diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
index 3b925977..7f1eb0ae 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/command_parser.rs
@@ -68,6 +68,26 @@ impl Command {
             &Command::Close => true
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn output(&self) -> String {
+        match self {
+            &Command::Query(ref args) => {
+                format!(".{} {}", QUERY_COMMAND, args)
+            },
+            &Command::Transact(ref args) => {
+                format!(".{} {}", TRANSACT_COMMAND, args)
+            },
+            &Command::Help(ref args) => {
+                format!(".{} {:?}", HELP_COMMAND, args)
+            },
+            &Command::Open(ref args) => {
+                format!(".{} {}", OPEN_COMMAND, args)
+            }
+            &Command::Close => {
+                format!(".{}", CLOSE_COMMAND)
+            },
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 pub fn command(s: &str) -> Result<Command, cli::Error> {
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
index e05339a7..bcc7c71c 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/lib.rs
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ pub fn run() -> i32 {
 
     opts.optopt("d", "", "The path to a database to open", "DATABASE");
     opts.optflag("h", "help", "Print this help message and exit");
-    opts.optopt("q", "query", "Execute a query on startup. Queries are executed after any transacts.", "QUERY");
-    opts.optopt("t", "transact", "Execute a transact on startup. Transacts are executed before queries.", "TRANSACT");
+    opts.optmulti("q", "query", "Execute a query on startup. Queries are executed after any transacts.", "QUERY");
+    opts.optmulti("t", "transact", "Execute a transact on startup. Transacts are executed before queries.", "TRANSACT");
     opts.optflag("v", "version", "Print version and exit");
 
     let matches = match opts.parse(&args[1..]) {
@@ -64,22 +64,30 @@ pub fn run() -> i32 {
         return 0;
     }
 
-    let db_name = matches.opt_str("d");
+    let mut last_arg: Option<&str> = None;
+    let cmds:Vec<command_parser::Command> = args.iter().filter_map(|arg| {
+        match last_arg {
+            Some("-d") => {
+                last_arg = None;
+                Some(command_parser::Command::Open(arg.clone()))
+            },
+            Some("-q") => {
+                last_arg = None;
+                Some(command_parser::Command::Query(arg.clone()))
+            },
+            Some("-t") => {
+                last_arg = None;
+                Some(command_parser::Command::Transact(arg.clone()))
+            },
+            Some(_) |
+            None => {
+                last_arg = Some(&arg);
+                None
+            },
+        } 
+    }).collect();
 
-    let transacts = matches.opt_strs("t");
-    let queries = matches.opt_strs("q");
-
-    let mut cmds = Vec::with_capacity(transacts.len() + queries.len());
-
-    for transact in transacts {
-        cmds.push(command_parser::Command::Transact(transact));
-    }
-    for query in queries {
-        cmds.push(command_parser::Command::Query(query));
-    }
-
-
-    let repl = repl::Repl::new(db_name);
+    let repl = repl::Repl::new();
     if repl.is_ok() {
         repl.unwrap().run(Some(cmds));
 
diff --git a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
index e493026b..fd6b3376 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
+++ b/tools/cli/src/mentat_cli/repl.rs
@@ -54,9 +54,8 @@ pub struct Repl {
 
 impl Repl {
     /// Constructs a new `Repl`.
-    pub fn new(db_name: Option<String>) -> Result<Repl, String> {
-        let store = try!(Store::new(db_name.clone()).map_err(|e| e.to_string()));
-        println!("Database {:?} opened", db_output_name(&db_name.unwrap_or("".to_string())));
+    pub fn new() -> Result<Repl, String> {
+        let store = Store::new(None).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
         Ok(Repl{
             store: store,
         })
@@ -68,6 +67,7 @@ impl Repl {
 
         if let Some(cmds) = startup_commands {
             for command in cmds.iter() {
+                println!("{}", command.output());
                 self.handle_command(command.clone());
             }
         }