diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 739b9b3..f4ca4e1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,6 +60,27 @@ Note, you'll also need a virtual host configuration file for the provided `nginx
 
 You should note that static content such as images and JavaScript or CSS files must be cross-mounted between the `mybb` and `nginx` containers - as PHP-FPM is not capable of serving those natively.
 
+# Preserving existing files
+
+If you wish to run this image and preserve any updated `lang` or `config` files, you can add the following flag:
+
+```
+docker run mybb/mybb --skip-old-files php-fpm
+```
+
+or, within your compose file, specify the following command argument:
+
+```yaml
+services:
+  mybb:
+    image: mybb/mybb:latest
+    command: --skip-old-files php-fpm
+    volumes:
+    - ${PWD}/mybb:/var/www/html:rw
+
+    ...
+```
+
 # How to build this image
 
 You must provide four build-time arguments when building this Docker image; `BUILD_AUTHORS`, `BUILD_DATE`, `BUILD_SHA1SUM` and `BUILD_VERSION`.
diff --git a/docker-entrypoint.sh b/docker-entrypoint.sh
index 390446a..8887d55 100755
--- a/docker-entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker-entrypoint.sh
@@ -1,13 +1,33 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env sh
 set -euo pipefail
 
+SKIP_OLD_FILES=false
+
+# Loop through arguments and process them
+for arg in "$@"; do
+    case $arg in
+    --skip-old-files)
+        SKIP_OLD_FILES=true
+        shift # Remove --skip-verification from `$@`
+        ;;
+    *)
+        break
+        ;;
+    esac
+done
+
 if ! [ -e index.php -a -e inc/class_core.php ]; then
 	echo >&2 "MyBB not found in $PWD - copying now..."
-	if [ "$(ls -A)" ]; then
-		echo >&2 "WARNING: $PWD is not empty - press Ctrl+C now if this is an error!"
-		( set -x; ls -A; sleep 10 )
+	if [[ $SKIP_OLD_FILES == true ]]; then
+		echo >&2 "Preserving existing directory files..."
+		tar cf - --one-file-system -C /usr/src/mybb-mybb_${MYBB_VERSION} . | tar xf - --skip-old-files
+	else
+		if [ "$(ls -A)" ]; then
+			echo >&2 "WARNING: $PWD is not empty - press Ctrl+C now if this is an error!"
+			( set -x; ls -A; sleep 10 )
+		fi
+		tar cf - --one-file-system -C /usr/src/mybb-mybb_${MYBB_VERSION} . | tar xf -
 	fi
-	tar cf - --one-file-system -C /usr/src/mybb-mybb_${MYBB_VERSION} . | tar xf -
 	echo >&2 "Complete! MyBB ${MYBB_VERSION} has been successfully copied to $PWD"
 fi