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/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;