diff --git a/dialogs/preferencesdialog.cpp b/dialogs/preferencesdialog.cpp
index b7df9ddaa..a730d6bb5 100644
--- a/dialogs/preferencesdialog.cpp
+++ b/dialogs/preferencesdialog.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include "preferencesdialog.h"
 
 #include "io/config.h"
+#include "mainwindow.h"
 
 #include <QMenuBar>
 #include <QAction>
@@ -108,6 +109,13 @@ void PreferencesDialog::setup_kbd_shortcuts(QMenuBar* menubar) {
 }
 
 void PreferencesDialog::save() {
+    if (!custom_css_fn->text().isEmpty() && !QFileInfo::exists(custom_css_fn->text())) {
+        QMessageBox::critical(this, "Invalid CSS File", "CSS file '" + custom_css_fn->text() + "' does not exist.");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    config.css_path = custom_css_fn->text();
+    mainWindow->load_css_from_file(config.css_path);
 	config.recording_mode = recordingComboBox->currentIndex() + 1;
 	config.img_seq_formats = imgSeqFormatEdit->text();
 	config.fast_seeking = fastSeekButton->isChecked();
@@ -230,7 +238,14 @@ void PreferencesDialog::save_shortcut_file() {
 		} else {
 			QMessageBox::critical(this, "Error saving shortcuts", "Failed to open file for writing");
 		}
-	}
+    }
+}
+
+void PreferencesDialog::browse_css_file() {
+    QString fn = QFileDialog::getOpenFileName(this, "Browse for CSS file");
+    if (!fn.isEmpty()) {
+        custom_css_fn->setText(fn);
+    }
 }
 
 void PreferencesDialog::setup_ui() {
@@ -240,19 +255,29 @@ void PreferencesDialog::setup_ui() {
 	QTabWidget* general_tab = new QTabWidget();
 	QGridLayout* general_layout = new QGridLayout(general_tab);
 
-	general_layout->addWidget(new QLabel("Image sequence formats:"), 0, 0, 1, 1);
+    general_layout->addWidget(new QLabel("Custom CSS:"), 0, 0, 1, 1);
+
+    custom_css_fn = new QLineEdit(general_tab);
+    custom_css_fn->setText(config.css_path);
+    general_layout->addWidget(custom_css_fn, 0, 1, 1, 1);
+
+    QPushButton* custom_css_browse = new QPushButton("Browse", general_tab);
+    connect(custom_css_browse, SIGNAL(clicked(bool)), this, SLOT(browse_css_file()));
+    general_layout->addWidget(custom_css_browse, 0, 2, 1, 1);
+
+    general_layout->addWidget(new QLabel("Image sequence formats:"), 1, 0, 1, 1);
 
 	imgSeqFormatEdit = new QLineEdit(general_tab);
 
-	general_layout->addWidget(imgSeqFormatEdit, 0, 1, 1, 1);
+    general_layout->addWidget(imgSeqFormatEdit, 1, 1, 1, 2);
 
-	general_layout->addWidget(new QLabel("Audio Recording:"), 1, 0, 1, 1);
+    general_layout->addWidget(new QLabel("Audio Recording:"), 2, 0, 1, 1);
 
 	recordingComboBox = new QComboBox(general_tab);
 	recordingComboBox->addItem("Mono");
 	recordingComboBox->addItem("Stereo");
 
-	general_layout->addWidget(recordingComboBox, 1, 1, 1, 1);
+    general_layout->addWidget(recordingComboBox, 2, 1, 1, 2);
 
 	tabWidget->addTab(general_tab, "General");
 	QWidget* behavior_tab = new QWidget();
diff --git a/dialogs/preferencesdialog.h b/dialogs/preferencesdialog.h
index 5647997f5..0b1344c71 100644
--- a/dialogs/preferencesdialog.h
+++ b/dialogs/preferencesdialog.h
@@ -42,11 +42,13 @@ private slots:
 	bool refine_shortcut_list(const QString &, QTreeWidgetItem* parent = NULL);
 	void load_shortcut_file();
 	void save_shortcut_file();
+    void browse_css_file();
 
 private:
 	void setup_ui();
 	void setup_kbd_shortcut_worker(QMenu* menu, QTreeWidgetItem* parent);
 
+    QLineEdit* custom_css_fn;
 	QLineEdit* imgSeqFormatEdit;
 	QComboBox* recordingComboBox;
 	QRadioButton* accurateSeekButton;
diff --git a/io/config.cpp b/io/config.cpp
index 1da1a8c46..18d0bc540 100644
--- a/io/config.cpp
+++ b/io/config.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Config::Config()
 	  upcoming_queue_type(FRAME_QUEUE_TYPE_SECONDS),
 	  loop(true),
 	  pause_at_out_point(true),
-	  seek_also_selects(false)
+      seek_also_selects(false)
 {}
 
 void Config::load(QString path) {
@@ -162,7 +162,10 @@ void Config::load(QString path) {
 				} else if (stream.name() == "SeekAlsoSelects") {
 					stream.readNext();
 					seek_also_selects = (stream.text() == "1");
-				}
+                } else if (stream.name() == "CSSPath") {
+                    stream.readNext();
+                    css_path = stream.text().toString();
+                }
 			}
 		}
 		if (stream.hasError()) {
@@ -220,7 +223,8 @@ void Config::save(QString path) {
 	stream.writeTextElement("UpcomingFrameQueueType", QString::number(upcoming_queue_type));
 	stream.writeTextElement("Loop", QString::number(loop));
 	stream.writeTextElement("PauseAtOutPoint", QString::number(pause_at_out_point));
-	stream.writeTextElement("SeekAlsoSelects", QString::number(seek_also_selects));
+    stream.writeTextElement("SeekAlsoSelects", QString::number(seek_also_selects));
+    stream.writeTextElement("CSSPath", css_path);
 
 	stream.writeEndElement(); // configuration
 	stream.writeEndDocument(); // doc
diff --git a/io/config.h b/io/config.h
index 542443b4b..9983839d9 100644
--- a/io/config.h
+++ b/io/config.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct Config {
     bool loop;
     bool pause_at_out_point;
     bool seek_also_selects;
+    QString css_path;
 
 	void load(QString path);
 	void save(QString path);
diff --git a/main.cpp b/main.cpp
index 995e29357..11668c0ae 100644
--- a/main.cpp
+++ b/main.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <QApplication>
 
 #include "debug.h"
+#include "project/effect.h"
 
 extern "C" {
 	#include <libavformat/avformat.h>
@@ -24,17 +25,20 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	if (argc > 1) {
 		for (int i=1;i<argc;i++) {
 			if (argv[i][0] == '-') {
-				if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--version") || !strcmp(argv[1], "-v")) {
+                if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--version") || !strcmp(argv[i], "-v")) {
 #ifndef GITHASH
 					qWarning() << "No Git commit information found";
 #endif
 					printf("%s\n", appName.toUtf8().constData());
 					return 0;
-				} else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--help") || !strcmp(argv[1], "-h")) {
+                } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--help") || !strcmp(argv[i], "-h")) {
 					printf("Usage: %s [options] [filename]\n\n[filename] is the file to open on startup.\n\nOptions:\n\t-v, --version\tShow version information\n\t-h, --help\tShow this help\n\t-f, --fullscreen\tStart in full screen mode\n\n", argv[0]);
 					return 0;
-				} else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--fullscreen") || !strcmp(argv[1], "-f")) {
+                } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--fullscreen") || !strcmp(argv[i], "-f")) {
 					launch_fullscreen = true;
+                } else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "--disable-shaders")) {
+                    shaders_are_enabled = false;
+
 				} else {
 					printf("[ERROR] Unknown argument '%s'\n", argv[1]);
 					return 1;
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index b43471c79..b16de94a3 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 
 MainWindow* mainWindow;
 
+#define DEFAULT_CSS "QPushButton::checked { background: rgb(25, 25, 25); }"
 #define OLIVE_FILE_FILTER "Olive Project (*.ove)"
 
 QTimer autorecovery_timer;
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent, const QString &an) :
 	// set up style?
 
 	qApp->setStyle(QStyleFactory::create("Fusion"));
-	setStyleSheet("QPushButton::checked { background: rgb(25, 25, 25); }");
+    setStyleSheet(DEFAULT_CSS);
 
 	QPalette darkPalette;
 	darkPalette.setColor(QPalette::Window, QColor(53,53,53));
@@ -197,7 +198,11 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent, const QString &an) :
 		config_fn = config_path + "/config.xml";
 		if (QFileInfo::exists(config_fn)) {
 			config.load(config_fn);
-		}
+
+            if (!config.css_path.isEmpty()) {
+                load_css_from_file(config.css_path);
+            }
+        }
 	}
 
 	alloc_panels(this);
@@ -330,7 +335,18 @@ void MainWindow::save_shortcuts(const QString& fn) {
 		shortcut_file_io.close();
 	} else {
 		qCritical() << "Failed to save shortcut file";
-	}
+    }
+}
+
+void MainWindow::load_css_from_file(const QString &fn) {
+    QFile css_file(fn);
+    if (css_file.exists() && css_file.open(QFile::ReadOnly)) {
+        setStyleSheet(css_file.readAll());
+        css_file.close();
+    } else {
+        // set default stylesheet
+        setStyleSheet(DEFAULT_CSS);
+    }
 }
 
 void MainWindow::show_about() {
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index d4a3a6025..490c75097 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ public:
 	void load_shortcuts(const QString &fn, bool first = false);
 	void save_shortcuts(const QString &fn);
 
+    void load_css_from_file(const QString& fn);
+
 public slots:
 	void undo();
 	void redo();
diff --git a/project/effect.cpp b/project/effect.cpp
index de62ec7c9..14400133e 100644
--- a/project/effect.cpp
+++ b/project/effect.cpp
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include <QtMath>
 #include <QMenu>
 
+bool shaders_are_enabled = true;
 QVector<EffectMeta> effects;
 
 Effect* create_effect(Clip* c, const EffectMeta* em) {
@@ -85,6 +86,8 @@ const EffectMeta* get_internal_meta(int internal_id, int type) {
 }
 
 void load_internal_effects() {
+    qWarning() << "Shaders are disabled, some effects may be nonfunctional";
+
 	EffectMeta em;
 
 	// internal effects
@@ -785,8 +788,8 @@ void Effect::open() {
 	if (isOpen) {
 		qWarning() << "Tried to open an effect that was already open";
 		close();
-	}
-	if (enable_shader) {
+    }
+    if (shaders_are_enabled && enable_shader) {
 		if (QOpenGLContext::currentContext() == NULL) {
 			qWarning() << "No current context to create a shader program for - will retry next repaint";
 		} else {
@@ -848,7 +851,11 @@ void Effect::startEffect() {
 		open();
 		qWarning() << "Tried to start a closed effect - opening";
 	}
-	if (enable_shader && glslProgram->isLinked()) bound = glslProgram->bind();
+    if (shaders_are_enabled
+            && enable_shader
+            && glslProgram->isLinked()) {
+        bound = glslProgram->bind();
+    }
 }
 
 void Effect::endEffect() {
diff --git a/project/effect.h b/project/effect.h
index 21e0f381b..413df6d9f 100644
--- a/project/effect.h
+++ b/project/effect.h
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ struct EffectMeta {
 	int subtype;
 };
 
+extern bool shaders_are_enabled;
 extern QVector<EffectMeta> effects;
 
 double log_volume(double linear);
diff --git a/ui/viewerwidget.cpp b/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
index 3783b563f..f8adf8313 100644
--- a/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
+++ b/ui/viewerwidget.cpp
@@ -431,9 +431,9 @@ void ViewerWidget::process_effect(Clip* c, Effect* e, double timecode, GLTexture
 		if (e->enable_coords) {
 			e->process_coords(timecode, coords, data);
 		}
-		if (e->enable_shader || e->enable_superimpose) {
+        if ((e->enable_shader && shaders_are_enabled) || e->enable_superimpose) {
 			e->startEffect();
-			if (e->enable_shader && e->is_glsl_linked()) {
+            if ((e->enable_shader && shaders_are_enabled) && e->is_glsl_linked()) {
 				e->process_shader(timecode, coords);
 				composite_texture = draw_clip(c->fbo[fbo_switcher], composite_texture, true);
 				fbo_switcher = !fbo_switcher;