diff --git a/src/imageselector.cpp b/src/imageselector.cpp
index f4cf6b2..7d5cb13 100644
--- a/src/imageselector.cpp
+++ b/src/imageselector.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "imageselector.h"
 #include "mainwindow.h"
+#include <QDirIterator>
 #include <QTimer>
 #include <QApplication>
 #include <QDir>
@@ -7,11 +8,12 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>     /* srand, rand */
 #include <time.h>       /* time */
 
-ImageSelector::ImageSelector(MainWindow& w, unsigned int timeout, std::string path):
+ImageSelector::ImageSelector(MainWindow& w, unsigned int timeout, std::string path, bool recursive):
     QObject::QObject(),
     window(w),
     timeout(timeout),
     path(path),
+    recursive(recursive),
     timer(this)
 {
     srand (time(NULL));
@@ -20,15 +22,41 @@ ImageSelector::ImageSelector(MainWindow& w, unsigned int timeout, std::string pa
 void ImageSelector::updateImage()
 {
     QDir directory(path.c_str());
-    QStringList images = directory.entryList(QStringList() << "*.jpg" << "*.JPG",QDir::Files);
+    QStringList images;
+    if (recursive)
+    {
+      images = listImagesRecursive();
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      images = directory.entryList(QStringList() << "*.jpg" << "*.JPG", QDir::Files);
+    }
+    std::cout << "images: " << images.size() << std::endl;
+    if (images.size() == 0)
+    {
+      std::cerr << "No jpg images found in folder " << path << std::endl;
+      return;
+    }
     unsigned int selectedImage = rand() % images.size();
     std::string filename = directory.filePath(images.at(selectedImage)).toStdString();
     std::cout << "updating image: " << filename << std::endl;
     window.setImage(filename);
 }
 
-void ImageSelector::start(){
+void ImageSelector::start()
+{
     updateImage();
     connect(&timer, SIGNAL(timeout()), this, SLOT(updateImage()));
     timer.start(timeout);
 }
+
+QStringList ImageSelector::listImagesRecursive()
+{
+    QDirIterator it(QString(path.c_str()), QStringList() << "*.jpg" << "*.JPG", QDir::Files, QDirIterator::Subdirectories);
+    QStringList files;
+    while (it.hasNext())
+    {
+       files.append(it.next());
+    }
+    return files;
+}
diff --git a/src/imageselector.h b/src/imageselector.h
index f9bffd4..c3b498b 100644
--- a/src/imageselector.h
+++ b/src/imageselector.h
@@ -9,15 +9,17 @@ class ImageSelector : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
-    ImageSelector(MainWindow& w, unsigned int timeout, std::string path);
+    ImageSelector(MainWindow& w, unsigned int timeout, std::string path, bool recursive);
     void start();
 
 public slots:
     void updateImage();
 private:
+    QStringList listImagesRecursive();
     MainWindow& window;
     unsigned int timeout;
     std::string path;
+    bool recursive;
     QTimer timer;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index dbc66d7..6b2e342 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 void usage(std::string programName) {
-    std::cerr << "Usage: " << programName << " [-t rotation_seconds] [-o background_opacity(0..255)] [-b blur_radius] -p image_folder" << std::endl;
+    std::cerr << "Usage: " << programName << " [-t rotation_seconds] [-o background_opacity(0..255)] [-b blur_radius] -p image_folder -r" << std::endl;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     MainWindow w;
     int opt;
-    while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "b:p:t:o:")) != -1) {
+    bool recursive = false;
+    while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "b:p:t:o:r")) != -1) {
         switch (opt) {
         case 'p':
             path = optarg;
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         case 'o':
             w.setBackgroundOpacity(atoi(optarg));
             break;
+        case 'r':
+            recursive = true;
+            break;
         default: /* '?' */
             usage(argv[0]);
             return 1;
@@ -49,7 +53,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
     w.show();
 
-    ImageSelector is(w, rotationSeconds * 1000, path);
+    ImageSelector is(w, rotationSeconds * 1000, path, recursive);
     is.start();
     return a.exec();
 }