diff --git a/features/issue_117.feature b/features/issue_117.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e8431d014
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/issue_117.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+@spork @my_issues
+Feature: DRb Server Integration: Regression test for Issue #117
+  To prevent waiting for Rails and other large Ruby applications to load their environments
+  for each feature run Cucumber ships with a DRb client that can speak to a server which
+  loads up the environment only once.
+
+  This regression test highlights bug related to DRb server arguments processing, for more
+  details see https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber/issues/117
+
+  Background: App with Spork support
+    Spork is a gem that has a DRb server and the scenarios below illustrate how to use it.
+    However, any DRb server that adheres to the protocol that the client expects would work.
+
+    Given a directory without standard Cucumber project directory structure
+    And a file named "features/support/env.rb" with:
+      """
+      require 'rubygems'
+      require 'spork'
+
+      Spork.prefork do
+        puts "I'm loading all the heavy stuff..."
+      end
+
+      Spork.each_run do
+        puts "I'm loading the stuff just for this run..."
+      end
+      """
+    And a file named "config/cucumber.yml" with:
+      """
+      <%
+      std_opts = "--format #{ENV['CUCUMBER_FORMAT'] || 'pretty'} --strict --tags ~@wip"
+      %>
+      default: --drb <%= std_opts %> features
+      """
+    And a file named "features/sample.feature" with:
+      """
+      # language: en
+      Feature: Sample
+        Scenario: this is a test
+          Given I am just testing stuff
+      """
+    And a file named "features/step_definitions/all_your_steps_are_belong_to_us.rb" with:
+    """
+    Given /^I am just testing stuff$/ do
+      # no-op
+    end
+    """
+
+  Scenario: Single feature passing with '-r features' option
+    Given I am running spork in the background
+    When I run cucumber "features/sample.feature -r features --tags ~@wip"
+    And it should pass with:
+    """
+    1 step (1 passed)
+    """
+
+  Scenario: Single feature passing without '-r features' option
+    Given I am running spork in the background
+    When I run cucumber "features/sample.feature --tags ~@wip"
+    And it should pass with:
+    """
+    1 step (1 passed)
+    """
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/cucumber-features/cucumber_ruby_mappings.rb b/features/step_definitions/cucumber-features/cucumber_ruby_mappings.rb
index e459561c82..71712a57ef 100644
--- a/features/step_definitions/cucumber-features/cucumber_ruby_mappings.rb
+++ b/features/step_definitions/cucumber-features/cucumber_ruby_mappings.rb
@@ -163,6 +163,35 @@ def assert_undefined_scenario
   def failed_output
     "failed"
   end
+
+  def run_spork_in_background(port = nil)
+    require 'spork'
+
+    pid = fork
+    in_current_dir do
+      if pid
+        background_jobs << pid
+      else
+        # STDOUT.close
+        # STDERR.close
+        port_arg = port ? "-p #{port}" : ''
+        cmd = "#{Cucumber::RUBY_BINARY} -I #{Cucumber::LIBDIR} #{Spork::BINARY} cuc #{port_arg}"
+        exec cmd
+      end
+    end
+    sleep 1.0
+  end
+
+  def background_jobs
+    @background_jobs ||= []
+  end
+
+  def terminate_background_jobs
+    background_jobs.each do |pid|
+      Process.kill(Signal.list['TERM'], pid)
+    end
+  end
+
 end
 
 World(CucumberRubyMappings)
diff --git a/features/step_definitions/drb_steps.rb b/features/step_definitions/drb_steps.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..00df00b6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/features/step_definitions/drb_steps.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Given /^I am running spork in the background$/ do
+  run_spork_in_background
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/features/support/env.rb b/features/support/env.rb
index f235ea16f9..d9b811b039 100644
--- a/features/support/env.rb
+++ b/features/support/env.rb
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ def unrandom(out)
   # Set a longer timeout for aruba
   @aruba_timeout_seconds = 15
 end
+
+After do
+  terminate_background_jobs
+end