diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7458562c..625fbfd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -207,7 +207,10 @@ By default, `hotel` uses the following configuration values:
   "tld": 'localhost', 
   
   // If you're behind a corporate proxy, replace this with your network proxy IP (example: "1.2.3.4:5000")
-  "proxy": false
+  "proxy": false,
+
+  // Change to false to prevent hotel from starting itself up automatically on login
+  "autostart": true
 }
 ```
 
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon.js b/src/cli/daemon.js
index 4716d320..31abfbc2 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon.js
+++ b/src/cli/daemon.js
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+const cp = require('child_process')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const mkdirp = require('mkdirp')
 const startup = require('user-startup')
 const common = require('../common')
 const conf = require('../conf')
+const pidFile = require('../pid-file')
 const uninstall = require('../scripts/uninstall')
 
 module.exports = {
@@ -15,14 +17,33 @@ module.exports = {
 function start() {
   const node = process.execPath
   const daemonFile = path.join(__dirname, '../daemon')
-  const startupFile = startup.getFile('hotel')
 
-  startup.create('hotel', node, [daemonFile], common.logFile)
+  const pid = pidFile.read()
+  if (pid) {
+    console.log(`Already running (process ${pid})`)
+    return
+  }
 
-  // Save startup file path in ~/.hotel
-  // Will be used later by uninstall script
-  mkdirp.sync(common.hotelDir)
-  fs.writeFileSync(common.startupFile, startupFile)
+  if (conf.autostart) {
+    const startupFile = startup.getFile('hotel')
+    startup.create('hotel', node, [daemonFile], common.logFile)
+
+    // Save startup file path in ~/.hotel
+    // Will be used later by uninstall script
+    mkdirp.sync(common.hotelDir)
+    fs.writeFileSync(common.startupFile, startupFile)
+  } else {
+    const fd = fs.openSync(common.logFile, 'w')
+    const opts = {
+      detached: true, // needed to unref() below
+      stdio: ['ignore', fd, fd]
+    }
+
+    cp
+      .spawn(node, [daemonFile], opts)
+      .on('error', console.log)
+      .unref()
+  }
 
   console.log(`Started http://localhost:${conf.port}`)
 }
diff --git a/src/conf.js b/src/conf.js
index 717d150d..36b9995c 100644
--- a/src/conf.js
+++ b/src/conf.js
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ const defaults = {
   tld: 'localhost',
   // Replace with your network proxy IP (1.2.3.4:5000) if any
   // For example, if you're behind a corporate proxy
-  proxy: false
+  proxy: false,
+  // Set to false to disable automatic running on startup.
+  autostart: true
 }
 
 // Create empty conf it it doesn't exist