diff --git a/scripts/tmp_main.py b/scripts/tmp_main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12a6781
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/tmp_main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Initial test script
+FBPRIMCLR_BLACK = 0x0000
+FBPRIMCLR_RED = 0xF800
+FBPRIMCLR_GREEN = 0x07E0
+FBPRIMCLR_BLUE = 0x001F
+FBPRIMCLR_YELLOW = 0xFFE0
+FBPRIMCLR_CYAN = 0x07FF
+FBPRIMCLR_MAGENTA = 0xF81F
+FBPRIMCLR_WHITE = 0xFFFF
+
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(10, 10, 50, 50, FBPRIMCLR_RED, False)
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(60, 10, 100, 50, FBPRIMCLR_GREEN, False)
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(110, 10, 150, 50, FBPRIMCLR_BLUE, False)
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(10, 60, 50, 100, FBPRIMCLR_CYAN, False)
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(60, 60, 100, 100, FBPRIMCLR_MAGENTA, False)
+upiwin_tmp.filled_rectangle(110, 60, 150, 100, FBPRIMCLR_YELLOW, False)
+upiwin_tmp.rectangle(10, 110, 150, 150, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, False)
+upiwin_tmp.line(10, 110, 150, 150, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, False)
+upiwin_tmp.line(10, 150, 150, 110, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, False)
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index d9aa37a..ecf476c 100644
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <limits.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <getopt.h>
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ static HRESULT parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[], GLOBAL_CONFIG *parsed)
 {
   int c;
   PSTR pstr;
+  PPCSTR pargs;
   BOOL help = FALSE;
 
   memset(parsed, 0, sizeof(GLOBAL_CONFIG));
@@ -123,6 +125,48 @@ static HRESULT parse_cmdline(int argc, char *argv[], GLOBAL_CONFIG *parsed)
     fputs(helptext, stdout);
     return S_FALSE;
   }
+
+  if (optind < argc)
+  {
+    pstr = realpath(argv[optind], NULL); /* implicit strdup */
+    if (!pstr)
+    {
+      Log(LERROR, "Out of memory in parse_cmdline");
+      return E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+    }
+    if (access(pstr, R_OK))
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "%s: script %s not found\n", argv[0], pstr);
+      return UPIWIN_E_INVALIDSCRIPT;
+    }
+    parsed->script_name = pstr;
+    if (++optind < argc)
+    {
+      parsed->script_arg_count = argc - optind;
+      pargs = (PPCSTR)malloc(sizeof(PCSTR) * parsed->script_arg_count);
+      if (!pargs)
+      {
+	Log(LERROR, "Out of memory in parse_cmdline");
+	return E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+      }
+      for (c = 0; c < parsed->script_arg_count; c++)
+      {
+	pargs[c] = strdup(argv[optind++]);
+	if (!(pargs[c]))
+	{
+	  Log(LERROR, "Out of memory in parse_cmdline");
+	  return E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+	}
+      }
+      parsed->script_args = pargs;
+    }
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    fprintf(stderr, "%s: no script specified\n", argv[0], c);
+    return UPIWIN_E_NOSCRIPT;
+  }
+  
   return S_OK;
 }
 
@@ -132,6 +176,10 @@ static void overlay_config(GLOBAL_CONFIG *p)
     Gconfig.framebuffer_device = p->framebuffer_device;
   if (p->touchscreen_device)
     Gconfig.touchscreen_device = p->touchscreen_device;
+  /* always overlay the script name and arguments */
+  Gconfig.script_name = p->script_name;
+  Gconfig.script_arg_count = p->script_arg_count;
+  Gconfig.script_args = p->script_args;
 }
 
 HRESULT Config_setup(int argc, char *argv[])
diff --git a/src/config.h b/src/config.h
index 1bb94e4..0a514a7 100644
--- a/src/config.h
+++ b/src/config.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ typedef struct tagGLOBAL_CONFIG {
   PCSTR python_loc;            /* location of the Python3 executable */
   UINT32 button_debounce;      /* minimum time between button up and next button down (ms) */
   UINT32 sys_mq_length;        /* length of system message queue */
+  PCSTR script_name;           /* script name to be run */
+  INT32 script_arg_count;      /* number of arguments to pass to the script */
+  PPCSTR script_args;          /* arguments to pass to the script */
 } GLOBAL_CONFIG;
 
 extern GLOBAL_CONFIG Gconfig;  /* one global configuration to rule them all */
diff --git a/src/ep_init.c b/src/ep_init.c
index 83f3de3..3eba18b 100644
--- a/src/ep_init.c
+++ b/src/ep_init.c
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <alloca.h>
 #define PY_SSIZE_T_CLEAN
 #include <Python.h>
 #include "scode.h"
@@ -24,8 +27,7 @@ static void epython_cleanup(void)
   UPIWIN_tmp_module = NULL;
   Py_DECREF(UPIWIN_module);
   UPIWIN_module = NULL;
-  if (!Py_FinalizeEx())
-    Log(LWARN, "errors encountered when Python uninitialized itself");
+  Py_FinalizeEx();
   PyMem_RawFree(python_name);
   python_name = NULL;
 }
@@ -91,3 +93,54 @@ error_0:
   python_name = NULL;
   return hr;
 }
+
+HRESULT Epython_run(void)
+{
+  HRESULT hr = S_OK;
+  int i;
+  FILE *fp;
+  wchar_t **args;
+
+  Log(LINFO, "Ready to execute %s", Gconfig.script_name);
+  fp = fopen(Gconfig.script_name, "rb");
+  if (fp)
+  {
+    args = (wchar_t **)alloca((Gconfig.script_arg_count + 1) * sizeof(wchar_t *));
+    memset(args, 0, (Gconfig.script_arg_count + 1) * sizeof(wchar_t *));
+    args[0] = Py_DecodeLocale(Gconfig.script_name, NULL);
+    if (args[0])
+    {
+      for (i=0; i<Gconfig.script_arg_count; i++)
+      {
+	args[i + 1] = Py_DecodeLocale(Gconfig.script_args[i], NULL);
+	if (!(args[i + 1]))
+	{
+	  hr = E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+	  break;
+	}
+      }
+      if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
+      {
+	PySys_SetArgvEx(Gconfig.script_arg_count + 1, args, 1);
+	PyRun_SimpleFile(fp, Gconfig.script_name);
+      }
+      else
+	Log(LERROR, "out of memory running script %s", Gconfig.script_name);
+    }
+    else
+    {	
+      Log(LERROR, "out of memory running script %s", Gconfig.script_name);
+      hr = E_OUTOFMEMORY;
+    }
+    for (i = 0; i<(Gconfig.script_arg_count + 1); i++)
+      if (args[i])
+	PyMem_RawFree(args[i]);
+    fclose(fp);
+  }
+  else
+  {
+    Log(LERROR, "Unable to open script file %s", Gconfig.script_name);
+    hr = E_ACCESSDENIED;
+  }
+  return hr;
+}
diff --git a/src/ep_init.h b/src/ep_init.h
index 69cf48c..82ec538 100644
--- a/src/ep_init.h
+++ b/src/ep_init.h
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ extern PyObject *Epython_init_upiwin_module(void);
 extern PyObject *Epython_init_upiwin_tmp_module(void);
 
 extern HRESULT Epython_setup(void);
+extern HRESULT Epython_run(void);
 
 #endif /* __EP_INIT_H_INCLUDED */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 4c10738..9cadb84 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -11,19 +11,6 @@
 #include "ep_init.h"
 #include "sysinput.h"
 
-static void do_draw(void)
-{
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(10, 10, 50, 50, FBPRIMCLR_RED, FALSE);
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(60, 10, 100, 50, FBPRIMCLR_GREEN, FALSE);
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(110, 10, 150, 50, FBPRIMCLR_BLUE, FALSE);
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(10, 60, 50, 100, FBPRIMCLR_CYAN, FALSE);
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(60, 60, 100, 100, FBPRIMCLR_MAGENTA, FALSE);
-  Fb_filled_rectangle(110, 60, 150, 100, FBPRIMCLR_YELLOW, FALSE);
-  Fb_rectangle(10, 110, 150, 150, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, FALSE);
-  Fb_line(10, 110, 150, 150, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, FALSE);
-  Fb_line(10, 150, 150, 110, FBPRIMCLR_WHITE, FALSE);
-}
-
 static void log_touch(const char *event, UINT_PTR x, UINT_PTR y)
 {
   Log(LINFO, "Touch %s at (%u, %u)", event, x, y);
@@ -54,10 +41,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
   sleep(2); /* wait to show off splash screen */
 
   Fb_clear();
-  /* temporary drawing here */
-  do_draw();
+  if (FAILED(Epython_run()))
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
  
-  Log(LINFO, "System ready.");
+  Log(LINFO, "Script returned and event loop ready.");
 
   while (running)
   {
diff --git a/src/scode.h b/src/scode.h
index 2f97a69..06cca67 100644
--- a/src/scode.h
+++ b/src/scode.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 #define E_UNEXPECTED                 SCODE_CAST(0x8000FFFF)    /* unexpected error */
 
 /* UPIWIN-specific errorcodes */
-#define UPIWIN_E_INVALIDSTRING       SCODE_CAST(0x80060000)    /* invalid string (decode error) */
+#define UPIWIN_E_INVALIDSCRIPT       SCODE_CAST(0x80060000)    /* invalid script file */
+#define UPIWIN_E_NOSCRIPT            SCODE_CAST(0x80060001)    /* no script specified */
 
 #endif /* __SCODE_H_INCLUDED */
diff --git a/src/wintype.h b/src/wintype.h
index 34bdf50..19aa6df 100644
--- a/src/wintype.h
+++ b/src/wintype.h
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ typedef const CHAR *PCSTR;
 typedef WCHAR *PWSTR;
 typedef const WCHAR *PCWSTR;
 
+typedef PCSTR *PPCSTR;
+
 /* Boolean type */
 typedef int BOOL;