diff --git a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
index 6d8b266a5..ce6ea8096 100644
--- a/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
+++ b/docs/configuration/environment-variables.md
@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ The following list config variables have special meaning and can be set in a var
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_CLEANUP`           |                                 | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | When a deploy is triggered, if this is set to a non-empty value, then old docker containers and images will not be removed. |
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_DEFAULT_CHECKS`    |                                 | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
 | `DOKKU_SKIP_DEPLOY`            |                                 | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | |
+| `DOKKU_START_CMD`              | none                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | Command to run instead of `/start $PROC_TYPE` |
 | `DOKKU_SYSTEM_GROUP`           | `dokku`                         | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | System group to chown files as. |
 | `DOKKU_SYSTEM_USER`            | `dokku`                         | `/etc/environment` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc` <br /> `~dokku/.dokkurc/*`                                                                           | System user to chown files as. |
 | `DOKKU_WAIT_TO_RETIRE`         | `60`                            | `dokku config:set`                                                                                                                               | After a successful deploy, the grace period given to old containers before they are stopped/terminated. This is useful for ensuring completion of long-running http connections. |
diff --git a/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/scheduler-deploy b/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/scheduler-deploy
index 4dd2bb66a..9a5dc70f3 100755
--- a/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/scheduler-deploy
+++ b/plugins/scheduler-docker-local/scheduler-deploy
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ scheduler-docker-local-scheduler-deploy() {
   DOKKU_DOCKER_STOP_TIMEOUT="$(config_get "$APP" DOKKU_DOCKER_STOP_TIMEOUT || true)"
   [[ $DOKKU_DOCKER_STOP_TIMEOUT ]] && DOCKER_STOP_TIME_ARG="--time=${DOKKU_DOCKER_STOP_TIMEOUT}"
 
+  DOKKU_START_CMD="$(config_get "$APP" DOKKU_START_CMD || true)"
+
   local line
   local PROC_TYPE
   local PROC_COUNT
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ scheduler-docker-local-scheduler-deploy() {
 
       local START_CMD
       [[ "$DOKKU_HEROKUISH" == "true" ]] && START_CMD="/start $PROC_TYPE"
+      [[ -n "$DOKKU_START_CMD" ]] && START_CMD="$DOKKU_START_CMD"
 
       if [[ "$PROC_TYPE" == "web" ]]; then
         ports=($(plugn trigger network-compute-ports "$APP" "$PROC_TYPE" "$DOKKU_HEROKUISH"))