diff --git a/src/benchmark.cpp b/src/benchmark.cpp
index 136c6e80..fbf5a46d 100644
--- a/src/benchmark.cpp
+++ b/src/benchmark.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <sstream>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "misc.h"
@@ -57,30 +58,30 @@ static const char* Defaults[] = {
 /// format (defaults are the positions defined above) and the type of the
 /// limit value: depth (default), time in secs or number of nodes.
 
-void benchmark(int argc, char* argv[]) {
+void benchmark(istringstream& is) {
 
-  vector<string> fens;
+  string token;
   Search::LimitsType limits;
-  int64_t nodes = 0;
+  vector<string> fens(Defaults, Defaults + 16);
 
   // Assign default values to missing arguments
-  string ttSize  = argc > 2 ? argv[2] : "128";
-  string threads = argc > 3 ? argv[3] : "1";
-  string valStr  = argc > 4 ? argv[4] : "12";
-  string fenFile = argc > 5 ? argv[5] : "default";
-  string valType = argc > 6 ? argv[6] : "depth";
+  string ttSize    = (is >> token) ? token : "128";
+  string threads   = (is >> token) ? token : "1";
+  string limit     = (is >> token) ? token : "12";
+  string fenFile   = (is >> token) ? token : "default";
+  string limitType = (is >> token) ? token : "depth";
 
   Options["Hash"]    = ttSize;
   Options["Threads"] = threads;
 
-  if (valType == "time")
-      limits.movetime = 1000 * atoi(valStr.c_str()); // movetime is in ms
+  if (limitType == "time")
+      limits.movetime = 1000 * atoi(limit.c_str()); // movetime is in ms
 
-  else if (valType == "nodes")
-      limits.nodes = atoi(valStr.c_str());
+  else if (limitType == "nodes")
+      limits.nodes = atoi(limit.c_str());
 
   else
-      limits.depth = atoi(valStr.c_str());
+      limits.depth = atoi(limit.c_str());
 
   if (fenFile != "default")
   {
@@ -99,9 +100,8 @@ void benchmark(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
       file.close();
   }
-  else
-      fens.assign(Defaults, Defaults + 16);
 
+  int64_t nodes = 0;
   Time time = Time::current_time();
 
   for (size_t i = 0; i < fens.size(); i++)
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ void benchmark(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
       cerr << "\nPosition: " << i + 1 << '/' << fens.size() << endl;
 
-      if (valType == "perft")
+      if (limitType == "perft")
       {
           int64_t cnt = Search::perft(pos, limits.depth * ONE_PLY);
           cerr << "\nPerft " << limits.depth  << " leaf nodes: " << cnt << endl;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 505f2ef3..83f6a10f 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -28,15 +28,12 @@
 #include "tt.h"
 #include "ucioption.h"
 
-using namespace std;
-
-extern void uci_loop();
-extern void benchmark(int argc, char* argv[]);
+extern void uci_loop(const std::string&);
 extern void kpk_bitbase_init();
 
 int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
 
-  cout << engine_info() << endl;
+  std::cout << engine_info() << std::endl;
 
   bitboards_init();
   Position::init();
@@ -46,14 +43,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
   Eval::init();
   TT.set_size(Options["Hash"]);
 
-  if (argc == 1)
-      uci_loop();
+  std::string args;
 
-  else if (string(argv[1]) == "bench")
-      benchmark(argc, argv);
+  for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++)
+      args += std::string(" ") + argv[i];
 
-  else
-      cerr << "\nUsage: stockfish bench [hash size = 128] [threads = 1] "
-           << "[limit = 12] [fen positions file = default] "
-           << "[limited by depth, time, nodes or perft = depth]" << endl;
+  uci_loop(args);
 }
diff --git a/src/uci.cpp b/src/uci.cpp
index 94caada2..a2998e62 100644
--- a/src/uci.cpp
+++ b/src/uci.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
+extern void benchmark(istringstream& is);
+
 namespace {
 
   // FEN string of the initial position, normal chess
@@ -52,14 +54,17 @@ namespace {
 /// that we exit gracefully if the GUI dies unexpectedly. In addition to the UCI
 /// commands, the function also supports a few debug commands.
 
-void uci_loop() {
+void uci_loop(const string& args) {
 
   Position pos(StartFEN, false, 0); // The root position
   string cmd, token;
 
   while (token != "quit")
   {
-      if (!getline(cin, cmd)) // Block here waiting for input
+      if (!args.empty())
+          cmd = args;
+
+      else if (!getline(cin, cmd)) // Block here waiting for input
           cmd = "quit";
 
       istringstream is(cmd);
@@ -113,6 +118,9 @@ void uci_loop() {
       else if (token == "eval")
           cout << Eval::trace(pos) << endl;
 
+      else if (token == "bench")
+          benchmark(is);
+
       else if (token == "key")
           cout << "key: " << hex     << pos.key()
                << "\nmaterial key: " << pos.material_key()
@@ -124,6 +132,12 @@ void uci_loop() {
                << "\nuciok"      << endl;
       else
           cout << "Unknown command: " << cmd << endl;
+
+      if (!args.empty()) // Command line arguments have one-shot behaviour
+      {
+          Threads.wait_for_search_finished();
+          break;
+      }
   }
 }