultCommitMessage, usage)
+		submitCmd.StringVar(&commitMessage, "message", defaultCommitMessage, usage)
+
+		submitCmd.Parse(flag.Args()[1:])
+		if submitCmd.NArg() > 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Unexpected arguments: use -m or --message to set a custom commit message.")
+		}
+		if commitMessage == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Cannot submit with an empty commit message.")
+		}
+
+		return commands.SubmitCommand(commitMessage + " [skip ci]")
 	case "task":
 		taskCmd := flag.NewFlagSet("task", flag.ExitOnError)
 		stageSlug := taskCmd.String("stage", "", "view instructions for a specific stage (slug, +N, or -N)")
diff --git a/internal/commands/submit.go b/internal/commands/submit.go
index a7e5756..981849e 100644
--- a/internal/commands/submit.go
+++ b/internal/commands/submit.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/getsentry/sentry-go"
 )
 
-func SubmitCommand() (err error) {
+func SubmitCommand(commitMessage string) (err error) {
 	utils.Logger.Debug().Msg("submit command starts")
 
 	defer func() {
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ func SubmitCommand() (err error) {
 	}
 
 	utils.Logger.Debug().Msgf("committing changes to %s", defaultBranchName)
-
-	commitSha, err := commitChanges(repoDir, "codecrafters submit [skip ci]")
+	commitSha, err := commitChanges(repoDir, commitMessage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("commit changes: %w", err)
 	}