diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
index 6b48e824aa..1c4de3aa46 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import Control.Monad.Except
 import Control.Monad.Reader
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
 import Data.List (find)
+import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Text.Encoding (encodeUtf8)
 import Data.Time.Clock (getCurrentTime)
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ import Text.Read (readMaybe)
 import UnliftIO.Async
 
 simplexChatCore :: ChatConfig -> ChatOpts -> (User -> ChatController -> IO ()) -> IO ()
-simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView, chatHooks} opts@ChatOpts {coreOptions = coreOptions@CoreChatOpts {dbOptions, logAgent, yesToUpMigrations, migrationBackupPath, maintenance}, createBot} chat =
+simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView, chatHooks} opts@ChatOpts {coreOptions = coreOptions@CoreChatOpts {dbOptions, logAgent, yesToUpMigrations, migrationBackupPath, maintenance}, createBot, userDisplayName} chat =
   case logAgent of
     Just level -> do
       setLogLevel level
@@ -58,10 +59,14 @@ simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView, chatHooks} opts@Cha
     run db@ChatDatabase {chatStore} = do
       users <- withTransaction chatStore getUsers
       u_ <- selectActiveUser coreOptions chatStore users
+      forM_ ((,) <$> userDisplayName <*> u_) $ \(name, User {localDisplayName}) ->
+        when (localDisplayName /= name) $ do
+          putStrLn $ "Active user display name " <> show localDisplayName <> " does not match --user-display-name " <> show name
+          exitFailure
       let backgroundMode = maintenance
       cc <- newChatController db u_ cfg opts backgroundMode
       forM_ (preStartHook chatHooks) ($ cc)
-      u <- maybe (noMaintenance >> createActiveUser cc coreOptions createBot) pure u_
+      u <- maybe (noMaintenance >> createActiveUser cc coreOptions createBot userDisplayName) pure u_
       unless testView $ putStrLn $ "Current user: " <> userStr u
       runSimplexChat cfg opts u cc chat
     noMaintenance = when maintenance $ do
@@ -116,24 +121,26 @@ selectActiveUser CoreChatOpts {chatRelay} st users
                     let user = users !! (n - 1)
                      in Just <$> withTransaction st (`setActiveUser` user)
 
-createActiveUser :: ChatController -> CoreChatOpts -> Maybe CreateBotOpts -> IO User
-createActiveUser cc CoreChatOpts {chatRelay} = \case
+createActiveUser :: ChatController -> CoreChatOpts -> Maybe CreateBotOpts -> Maybe Text -> IO User
+createActiveUser cc CoreChatOpts {chatRelay} createBot_ userDisplayName_ = case createBot_ of
   Just CreateBotOpts {botDisplayName, allowFiles} -> do
     let preferences = if allowFiles then Nothing else Just emptyChatPrefs {files = Just FilesPreference {allow = FANo}}
     createUser exitFailure $ (mkProfile botDisplayName) {peerType = Just CPTBot, preferences}
-  Nothing
-    | chatRelay -> do
-        putStrLn
-          "No chat relay user profile found, it will be created now.\n\
-          \Please choose chat relay display name."
-        loop
-    | otherwise -> do
-        putStrLn
-          "No user profiles found, it will be created now.\n\
-          \Please choose your display name.\n\
-          \It will be sent to your contacts when you connect.\n\
-          \It is only stored on your device and you can change it later."
-        loop
+  Nothing -> case userDisplayName_ of
+    Just displayName -> createUser exitFailure $ mkProfile displayName
+    Nothing
+      | chatRelay -> do
+          putStrLn
+            "No chat relay user profile found, it will be created now.\n\
+            \Please choose chat relay display name."
+          loop
+      | otherwise -> do
+          putStrLn
+            "No user profiles found, it will be created now.\n\
+            \Please choose your display name.\n\
+            \It will be sent to your contacts when you connect.\n\
+            \It is only stored on your device and you can change it later."
+          loop
   where
     loop = do
       displayName <- T.pack <$> withPrompt "display name: " getLine
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
index f061061327..3364a9d477 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
@@ -271,7 +271,8 @@ mobileChatOpts dbOptions =
       autoAcceptFileSize = 0,
       muteNotifications = True,
       markRead = False,
-      createBot = Nothing
+      createBot = Nothing,
+      userDisplayName = Nothing
     }
 
 defaultMobileConfig :: ChatConfig
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
index 7f7d7edb22..236f61c049 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ where
 import Control.Logger.Simple (LogLevel (..))
 import qualified Data.Attoparsec.ByteString.Char8 as A
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as B
-import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe)
+import Data.Maybe (fromMaybe, isJust)
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Text.Encoding (encodeUtf8)
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ data ChatOpts = ChatOpts
     autoAcceptFileSize :: Integer,
     muteNotifications :: Bool,
     markRead :: Bool,
-    createBot :: Maybe CreateBotOpts
+    createBot :: Maybe CreateBotOpts,
+    userDisplayName :: Maybe Text
   }
 
 data CoreChatOpts = CoreChatOpts
@@ -402,6 +403,13 @@ chatOptsP appDir defaultDbName = do
       ( long "create-bot-allow-files"
           <> help "Flag for created bot to allow files (only allowed together with --create-bot option)"
       )
+  userDisplayName <-
+    optional $
+      strOption
+        ( long "user-display-name"
+            <> metavar "NAME"
+            <> help "Use existing active user with this display name, or create one on the first start (incompatible with --create-bot-display-name)"
+        )
   pure
     ChatOpts
       { coreOptions,
@@ -417,10 +425,13 @@ chatOptsP appDir defaultDbName = do
         muteNotifications,
         markRead,
         createBot = case createBotDisplayName of
-          Just botDisplayName -> Just CreateBotOpts {botDisplayName, allowFiles = createBotAllowFiles}
+          Just botDisplayName
+            | isJust userDisplayName -> error "--user-display-name and --create-bot-display-name are mutually exclusive"
+            | otherwise -> Just CreateBotOpts {botDisplayName, allowFiles = createBotAllowFiles}
           Nothing
             | createBotAllowFiles -> error "--create-bot-allow-files option requires --create-bot-name option"
-            | otherwise -> Nothing
+            | otherwise -> Nothing,
+        userDisplayName
       }
 
 parseProtocolServers :: ProtocolTypeI p => ReadM [ProtoServerWithAuth p]