diff --git a/apps/simplex-broadcast-bot/src/Broadcast/Options.hs b/apps/simplex-broadcast-bot/src/Broadcast/Options.hs
index 5bc4ffef25..932a6919d3 100644
--- a/apps/simplex-broadcast-bot/src/Broadcast/Options.hs
+++ b/apps/simplex-broadcast-bot/src/Broadcast/Options.hs
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ mkChatOpts BroadcastBotOpts {coreOptions} =
   ChatOpts
     { coreOptions,
       deviceName = Nothing,
+      displayName = Nothing,
       chatCmd = "",
       chatCmdDelay = 3,
       chatCmdLog = CCLNone,
diff --git a/apps/simplex-directory-service/src/Directory/Options.hs b/apps/simplex-directory-service/src/Directory/Options.hs
index 7f02a580e6..41e6402fcd 100644
--- a/apps/simplex-directory-service/src/Directory/Options.hs
+++ b/apps/simplex-directory-service/src/Directory/Options.hs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ mkChatOpts DirectoryOpts {coreOptions} =
   ChatOpts
     { coreOptions,
       deviceName = Nothing,
+      displayName = Nothing,
       chatCmd = "",
       chatCmdDelay = 3,
       chatCmdLog = CCLNone,
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
index ad2f1367da..b3ee163c79 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Core.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import Simplex.Chat
 import Simplex.Chat.Controller
 import Simplex.Chat.Options (ChatOpts (..), CoreChatOpts (..))
 import Simplex.Chat.Store.Profiles
-import Simplex.Chat.Types
+import Simplex.Chat.Types (User (..), ContactName, Profile (..), NewUser (..), LocalProfile (..))
 import Simplex.Chat.View (serializeChatResponse)
 import Simplex.Messaging.Agent.Store.SQLite (SQLiteStore, withTransaction)
 import System.Exit (exitFailure)
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import Text.Read (readMaybe)
 import UnliftIO.Async
 
 simplexChatCore :: ChatConfig -> ChatOpts -> (User -> ChatController -> IO ()) -> IO ()
-simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView} opts@ChatOpts {coreOptions = CoreChatOpts {dbFilePrefix, dbKey, logAgent}} chat =
+simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView} opts@ChatOpts {coreOptions = CoreChatOpts {dbFilePrefix, dbKey, logAgent}, displayName} chat =
   case logAgent of
     Just level -> do
       setLogLevel level
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ simplexChatCore cfg@ChatConfig {confirmMigrations, testView} opts@ChatOpts {core
       putStrLn $ "Error opening database: " <> show e
       exitFailure
     run db@ChatDatabase {chatStore} = do
-      u_ <- getSelectActiveUser chatStore
+      u_ <- getSelectActiveUser chatStore displayName
       cc <- newChatController db u_ cfg opts False
-      u <- maybe (createActiveUser cc) pure u_
+      u <- maybe (createActiveUser cc displayName) pure u_
       unless testView $ putStrLn $ "Current user: " <> userStr u
       runSimplexChat opts u cc chat
 
@@ -64,12 +64,16 @@ sendChatCmdStr cc s = runReaderT (execChatCommand Nothing . encodeUtf8 $ T.pack
 sendChatCmd :: ChatController -> ChatCommand -> IO ChatResponse
 sendChatCmd cc cmd = runReaderT (execChatCommand' cmd) cc
 
-getSelectActiveUser :: SQLiteStore -> IO (Maybe User)
-getSelectActiveUser st = do
+getSelectActiveUser :: SQLiteStore -> Maybe ContactName -> IO (Maybe User)
+getSelectActiveUser st displayName = do
   users <- withTransaction st getUsers
-  case find activeUser users of
-    Just u -> pure $ Just u
-    Nothing -> selectUser users
+  case displayName of
+    Just name -> case find (\User {localDisplayName} -> localDisplayName == name) users of
+      Just u -> pure $ Just u
+      Nothing -> pure Nothing
+    Nothing -> case find activeUser users of
+      Just u -> pure $ Just u
+      Nothing -> selectUser users
   where
     selectUser :: [User] -> IO (Maybe User)
     selectUser = \case
@@ -90,8 +94,8 @@ getSelectActiveUser st = do
                     let user = users !! (n - 1)
                      in Just <$> withTransaction st (`setActiveUser` user)
 
-createActiveUser :: ChatController -> IO User
-createActiveUser cc = do
+createActiveUser :: ChatController -> Maybe ContactName -> IO User
+createActiveUser cc name = do
   putStrLn
     "No user profiles found, it will be created now.\n\
     \Please choose your display name.\n\
@@ -100,7 +104,9 @@ createActiveUser cc = do
   loop
   where
     loop = do
-      displayName <- T.pack <$> getWithPrompt "display name"
+      displayName <- case name of
+        Just n | not (T.null n) -> pure n
+        _ -> T.pack <$> getWithPrompt "display name"
       let profile = Just Profile {displayName, fullName = "", image = Nothing, contactLink = Nothing, preferences = Nothing}
       execChatCommand' (CreateActiveUser NewUser {profile, pastTimestamp = False}) `runReaderT` cc >>= \case
         CRActiveUser user -> pure user
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
index 57b0ee6c17..68fffa0f7b 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Mobile.hs
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ mobileChatOpts dbFilePrefix =
             yesToUpMigrations = False
           },
       deviceName = Nothing,
+      displayName = Nothing,
       chatCmd = "",
       chatCmdDelay = 3,
       chatCmdLog = CCLNone,
diff --git a/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs b/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
index f398831194..0f0ebcc1df 100644
--- a/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
+++ b/src/Simplex/Chat/Options.hs
@@ -35,10 +35,12 @@ import Simplex.Messaging.Parsers (parseAll)
 import Simplex.Messaging.Protocol (ProtoServerWithAuth, ProtocolTypeI, SMPServerWithAuth, XFTPServerWithAuth)
 import Simplex.Messaging.Transport.Client (SocksProxyWithAuth (..), SocksAuth (..), defaultSocksProxyWithAuth)
 import System.FilePath (combine)
+import Simplex.Chat.Types (ContactName)
 
 data ChatOpts = ChatOpts
   { coreOptions :: CoreChatOpts,
     deviceName :: Maybe Text,
+    displayName :: Maybe ContactName,
     chatCmd :: String,
     chatCmdDelay :: Int,
     chatCmdLog :: ChatCmdLog,
@@ -286,6 +288,13 @@ chatOptsP appDir defaultDbFileName = do
             <> metavar "DEVICE"
             <> help "Device name to use in connections with remote hosts and controller"
         )
+  displayName <-
+    optional $
+      strOption
+        ( long "display-name"
+            <> metavar "DISPLAY_NAME"
+            <> help "Display name will be sent to your contacts when you connect and only stored on your device and you can change it later."
+        )
   chatCmd <-
     strOption
       ( long "execute"
@@ -375,6 +384,7 @@ chatOptsP appDir defaultDbFileName = do
   pure
     ChatOpts
       { coreOptions,
+        displayName,
         deviceName,
         chatCmd,
         chatCmdDelay,
diff --git a/tests/ChatClient.hs b/tests/ChatClient.hs
index 8b7e8fcd32..b11a5903bf 100644
--- a/tests/ChatClient.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatClient.hs
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ testOpts =
   ChatOpts
     { coreOptions = testCoreOpts,
       deviceName = Nothing,
+      displayName = Nothing,
       chatCmd = "",
       chatCmdDelay = 3,
       chatCmdLog = CCLNone,
diff --git a/tests/ChatTests/Profiles.hs b/tests/ChatTests/Profiles.hs
index 3ff8808541..6827061015 100644
--- a/tests/ChatTests/Profiles.hs
+++ b/tests/ChatTests/Profiles.hs
@@ -224,9 +224,9 @@ testMultiWordProfileNames =
       alice #> "@'Cath J' hi"
       cath <# "'Alice Jones'> hi"
   where
-    aliceProfile' = baseProfile {displayName = "Alice Jones"}
-    bobProfile' = baseProfile {displayName = "Bob James"}
-    cathProfile' = baseProfile {displayName = "Cath Johnson"}
+    aliceProfile' = (baseProfile :: Profile) {displayName = "Alice Jones"}
+    bobProfile' = (baseProfile :: Profile) {displayName = "Bob James"}
+    cathProfile' = (baseProfile :: Profile) {displayName = "Cath Johnson"}
     baseProfile = Profile {displayName = "", fullName = "", image = Nothing, contactLink = Nothing, preferences = defaultPrefs}
 
 testUserContactLink :: HasCallStack => FilePath -> IO ()