diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 1edb647..47c2f76 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 /* Default settings; can be overriden by command line. */
 
 static int topbar = 1;                      /* -b  option; if 0, dmenu appears at bottom     */
+static int restrict_return = 0;				/* -r option; if 1, disables shift-return and ctrl-return */
 /* -fn option overrides fonts[0]; default X11 font or font set */
 static const char *fonts[] = {
 	"monospace:size=10"
diff --git a/dmenu.1 b/dmenu.1
index 323f93c..0dcafce 100644
--- a/dmenu.1
+++ b/dmenu.1
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 dmenu \- dynamic menu
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B dmenu
-.RB [ \-bfiv ]
+.RB [ \-bfirv ]
 .RB [ \-l
 .IR lines ]
 .RB [ \-m
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ is faster, but will lock up X until stdin reaches end\-of\-file.
 .B \-i
 dmenu matches menu items case insensitively.
 .TP
+.B \-r
+disables ctr-return and shift-return. this guarantees that dmenu prints to
+stdout only once, and it only prints an item read from stdin.
+.TP
 .BI \-l " lines"
 dmenu lists items vertically, with the given number of lines.
 .TP
diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index 65f25ce..a278680 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -464,6 +464,13 @@ insert:
 		break;
 	case XK_Return:
 	case XK_KP_Enter:
+		if (restrict_return) {
+			if (!sel || ev->state & (ShiftMask | ControlMask))
+				break;
+			puts(sel->text);
+			cleanup();
+			exit(0);
+		}
 		puts((sel && !(ev->state & ShiftMask)) ? sel->text : text);
 		if (!(ev->state & ControlMask)) {
 			cleanup();
@@ -712,7 +719,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-i")) { /* case-insensitive item matching */
 			fstrncmp = strncasecmp;
 			fstrstr = cistrstr;
-		} else if (i + 1 == argc)
+		} else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-r"))
+			restrict_return = 1;
+		else if (i + 1 == argc)
 			usage();
 		/* these options take one argument */
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-l"))   /* number of lines in vertical list */