diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js b/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
index b7a6888fac..c8fa788977 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/zoteroPane.js
@@ -240,6 +240,13 @@ var ZoteroPane = new function()
 			sep.nextSibling.nextSibling.hidden = false;
 			sep.nextSibling.nextSibling.nextSibling.hidden = false;
 		}
+		
+		if (Zotero.openPane) {
+			Zotero.openPane = false;
+			setTimeout(function () {
+				ZoteroPane_Local.show();
+			}, 0);
+		}
 	}
 	
 	
diff --git a/components/zotero-service.js b/components/zotero-service.js
index 4a892a013e..589d14cf31 100644
--- a/components/zotero-service.js
+++ b/components/zotero-service.js
@@ -409,6 +409,13 @@ ZoteroCommandLineHandler.prototype = {
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		// handler to open Zotero pane at startup in Zotero for Firefox
+		else {
+			var zPaneOpen = cmdLine.handleFlag("ZoteroPaneOpen", false);
+			if (zPaneOpen) {
+                this.Zotero.openPane = true;
+            }
+        }
 	},
 	
 	contractID: "@mozilla.org/commandlinehandler/general-startup;1?type=zotero",