diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index f8f3c12c..b513ad6e 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 
+What's new in version 0.6.4
+
+* --sort-key flag in the command-line, overriding the
+  saved setting in .htoprc for the session.
+  (thanks to Rodolfo Borges)
+
 What's new in version 0.6.3
 
 * Performance improvements: uses much less CPU than the
diff --git a/ColumnsPanel.c b/ColumnsPanel.c
index 8d3dd458..7a5a298b 100644
--- a/ColumnsPanel.c
+++ b/ColumnsPanel.c
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@ void ColumnsPanel_delete(Object* object) {
    free(this);
 }
 
+int ColumnsPanel_fieldNameToIndex(const char* name) {
+   for (int j = 1; j <= LAST_PROCESSFIELD; j++) {
+      if (String_eq(name, Process_fieldNames[j])) {
+         return j;
+      }
+   }
+   return 0;
+}
+
 void ColumnsPanel_update(Panel* super) {
    ColumnsPanel* this = (ColumnsPanel*) super;
    int size = Panel_getSize(super);
@@ -53,12 +62,9 @@ void ColumnsPanel_update(Panel* super) {
    this->settings->pl->fields = (ProcessField*) malloc(sizeof(ProcessField) * (size+1));
    for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
       char* text = ((ListItem*) Panel_get(super, i))->value;
-      for (int j = 1; j <= LAST_PROCESSFIELD; j++) {
-         if (String_eq(text, Process_fieldNames[j])) {
-            this->settings->pl->fields[i] = j;
-            break;
-         }
-      }
+          int j = ColumnsPanel_fieldNameToIndex(text);
+          if (j > 0)
+             this->settings->pl->fields[i] = j;
    }
    this->settings->pl->fields[size] = 0;
 }
@@ -83,7 +89,7 @@ HandlerResult ColumnsPanel_eventHandler(Panel* super, int ch) {
       case ']':
       case '+':
       {
-	 if (selected < size - 2) 
+         if (selected < size - 2) 
             Panel_moveSelectedDown(super);
          result = HANDLED;
          break;
diff --git a/ColumnsPanel.h b/ColumnsPanel.h
index 8eb8cd6a..2c58c8e7 100644
--- a/ColumnsPanel.h
+++ b/ColumnsPanel.h
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ ColumnsPanel* ColumnsPanel_new(Settings* settings, ScreenManager* scr);
 
 void ColumnsPanel_delete(Object* object);
 
+int ColumnsPanel_fieldNameToIndex(const char* name);
+
 void ColumnsPanel_update(Panel* super);
 
 HandlerResult ColumnsPanel_eventHandler(Panel* super, int ch);
diff --git a/String.c b/String.c
index e862bff5..e0b981c5 100644
--- a/String.c
+++ b/String.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void String_printPointer(void* p) {
    printf("%p", p);
 }
 
-inline int String_eq(char* s1, char* s2) {
+inline int String_eq(const char* s1, const char* s2) {
    if (s1 == NULL || s2 == NULL) {
       if (s1 == NULL && s2 == NULL)
          return 1;
diff --git a/String.h b/String.h
index 3a348c2a..8f0b50b5 100644
--- a/String.h
+++ b/String.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ void String_printInt(int i);
 
 void String_printPointer(void* p);
 
-inline int String_eq(char* s1, char* s2);
+inline int String_eq(const char* s1, const char* s2);
 
 char** String_split(char* s, char sep);
 
diff --git a/htop.c b/htop.c
index 8ce6a798..c5bd6f05 100644
--- a/htop.c
+++ b/htop.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ void printHelpFlag() {
    printf("Released under the GNU GPL.\n\n");
    printf("-d DELAY     Delay between updates, in tenths of seconds\n\n");
    printf("-u USERNAME  Show only processes of a given user\n\n");
+   printf("--sort-key COLUMN  Sort by this column (use --sort-key help for a column list)\n\n");
    printf("Press F1 inside htop for online help.\n");
    printf("See the man page for full information.\n\n");
    exit(0);
@@ -194,12 +195,25 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    int delay = -1;
    bool userOnly = false;
    uid_t userId = 0;
+   int sortKey = 0;
 
    if (argc > 0) {
       if (String_eq(argv[1], "--help")) {
          printHelpFlag();
       } else if (String_eq(argv[1], "--version")) {
          printVersionFlag();
+      } else if (String_eq(argv[1], "--sort-key")) {
+         if (argc < 2) printHelpFlag();
+            if (String_eq(argv[2], "help")) {
+            for (int j = 1; j < LAST_PROCESSFIELD; j++)
+               printf ("%s\n", Process_fieldNames[j]);
+            exit(0);
+         }
+         sortKey = ColumnsPanel_fieldNameToIndex(argv[2]);
+         if (sortKey == -1) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "Error: invalid column \"%s\".\n", argv[2]);
+            exit(1);
+         }
       } else if (String_eq(argv[1], "-d")) {
          if (argc < 2) printHelpFlag();
          sscanf(argv[2], "%d", &delay);
@@ -237,6 +251,10 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
    
    Header* header = Header_new(pl);
    settings = Settings_new(pl, header);
+   if (sortKey > 0) {
+      pl->sortKey = sortKey;
+      pl->treeView = false;
+   }
    int headerHeight = Header_calculateHeight(header);
 
    // FIXME: move delay code to settings