diff --git a/cli/src/loader.rs b/cli/src/loader.rs
index 49bab4b4..23a55cc6 100644
--- a/cli/src/loader.rs
+++ b/cli/src/loader.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ struct LanguageRepo {
 }
 
 pub struct LanguageConfiguration {
-    pub name: String,
+    scope: Option<String>,
     _content_regex: Option<Regex>,
     _first_line_regex: Option<Regex>,
     injection_regex: Option<Regex>,
@@ -79,6 +79,21 @@ impl Loader {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn language_configuration_for_scope(
+        &self,
+        scope: &str,
+    ) -> Result<Option<(Language, &LanguageConfiguration)>> {
+        for (i, repo) in self.language_repos.iter().enumerate() {
+            for configuration in &repo.configurations {
+                if configuration.scope.as_ref().map_or(false, |s| s == scope) {
+                    let (language, _) = self.language_configuration_for_id(i)?;
+                    return Ok(Some((language, &configuration)));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(None)
+    }
+
     pub fn language_configuration_for_file_name(
         &self,
         path: &Path,
@@ -258,7 +273,7 @@ impl Loader {
     fn find_language_at_path<'a>(&'a mut self, parser_path: &Path) -> Result<usize> {
         #[derive(Deserialize)]
         struct LanguageConfigurationJSON {
-            name: String,
+            scope: Option<String>,
             #[serde(rename = "file-types")]
             file_types: Option<Vec<String>>,
             #[serde(rename = "content-regex")]
@@ -284,7 +299,7 @@ impl Loader {
                 configurations
                     .into_iter()
                     .map(|conf| LanguageConfiguration {
-                        name: conf.name,
+                        scope: conf.scope,
                         file_types: conf.file_types.unwrap_or(Vec::new()),
                         _content_regex: conf
                             .content_regex
diff --git a/cli/src/main.rs b/cli/src/main.rs
index 9cd4e131..255f680b 100644
--- a/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ fn run() -> error::Result<()> {
                         .multiple(true)
                         .required(true),
                 )
+                .arg(Arg::with_name("scope").long("scope").takes_value(true))
                 .arg(Arg::with_name("html").long("html").short("h")),
         )
         .get_matches();
@@ -169,17 +170,40 @@ fn run() -> error::Result<()> {
             println!("{}", highlight::HTML_HEADER);
         }
 
+        let language_config;
+        if let Some(scope) = matches.value_of("scope") {
+            language_config = loader.language_configuration_for_scope(scope)?;
+            if language_config.is_none() {
+                return Err(error::Error(format!("Unknown scope '{}'", scope)));
+            }
+        } else {
+            language_config = None;
+        }
+
         for path in paths {
             let path = Path::new(path);
-            if let Some((language, config)) = loader.language_configuration_for_file_name(path)? {
-                if let Some(sheet) = config.highlight_property_sheet(language)? {
-                    let source = fs::read(path)?;
-                    if html_mode {
-                        highlight::html(&loader, &theme, &source, language, sheet)?;
-                    } else {
-                        highlight::ansi(&loader, &theme, &source, language, sheet)?;
+            let (language, config) = match language_config {
+                Some(v) => v,
+                None => match loader.language_configuration_for_file_name(path)? {
+                    Some(v) => v,
+                    None => {
+                        eprintln!("No language found for path {:?}", path);
+                        continue;
                     }
+                },
+            };
+
+            if let Some(sheet) = config.highlight_property_sheet(language)? {
+                let source = fs::read(path)?;
+                if html_mode {
+                    highlight::html(&loader, &theme, &source, language, sheet)?;
+                } else {
+                    highlight::ansi(&loader, &theme, &source, language, sheet)?;
                 }
+            } else {
+                return Err(error::Error(format!(
+                    "No syntax highlighting property sheet specified"
+                )));
             }
         }
     }