diff --git a/config/config_test.go b/config/config_test.go
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/config/data_funcs.go b/config/data_funcs.go
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/config/disk.go b/config/disk.go
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 717dd018..57927e4f
--- a/config/disk.go
+++ b/config/disk.go
@@ -69,6 +69,17 @@ func LoadConfigWithPrefix(dirPrefix string) *CloudConfig {
 	return cfg
 }
 
+func SaveInitCmdline(cmdLineArgs string) {
+	log.Infof("INITINIT: %s", cmdLineArgs)
+
+	elidedCfg := parseCmdline(cmdLineArgs)
+	log.Infof("SaveInitCmdline: %#v", elidedCfg)
+
+	if err := WriteToFile(elidedCfg, CloudConfigInitFile); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("Failed to write init-cmdline config: %s", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func CloudConfigDirFiles(dirPrefix string) []string {
 	cloudConfigDir := path.Join(dirPrefix, CloudConfigDir)
 
diff --git a/config/types.go b/config/types.go
index db9267c9..683c319c 100755
--- a/config/types.go
+++ b/config/types.go
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ const (
 	OsConfigFile           = "/usr/share/ros/os-config.yml"
 	VarRancherDir          = "/var/lib/rancher"
 	CloudConfigDir         = "/var/lib/rancher/conf/cloud-config.d"
+	CloudConfigInitFile    = "/var/lib/rancher/conf/cloud-config.d/init.yml"
 	CloudConfigBootFile    = "/var/lib/rancher/conf/cloud-config.d/boot.yml"
 	CloudConfigNetworkFile = "/var/lib/rancher/conf/cloud-config.d/network.yml"
 	CloudConfigScriptFile  = "/var/lib/rancher/conf/cloud-config-script"
@@ -85,9 +86,9 @@ type Repository struct {
 type Repositories map[string]Repository
 
 type CloudConfig struct {
-	SSHAuthorizedKeys []string              `yaml:"ssh_authorized_keys"`
-	WriteFiles        []File                `yaml:"write_files"`
-	Hostname          string                `yaml:"hostname"`
+	SSHAuthorizedKeys []string              `yaml:"ssh_authorized_keys,omitempty"`
+	WriteFiles        []File                `yaml:"write_files,omitempty"`
+	Hostname          string                `yaml:"hostname,omitempty"`
 	Mounts            [][]string            `yaml:"mounts,omitempty"`
 	Rancher           RancherConfig         `yaml:"rancher,omitempty"`
 	Runcmd            []yaml.StringandSlice `yaml:"runcmd,omitempty"`
diff --git a/init/init.go b/init/init.go
index 47594b28..4b61ee6f 100755
--- a/init/init.go
+++ b/init/init.go
@@ -227,6 +227,13 @@ func RunInit() error {
 		func(c *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			return c, dfs.PrepareFs(&mountConfig)
 		},
+		func(c *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
+			// will this be passed to cloud-init-save?
+			cmdLineArgs := strings.Join(os.Args, " ")
+			config.SaveInitCmdline(cmdLineArgs)
+
+			return c, nil
+		},
 		mountOem,
 		func(_ *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			cfg := config.LoadConfig()
@@ -303,6 +310,7 @@ func RunInit() error {
 		},
 		func(cfg *config.CloudConfig) (*config.CloudConfig, error) {
 			filesToCopy := []string{
+				config.CloudConfigInitFile,
 				config.CloudConfigBootFile,
 				config.CloudConfigNetworkFile,
 				config.MetaDataFile,
diff --git a/scripts/run b/scripts/run
index 5b401d10..5c008005 100755
--- a/scripts/run
+++ b/scripts/run
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
             shift 1
             QEMU_APPEND="${QEMU_APPEND} $1"
             ;;
+        --append-init)
+            shift 1
+            APPEND_INIT="${APPEND_INIT} $1"
+            ;;
         --memory)
             shift 1
             MEMORY="$1"
@@ -125,6 +129,9 @@ fi
 if [ "$RM_USR" == "1" ]; then
     KERNEL_ARGS="${KERNEL_ARGS} rancher.rm_usr"
 fi
+if [ "$APPEND_INIT" != "" ]; then
+    KERNEL_ARGS="${KERNEL_ARGS} -- ${APPEND_INIT}"
+fi
 
 if [ "$BOOT_PXE" == "1" ]; then
     sudo pixiecore boot \
diff --git a/tests/cmdline_test.go b/tests/cmdline_test.go
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ae53dbb4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cmdline_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+package integration
+
+import . "gopkg.in/check.v1"
+
+func (s *QemuSuite) TestElideCmdLine(c *C) {
+	runArgs := []string{
+		"--fresh",
+		"--append-init",
+		"cc.hostname=nope rancher.debug=true",
+	}
+	s.RunQemuWith(c, runArgs...)
+
+	s.CheckOutput(c, "nope\n", Equals, "hostname")
+	s.CheckOutput(c, "printk.devkmsg=on rancher.debug=true rancher.password=rancher console=ttyS0 rancher.autologin=ttyS0  rancher.state.dev=LABEL=RANCHER_STATE rancher.state.autoformat=[/dev/sda,/dev/vda] rancher.rm_usr -- \n", Equals, "cat /proc/cmdline")
+}