diff --git a/bin/marked b/bin/marked
index 06781c7882..6a3c2f5eb3 100755
--- a/bin/marked
+++ b/bin/marked
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ function main(argv, callback) {
       options = {},
       input,
       output,
+      string,
       arg,
       tokens,
       opt;
@@ -86,6 +87,10 @@ function main(argv, callback) {
       case '--input':
         input = argv.shift();
         break;
+      case '-s':
+      case '--string':
+        string = argv.shift();
+        break;
       case '-t':
       case '--tokens':
         tokens = true;
@@ -118,6 +123,9 @@ function main(argv, callback) {
   function getData(callback) {
     if (!input) {
       if (files.length <= 2) {
+        if (string) {
+          return callback(null, string);
+        }
         return getStdin(callback);
       }
       input = files.pop();
diff --git a/docs/README.md b/docs/README.md
index f5b154276b..c46736c2e5 100644
--- a/docs/README.md
+++ b/docs/README.md
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ $ cat hello.html
 <p>hello world</p>
 ```
 
+``` bash
+$ marked -s "*hello world*"
+<p><em>hello world</em></p>
+```
+
 **Browser**
 
 ```html
diff --git a/test/unit/marked-spec.js b/test/unit/marked-spec.js
index 324dad127b..0bb5b39f6d 100644
--- a/test/unit/marked-spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/marked-spec.js
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ it('should run the test', function () {
 });
 
 describe('Test heading ID functionality', function() {
-	it('should add id attribute by default', function() {
-		var renderer = new marked.Renderer(marked.defaults);
-		var header = renderer.heading('test', 1, 'test');
-		expect(header).toBe('<h1 id="test">test</h1>\n');
-	});
+  it('should add id attribute by default', function() {
+    var renderer = new marked.Renderer(marked.defaults);
+    var header = renderer.heading('test', 1, 'test');
+    expect(header).toBe('<h1 id="test">test</h1>\n');
+  });
 
-	it('should NOT add id attribute when options set false', function() {
-		var renderer = new marked.Renderer({ headerIds: false });
-		var header = renderer.heading('test', 1, 'test');
-		expect(header).toBe('<h1>test</h1>\n');
-	});
+  it('should NOT add id attribute when options set false', function() {
+    var renderer = new marked.Renderer({ headerIds: false });
+    var header = renderer.heading('test', 1, 'test');
+    expect(header).toBe('<h1>test</h1>\n');
+  });
 });