diff --git a/docs/glossary.rst b/docs/glossary.rst
index 9fec5a5ae..520ed02e0 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.rst
+++ b/docs/glossary.rst
@@ -224,6 +224,14 @@ Variables that kitty sets when running child programs
    Set when enabling :ref:`shell_integration`. It is automatically removed by
    the shell integration scripts.
 
+.. envvar:: KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP
+
+   Set this to an expression that the kitty shell integration scripts will
+   ``eval`` after the shell is started. Note that this environment variable
+   is ignored when present in the environment in which kitty itself is launched
+   in. It is most useful with the ``--env`` flag for the :doc:`launch <launch>`
+   action.
+
 .. envvar:: ZDOTDIR
 
    Set when enabling :ref:`shell_integration` with :program:`zsh`, allowing
diff --git a/kitty/child.py b/kitty/child.py
index 40f7667a9..69ada6cf0 100644
--- a/kitty/child.py
+++ b/kitty/child.py
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ def process_env(env: Mapping[str, str] | None = None) -> dict[str, str]:
         ans.pop(ssl_env_var, None)
     ans.pop('XDG_ACTIVATION_TOKEN', None)
     ans.pop('VTE_VERSION', None)  # Used by the stupid VTE shell integration script that is installed system wide, sigh
+    ans.pop('KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP', None)
     return ans
 
 
diff --git a/kitty_tests/shell_integration.py b/kitty_tests/shell_integration.py
index 59a298007..829d9c4bd 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/shell_integration.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/shell_integration.py
@@ -86,12 +86,14 @@ class ShellIntegration(BaseTest):
     with_kitten = False
 
     @contextmanager
-    def run_shell(self, shell='zsh', rc='', cmd='', setup_env=None):
+    def run_shell(self, shell='zsh', rc='', cmd='', setup_env=None, extra_env=None):
         home_dir = self.home_dir = os.path.realpath(tempfile.mkdtemp())
         cmd = cmd or shell
         cmd = shlex.split(cmd.format(**locals()))
         env = (setup_env or safe_env_for_running_shell)(cmd, home_dir, rc=rc, shell=shell, with_kitten=self.with_kitten)
         env['KITTY_RUNNING_SHELL_INTEGRATION_TEST'] = '1'
+        if extra_env:
+            env.update(extra_env)
         try:
             if self.with_kitten:
                 cmd = [kitten_exe(), 'run-shell', '--shell', shlex.join(cmd)]
@@ -183,6 +185,10 @@ RPS1="{rps1}"
             self.assert_command(pty)
             env = pty.callbacks.clone_cmds[0].env
             self.ae(env.get('ES'), 'a\n b c\nd')
+        with self.run_shell(rc='PS1=XXX', extra_env={'KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP': 'echo pre-start'}) as pty:
+            pty.wait_till(lambda: 'XXX' in pty.screen_contents())
+            self.assertIn('pre-start', pty.screen_contents())
+            self.assertTrue(pty.screen_contents().startswith('pre-start'))
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(shutil.which('fish'), 'fish not installed')
     def test_fish_integration(self):
@@ -190,6 +196,7 @@ RPS1="{rps1}"
         completions_dir = os.path.join(kitty_base_dir, 'shell-integration', 'fish', 'vendor_completions.d')
         with self.run_shell(
             shell='fish',
+            extra_env={'KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP': 'echo XXX'},
             rc=f'''
 set -g fish_greeting
 function fish_prompt; echo -n "{fish_prompt}"; end
@@ -198,7 +205,7 @@ function _test_comp_path; contains "{completions_dir}" $fish_complete_path; and
 function _set_key; set -g fish_key_bindings fish_$argv[1]_key_bindings; end
 function _set_status_prompt; function fish_prompt; echo -n "$pipestatus $status {fish_prompt}"; end; end
 ''') as pty:
-            q = fish_prompt + ' ' * (pty.screen.columns - len(fish_prompt) - len(right_prompt)) + right_prompt
+            q = 'XXX\n' + fish_prompt + ' ' * (pty.screen.columns - len(fish_prompt) - len(right_prompt)) + right_prompt
             pty.wait_till(lambda: pty.screen_contents().count(right_prompt) == 1)
             self.ae(pty.screen_contents(), q)
 
@@ -366,6 +373,10 @@ PS1="{ps1}"
                 self.ae(ps1.splitlines()[-1] + 'echo $COLUMNS', str(pty.screen.line(pty.screen.cursor.y - 1 - len(ps1.splitlines()))))
                 self.assert_command(pty, 'echo $COLUMNS')
 
+        with self.run_shell(shell='bash', rc='PS1=XXX', extra_env={'KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP': 'echo pre-start'}) as pty:
+            pty.wait_till(lambda: 'XXX' in pty.screen_contents())
+            self.assertIn('pre-start', pty.screen_contents())
+            self.assertTrue(pty.screen_contents().startswith('pre-start'))
         # test startup file sourcing
 
         def setup_env(excluded, argv, home_dir, rc='', shell='bash', with_kitten=self.with_kitten):
diff --git a/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash b/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
index 9b2072ee2..dd2760c98 100644
--- a/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
+++ b/shell-integration/bash/kitty.bash
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ _ksi_main() {
         fi
         builtin unset SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR
     fi
+    builtin local krcs="$KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP"
+    builtin unset KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP
 
     _ksi_debug_print() {
         # print a line to STDERR of parent kitty process
@@ -351,6 +353,7 @@ _ksi_main() {
         fi
     fi
     builtin unset KITTY_IS_CLONE_LAUNCH KITTY_CLONE_SOURCE_STRATEGIES
+    if [[ -n "$krcs" ]]; then builtin eval "$krcs"; fi
 }
 _ksi_main
 builtin unset -f _ksi_main
diff --git a/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
index b0116ad24..f88a07386 100644
--- a/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
+++ b/shell-integration/fish/vendor_conf.d/kitty-shell-integration.fish
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ function __ksi_schedule --on-event fish_prompt -d "Setup kitty integration after
         end
         set --erase SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR
     end
+    set --local krcs "$KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP"
+    set --erase KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP
 
     # Enable cursor shape changes for default mode and vi mode
     if not contains "no-cursor" $_ksi
@@ -201,6 +203,9 @@ function __ksi_schedule --on-event fish_prompt -d "Setup kitty integration after
         test (count $new_path) -eq (count $PATH)
         or set --global --export --path PATH $new_path
     end
+    if test -n "$krcs"
+        eval "$krcs"
+    end
 end
 
 function edit-in-kitty --wraps "kitten edit-in-kitty" -d "Edit the specified file in a kitty overlay window with your locally installed editor"
diff --git a/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration b/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
index f289cda33..eefcdf6e0 100644
--- a/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
+++ b/shell-integration/zsh/kitty-integration
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ _ksi_deferred_init() {
     builtin local -a opt
     opt=(${(s: :)KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION})
     builtin unset KITTY_SHELL_INTEGRATION
+    builtin local krcs="$KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP"
+    builtin unset KITTY_SI_RUN_COMMAND_AT_STARTUP
 
     if [[ -n "$SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR" ]]; then
         if [[ ! "$PATH" =~ (^|:)${SSH_KITTEN_KITTY_DIR}(:|$) ]] && [[ -z "$(builtin command -v kitten)" ]]; then
@@ -424,6 +426,9 @@ _ksi_deferred_init() {
     # kitty-integration though because decent public functions aren't supposed to
     # to unfunction themselves when invoked. Unfunctioning is done by calling code.
     builtin unfunction _ksi_deferred_init
+
+    # run startup command
+    if [[ -n "$krcs" ]]; then builtin eval "$krcs"; fi
 }
 
 _ksi_transmit_data() {