diff --git a/README.Garantia b/README.Garantia
index f48e14be7..e97be5ad7 100644
--- a/README.Garantia
+++ b/README.Garantia
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ background save operation to a specific file.  This operation also doesn't
 modify the fields above.
 
 
+Additional Redis Configuration Parameters
+-----------------------------------------
+
+load-on-startup
+    Provides the ability to disable auto-loading of RDB/AOF files on startup,
+    even if they exist.  This is useful on slaves that would immediately need
+    to replicate from masters anyway.
+
+
+
 New/Modified Redis Commands
 ---------------------------
 
diff --git a/redis.conf b/redis.conf
index adaa24c20..3425b9d9e 100755
--- a/redis.conf
+++ b/redis.conf
@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ dbfilename dump.rdb
 # specified, this is the same as dbfilename.
 syncdbfilename sync.rdb
 
+# Determine if redis should load rdb or aof when available on startup
+load-on-startup yes
+
 # The working directory.
 #
 # The DB will be written inside this directory, with the filename specified
diff --git a/src/config.c b/src/config.c
index fa2296112..79216fee7 100755
--- a/src/config.c
+++ b/src/config.c
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ void loadServerConfigFromString(char *config) {
             if ((server.daemonize = yesnotoi(argv[1])) == -1) {
                 err = "argument must be 'yes' or 'no'"; goto loaderr;
             }
+        } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"load-on-startup") && argc == 2) {
+            if ((server.load_on_startup = yesnotoi(argv[1])) == -1) {
+                err = "argument must be 'yes' or 'no'"; goto loaderr;
+            }
         } else if (!strcasecmp(argv[0],"conditional-sync") && argc == 2) {
             if ((server.conditional_sync = yesnotoi(argv[1])) == -1) {
                 err = "argument must be 'yes' or 'no'"; goto loaderr;
diff --git a/src/redis.c b/src/redis.c
index 7734c7465..4bd356aa4 100755
--- a/src/redis.c
+++ b/src/redis.c
@@ -1102,6 +1102,7 @@ void initServerConfig() {
     server.syslog_ident = zstrdup("redis");
     server.syslog_facility = LOG_LOCAL0;
     server.daemonize = 0;
+    server.load_on_startup = 1;
     server.conditional_sync = 1;
     server.aof_state = REDIS_AOF_OFF;
     server.aof_fsync = AOF_FSYNC_EVERYSEC;
@@ -2636,7 +2637,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     #ifdef __linux__
         linuxOvercommitMemoryWarning();
     #endif
-        loadDataFromDisk();
+        if (server.load_on_startup)
+            loadDataFromDisk();
         if (server.ipfd > 0)
             redisLog(REDIS_NOTICE,"The server is now ready to accept connections on port %d", server.port);
         if (server.sofd > 0)
diff --git a/src/redis.h b/src/redis.h
index 422b5fe91..3cbc9f65e 100755
--- a/src/redis.h
+++ b/src/redis.h
@@ -568,6 +568,7 @@ struct redisServer {
     size_t client_max_querybuf_len; /* Limit for client query buffer length */
     int dbnum;                      /* Total number of configured DBs */
     int daemonize;                  /* True if running as a daemon */
+    int load_on_startup;            /* True if server should load AOF/RDB on startup */
     int conditional_sync;           /* Conditional synchronziation support */
     clientBufferLimitsConfig client_obuf_limits[REDIS_CLIENT_LIMIT_NUM_CLASSES];
     /* AOF persistence */