diff --git a/sphinx_autobuild/__init__.py b/sphinx_autobuild/__init__.py
index fd4902c..f5e2d5b 100755
--- a/sphinx_autobuild/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx_autobuild/__init__.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 from livereload import Server
 
+from subprocess import call
+
 from watchdog.observers import Observer
 from watchdog.observers.polling import PollingObserver
 from watchdog.events import FileSystemEventHandler
@@ -129,12 +131,13 @@ class SphinxBuilder(object):
     """
     Helper class to run sphinx-build command.
     """
-    def __init__(self, outdir, args, ignored=None, regex_ignored=None):
+    def __init__(self, outdir, args, ignored=None, regex_ignored=None, exec_script=None):
         self._outdir = outdir
         self._args = args
         self._ignored = ignored or []
         self._ignored.append(outdir)
         self._regex_ignored = [re.compile(r) for r in regex_ignored or []]
+        self._exec_script = exec_script
 
     def is_ignored(self, src_path):
         path = self.get_relative_path(src_path)
@@ -159,10 +162,22 @@ def __call__(self, watcher, src_path):
         self.build(path)
 
     def build(self, path=None):
+        if self._exec_script:
+            self.execute_script()
+
+        self._build(path)
+
+    def execute_script(self):
+        code = call(self._exec_script, shell=True)
+        if code != 0:
+            sys.stdout.write("Warning: '{}' returned with status code {}\n".format(self._exec_script, code))
+
+    def _build(self, path):
         if path:
             pre = '+--------- {0} changed '.format(path)
         else:
             pre = '+--------- manually triggered build '
+
         sys.stdout.write('\n')
         sys.stdout.write(pre)
         sys.stdout.write('-' * (81 - len(pre)))
@@ -230,6 +245,7 @@ def get_parser():
     parser.add_argument('-H', '--host', type=str, default='127.0.0.1')
     parser.add_argument('-r', '--re-ignore', action='append', default=[])
     parser.add_argument('-i', '--ignore', action='append', default=[])
+    parser.add_argument('-x', '--exec_script', help='specify prebuild script')
     parser.add_argument('--poll', dest='use_polling',
                         action='store_true', default=False)
     parser.add_argument('--no-initial', dest='initial_build',
@@ -297,7 +313,7 @@ def main():
     else:
         portn = port_for.select_random()
 
-    builder = SphinxBuilder(outdir, build_args, ignored, re_ignore)
+    builder = SphinxBuilder(outdir, build_args, ignored, re_ignore, args.exec_script)
     server = Server(
         watcher=LivereloadWatchdogWatcher(use_polling=args.use_polling),
     )
diff --git a/sphinx_autobuild/test/test_autobuild.py b/sphinx_autobuild/test/test_autobuild.py
index 4368472..f047e2e 100644
--- a/sphinx_autobuild/test/test_autobuild.py
+++ b/sphinx_autobuild/test/test_autobuild.py
@@ -17,19 +17,27 @@ def patched_args(sys_args, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setattr('sys.argv', sys_args)
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('sys_args', (
-    ['sphinx-autobuild', '/source', '/output'],
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('sys_args, with_script', (
+    (['sphinx-autobuild', '/source', '/output'], False),
+    (['sphinx-autobuild', '/source', '/output',
+      '--exec_script', '/script'], True),
 ))
 @mock.patch.object(observers.Observer, 'schedule')
 @mock.patch.object(livereload.Server, 'serve')
-@mock.patch('sphinx_autobuild.SphinxBuilder.build')
+@mock.patch('sphinx_autobuild.SphinxBuilder.execute_script')
+@mock.patch('sphinx_autobuild.SphinxBuilder._build')
 @mock.patch('os.makedirs')
-def test_autobuild(mock_makedirs, mock_builder, mock_serve, mock_schedule):
+def test_autobuild(mock_makedirs, mock_builder, mock_execute_script,
+                   mock_serve, mock_schedule, with_script):
     """
     Test autobuild entry point.
     """
     main()
-    mock_builder.assert_called_once_with()
+    mock_builder.assert_called_once_with(None)
+    if with_script:
+        mock_execute_script.assert_called_once_with()
+    else:
+        mock_execute_script.assert_not_called()
     mock_makedirs.assert_called_once_with('/output')
     mock_serve.assert_called_once_with(
         host='127.0.0.1', root='/output', port=8000)
@@ -40,7 +48,8 @@ def test_autobuild(mock_makedirs, mock_builder, mock_serve, mock_schedule):
      '--port', '8888',
      '--host', 'example.org',
      '--ignore', '/ignored',
-     '--watch', '/external'],
+     '--watch', '/external',
+     '--exec_script', '/script'],
 ))
 @mock.patch.object(observers.Observer, 'schedule')
 @mock.patch.object(livereload.Server, 'serve')
@@ -62,7 +71,8 @@ def test_autobuild_with_options(mock_makedirs,
 
     # --ignore
     mock_builder.assert_called_once_with(
-        '/output', ['/source', '/output'], ['/ignored'], DEFAULT_IGNORE_REGEX)
+        '/output', ['/source', '/output'], ['/ignored'],
+        DEFAULT_IGNORE_REGEX, '/script')
 
     # --watch
     calls = [call('/source', mock_builder.return_value),