diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 27f2de7b..cdc1e16a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ This will install `http-server` globally so that it may be run from the command
 
 `-a` Address to use (defaults to 0.0.0.0)
 
+`-b` Base path to serve files from (defaults /)
+
 `-d` Show directory listings (defaults to `true`)
 
 `-i` Display autoIndex (defaults to `true`)
diff --git a/bin/http-server b/bin/http-server
index 7d9bac9d..650debe4 100755
--- a/bin/http-server
+++ b/bin/http-server
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ if (argv.h || argv.help) {
     '  -p           Port to use [8080]',
     '  -a           Address to use [0.0.0.0]',
     '  -d           Show directory listings [true]',
+    '  -b           Base directory to serve files from [/]',
     '  -i           Display autoIndex [true]',
     '  -g --gzip    Serve gzip files when possible [false]',
     '  -e --ext     Default file extension if none supplied [none]',
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ var port = argv.p || parseInt(process.env.PORT, 10),
     ssl = !!argv.S || !!argv.ssl,
     proxy = argv.P || argv.proxy,
     utc = argv.U || argv.utc,
+    baseDir = argv.b,
     logger;
 
 if (!argv.s && !argv.silent) {
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ function listen(port) {
     root: argv._[0],
     cache: argv.c,
     showDir: argv.d,
+    baseDir: baseDir,
     autoIndex: argv.i,
     gzip: argv.g || argv.gzip,
     robots: argv.r || argv.robots,
@@ -125,7 +128,8 @@ function listen(port) {
   var server = httpServer.createServer(options);
   server.listen(port, host, function () {
     var canonicalHost = host === '0.0.0.0' ? '127.0.0.1' : host,
-        protocol      = ssl ? 'https://' : 'http://';
+        protocol      = ssl ? 'https://' : 'http://',
+        path          = baseDir ? '/' + baseDir.replace(/^\//, '') : '';
 
     logger.info([colors.yellow('Starting up http-server, serving '),
       colors.cyan(server.root),
@@ -134,13 +138,13 @@ function listen(port) {
     ].join(''));
 
     if (argv.a && host !== '0.0.0.0') {
-      logger.info(('  ' + protocol + canonicalHost + ':' + colors.green(port.toString())));
+      logger.info(('  ' + protocol + canonicalHost + ':' + colors.green(port.toString()) + path));
     }
     else {
       Object.keys(ifaces).forEach(function (dev) {
         ifaces[dev].forEach(function (details) {
           if (details.family === 'IPv4') {
-            logger.info(('  ' + protocol + details.address + ':' + colors.green(port.toString())));
+            logger.info(('  ' + protocol + details.address + ':' + colors.green(port.toString()) + path));
           }
         });
       });
@@ -153,7 +157,7 @@ function listen(port) {
     logger.info('Hit CTRL-C to stop the server');
     if (argv.o) {
       opener(
-        protocol + canonicalHost + ':' + port,
+        protocol + canonicalHost + ':' + port + path,
         { command: argv.o !== true ? argv.o : null }
       );
     }
diff --git a/lib/http-server.js b/lib/http-server.js
index 8d40fe17..ea448994 100644
--- a/lib/http-server.js
+++ b/lib/http-server.js
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ function HttpServer(options) {
   before.push(ecstatic({
     baseDir: this.baseDir,
     root: this.root,
+    baseDir: options.baseDir,
     cache: this.cache,
     showDir: this.showDir,
     showDotfiles: this.showDotfiles,
diff --git a/test/http-server-test.js b/test/http-server-test.js
index e64f04e1..a8578161 100644
--- a/test/http-server-test.js
+++ b/test/http-server-test.js
@@ -154,5 +154,45 @@ vows.describe('http-server').addBatch({
         assert.ok(res.headers['access-control-allow-headers'].split(/\s*,\s*/g).indexOf('X-Test') >= 0, 204);
       }
     }
+  },
+  'When baseDir is specified': {
+    topic: function () {
+      var server = httpServer.createServer({
+        root: root,
+        baseDir: '/test'
+      });
+      server.listen(8083);
+      this.callback(null, server);
+    },
+    'it should serve files at the specified baseDir': {
+      topic: function () {
+        request('http://127.0.0.1:8083/test/file', this.callback);
+      },
+      'status code should be 200': function (res) {
+        assert.equal(res.statusCode, 200);
+      },
+      'and file content': {
+        topic: function (res, body) {
+          var self = this;
+          fs.readFile(path.join(root, 'file'), 'utf8', function (err, data) {
+            self.callback(err, data, body);
+          });
+        },
+        'should match content of served file': function (err, file, body) {
+          assert.equal(body.trim(), file.trim());
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    'it should not serve files at the root': {
+      topic: function () {
+        request('http://127.0.0.1:8083/file', this.callback);
+      },
+      'status code should be 403': function (res) {
+        assert.equal(res.statusCode, 403);
+      },
+      'and file content should be empty': function (res) {
+        assert.equal(res.body, '');
+      }
+    }
   }
 }).export(module);