diff --git a/src/gmconfig.erl b/src/gmconfig.erl
index 1a76f4f..49082b5 100644
--- a/src/gmconfig.erl
+++ b/src/gmconfig.erl
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 -export([search_for_config_file/2]).
 -export([apply_os_env/0,
          apply_os_env/3]).
+-export([process_plain_args/0]).
 -export([data_dir/1]).
 -export([check_config/1]).
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@
                      , config_file_basename => string() | 'undefined'
                      , config_file_os_env => string() | 'undefined'
                      , config_file_search_path => [string() | fun(() -> string())]
+                     , config_plain_args => string() | 'undefined'
                      , system_suffix  => string()
                      , config_formats => #{ extension() => decoder_fun() }
                      , schema => string() | map() | fun(() -> map())}.
@@ -159,6 +161,7 @@ default_gmconfig_env() ->
      , config_file_search_path => ["."]
      , config_formats => #{ "json"  => fun json_decode/1
                           , "eterm" => fun eterm_consult/1 }
+     , config_plain_args => undefined
      , system_defaults_search_path => [fun setup:data_dir/0]
      , system_suffix => "" }.
 
@@ -508,7 +511,6 @@ load_config_file(File, Mode) when Mode =:= check;
     do_load_user_config(File, store, Mode).
 
 apply_os_env() ->
-    ok = application:ensure_started(gproc),
     Pfx = os_env_prefix(),
     ConfigMap = pt_get_config(),
     case apply_os_env(Pfx, schema(), ConfigMap) of
@@ -548,6 +550,35 @@ apply_os_env(Pfx, Schema, ConfigMap) ->
             error(E)
     end.
 
+process_plain_args() ->
+    case gmconfig_env(config_plain_args, undefined) of
+        undefined ->
+            ok;
+        Str ->
+            PlainArgs = init:get_plain_arguments(),
+            Schema = schema(),
+            Map = process_plain_args_(PlainArgs, Str, schema(), #{}),
+            ?LOG_INFO("Map from plain args: ~p", [Map]),
+            if map_size(Map) > 0 ->
+                    update_config_(Map, pt_get_config(), Schema, report);
+               true ->
+                    no_change
+            end
+    end.
+
+process_plain_args_([Tag, K, V | Rest], Tag, Schema, Map) ->
+    Path = plain_path_arg(K),
+    Value = coerce_type(Path, V, Schema),
+    Map1 = update_map(to_map(Path, Value), Map),
+    process_plain_args_(Rest, Tag, Schema, Map1);
+process_plain_args_([_ | T], Tag, Schema, Map) ->
+    process_plain_args_(T, Tag, Schema, Map);
+process_plain_args_([], _, _, Map) ->
+    Map.
+
+plain_path_arg(Str) ->
+    re:split(Str, <<"__">>, [{return, binary}]).
+
 to_map(K, V) ->
     to_map(K, V, #{}).