diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fde156b..e711c48 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ Runs [grep](https://crates.io/crates/grep) ([ripgrep's](https://github.com/Burnt
                                 directories are skipped.
     --editor <EDITOR>           Text editor used to open selected match.
                                 [possible values: check supported text editors section]
+    --context-viewer <VIEWER>   Context viewer position at startup [default: none]
+                                [possible values: none, vertical, horizontal]
     --custom-command <COMMAND>  Custom command used to open selected match.
                                 Must contain {file_name} and {line_number} tokens (check Custom Command section).
 -g, --glob <GLOB>               Include files and directories for searching that match the given glob.
diff --git a/src/app.rs b/src/app.rs
index 374cf22..372e7d1 100644
--- a/src/app.rs
+++ b/src/app.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ impl App {
     pub fn new(
         search_config: SearchConfig,
         editor_command: EditorCommand,
+        context_viewer: ContextViewer,
         theme: Box<dyn Theme>,
     ) -> Self {
         let theme = theme;
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ impl App {
             search_config,
             ig: Ig::new(editor_command),
             theme,
+            context_viewer,
             result_list: ResultList::default(),
-            context_viewer: ContextViewer::default(),
             search_popup: SearchPopup::default(),
             keymap_popup: KeymapPopup::default(),
         }
diff --git a/src/args.rs b/src/args.rs
index ba35b03..75eab45 100644
--- a/src/args.rs
+++ b/src/args.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-use crate::{editor::Editor, ui::theme::ThemeVariant};
+use crate::{
+    editor::Editor,
+    ui::{context_viewer::ContextViewerPosition, theme::ThemeVariant},
+};
 use clap::{ArgGroup, CommandFactory, Parser};
 use std::{
     ffi::OsString,
@@ -17,7 +20,7 @@ pub const VISUAL_ENV: &str = "VISUAL";
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
 #[clap(author, version, about, long_about = None)]
 #[clap(group(
-            ArgGroup::new("excl")
+            ArgGroup::new("pattern_or_type_list")
                 .args(&["pattern", "type-list"])
                 .required(true)
 ))]
@@ -59,6 +62,9 @@ pub struct Args {
     /// Do not search files matching TYPE-NOT. Multiple types-not may be provided.
     #[clap(short = 'T', long)]
     pub type_not: Vec<String>,
+    /// Context viewer position at startup
+    #[clap(long, value_enum, default_value_t = ContextViewerPosition::None)]
+    pub context_viewer: ContextViewerPosition,
 }
 
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 88795fe..3a538a6 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ use igrep::{
     args::Args,
     editor::EditorCommand,
     ig,
-    ui::theme::{dark::Dark, light::Light, Theme, ThemeVariant},
+    ui::{
+        context_viewer::ContextViewer,
+        theme::{dark::Dark, light::Light, Theme, ThemeVariant},
+    },
 };
 use std::io::Write;
 
@@ -47,6 +50,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let mut app = App::new(
         search_config,
         EditorCommand::new(args.editor.custom_command, args.editor.editor)?,
+        ContextViewer::new(args.context_viewer),
         theme,
     );
     app.run()?;
diff --git a/src/ui/context_viewer.rs b/src/ui/context_viewer.rs
index 35ebc15..7b3b612 100644
--- a/src/ui/context_viewer.rs
+++ b/src/ui/context_viewer.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use std::{
     path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
 
+use clap::ValueEnum;
 use itertools::Itertools;
 use ratatui::{
     backend::CrosstermBackend,
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ use syntect::{
 
 use super::{result_list::ResultList, theme::Theme};
 
-#[derive(Default, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[derive(Default, Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, ValueEnum)]
 pub enum ContextViewerPosition {
     #[default]
     None,
@@ -40,23 +41,21 @@ pub struct ContextViewer {
     size: u16,
 }
 
-impl Default for ContextViewer {
-    fn default() -> Self {
+impl ContextViewer {
+    const MIN_SIZE: u16 = 20;
+    const MAX_SIZE: u16 = 80;
+    const SIZE_CHANGE_DELTA: u16 = 5;
+
+    pub fn new(position: ContextViewerPosition) -> Self {
         Self {
             highlighted_file_path: Default::default(),
             file_highlighted: Default::default(),
             syntax_set: SyntaxSet::load_defaults_newlines(),
             theme_set: highlighting::ThemeSet::load_defaults(),
-            position: Default::default(),
+            position,
             size: 50,
         }
     }
-}
-
-impl ContextViewer {
-    const MIN_SIZE: u16 = 20;
-    const MAX_SIZE: u16 = 80;
-    const SIZE_CHANGE_DELTA: u16 = 5;
 
     pub fn toggle_vertical(&mut self) {
         match self.position {
@@ -236,10 +235,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test_case(ContextViewerPosition::Vertical => ContextViewerPosition::None)]
     #[test_case(ContextViewerPosition::Horizontal => ContextViewerPosition::Vertical)]
     fn toggle_vertical(initial_position: ContextViewerPosition) -> ContextViewerPosition {
-        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer {
-            position: initial_position,
-            ..Default::default()
-        };
+        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::new(initial_position);
         context_viewer.toggle_vertical();
         context_viewer.position
     }
@@ -248,17 +244,14 @@ mod tests {
     #[test_case(ContextViewerPosition::Vertical => ContextViewerPosition::Horizontal)]
     #[test_case(ContextViewerPosition::Horizontal => ContextViewerPosition::None)]
     fn toggle_horizontal(initial_position: ContextViewerPosition) -> ContextViewerPosition {
-        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer {
-            position: initial_position,
-            ..Default::default()
-        };
+        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::new(initial_position);
         context_viewer.toggle_horizontal();
         context_viewer.position
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn increase_size() {
-        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::default();
+        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::new(ContextViewerPosition::None);
         let default_size = context_viewer.size;
         context_viewer.increase_size();
         assert_eq!(
@@ -273,7 +266,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn decrease_size() {
-        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::default();
+        let mut context_viewer = ContextViewer::new(ContextViewerPosition::None);
         let default_size = context_viewer.size;
         context_viewer.decrease_size();
         assert_eq!(