diff --git a/src/init.cpp b/src/init.cpp
index 4473cd9ec96..4a658a5da55 100644
--- a/src/init.cpp
+++ b/src/init.cpp
@@ -395,6 +395,8 @@ std::string HelpMessage(HelpMessageMode mode)
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-testnet", _("Use the test network"));
 
     strUsage += HelpMessageGroup(_("Node relay options:"));
+    if (showDebug)
+        strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-acceptnonstdtxn", strprintf("Relay and mine \"non-standard\" transactions (%sdefault: %u)", "testnet/regtest only; ", !Params(CBaseChainParams::TESTNET).RequireStandard()));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-datacarrier", strprintf(_("Relay and mine data carrier transactions (default: %u)"), 1));
     strUsage += HelpMessageOpt("-datacarriersize", strprintf(_("Maximum size of data in data carrier transactions we relay and mine (default: %u)"), MAX_OP_RETURN_RELAY));
 
@@ -803,6 +805,10 @@ bool AppInit2(boost::thread_group& threadGroup, CScheduler& scheduler)
             return InitError(strprintf(_("Invalid amount for -minrelaytxfee=<amount>: '%s'"), mapArgs["-minrelaytxfee"]));
     }
 
+    fRequireStandard = !GetBoolArg("-acceptnonstdtxn", !Params().RequireStandard());
+    if (Params().RequireStandard() && !fRequireStandard)
+        return InitError(strprintf("acceptnonstdtxn is not currently supported for %s chain", chainparams.NetworkIDString()));
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_WALLET
     if (mapArgs.count("-mintxfee"))
     {
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e92f64413af..f958fb46cca 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ bool fTxIndex = false;
 bool fHavePruned = false;
 bool fPruneMode = false;
 bool fIsBareMultisigStd = true;
+bool fRequireStandard = true;
 bool fCheckBlockIndex = false;
 bool fCheckpointsEnabled = true;
 size_t nCoinCacheUsage = 5000 * 300;
@@ -898,7 +899,7 @@ bool AcceptToMemoryPool(CTxMemPool& pool, CValidationState &state, const CTransa
 
     // Rather not work on nonstandard transactions (unless -testnet/-regtest)
     string reason;
-    if (Params().RequireStandard() && !IsStandardTx(tx, reason))
+    if (fRequireStandard && !IsStandardTx(tx, reason))
         return state.DoS(0,
                          error("AcceptToMemoryPool: nonstandard transaction: %s", reason),
                          REJECT_NONSTANDARD, reason);
@@ -969,7 +970,7 @@ bool AcceptToMemoryPool(CTxMemPool& pool, CValidationState &state, const CTransa
         }
 
         // Check for non-standard pay-to-script-hash in inputs
-        if (Params().RequireStandard() && !AreInputsStandard(tx, view))
+        if (fRequireStandard && !AreInputsStandard(tx, view))
             return error("AcceptToMemoryPool: nonstandard transaction input");
 
         // Check that the transaction doesn't have an excessive number of
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index abaedae2070..773c6e90f55 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ extern bool fReindex;
 extern int nScriptCheckThreads;
 extern bool fTxIndex;
 extern bool fIsBareMultisigStd;
+extern bool fRequireStandard;
 extern bool fCheckBlockIndex;
 extern bool fCheckpointsEnabled;
 extern size_t nCoinCacheUsage;