diff --git a/lib/cli.js b/lib/cli.js
index d0818f8ee..4715fbf96 100644
--- a/lib/cli.js
+++ b/lib/cli.js
@@ -1,15 +1,46 @@
+/**
+ * The command line interface for interacting with the Protractor runner.
+ * It takes care of parsing the config file and command line options.
+ */
+
 var util = require('util');
 var path = require('path')
 var fs = require('fs');
 var runner = require('./runner.js');
-var glob = require('glob');
+var argv = require('optimist').
+    usage('Usage: protractor [options] [config]').
+    describe('version', 'Print Protractor version').
+    describe('browser', 'Browsername, e.g. chrome or firefox').
+    describe('seleniumAddress', 'A running seleium address to use').
+    describe('seleniumServerJar', 'Location of the standalone selenium jar file').
+    describe('seleniumPort', 'Optional port for the selenium standalone server').
+    describe('baseUrl', 'URL to prepend to all relative paths').
+    describe('rootElement', 'Element housing ng-app, if not html or body').
+    describe('specs', 'Comma-separated list of files to test').
+    describe('verbose', 'Print full spec names').
+    describe('includeStackTrace', 'Print stack trace on error').
+    describe('params', 'Param object to be passed to the tests').
+    alias('browser', 'capabilities.browserName').
+    alias('name', 'capabilities.name').
+    alias('platform', 'capabilities.platform').
+    alias('platform-version', 'capabilities.version').
+    alias('tags', 'capabilities.tags').
+    alias('build', 'capabilities.build').
+    boolean('verbose').
+    boolean('includeStackTrace').
+    alias('verbose', 'jasmineNodeOpts.verbose').
+    alias('includeStackTrace', 'jasmineNodeOpts.includeStackTrace').
+    check(function(arg) {
+      if (arg._.length > 1) {
+        throw 'Error: more than one config file specified'
+      }
+      if (!(process.argv.length > 2)) {
+        throw '';
+      }
+    }).
+    argv;
 
-/**
- * The command line interface for interacting with the Protractor runner.
- * It takes care of parsing the config file and command line options.
- */
 
-var args = process.argv.slice(2);
 var configPath;
 
 
@@ -19,101 +50,24 @@ var printVersion = function () {
   process.exit(0);
 };
 
-
-if (!args.length) {
-  util.puts('USAGE: protractor [configFile] [options]');
-  util.puts('Options:');
-  util.puts('  --version: Print Protractor version');
-  util.puts('  --browser <string>: Browsername, e.g. chrome or firefox');
-  util.puts('  --seleniumAddress <string>: A running selenium address to use');
-  util.puts('  --seleniumServerJar <string>: Location of the standalone selenium server .jar file');
-  util.puts('  --seleniumPort <string>: Optional port for the standalone selenium server');
-  util.puts('  --baseUrl <string>: URL to prepend to all relative paths');
-  util.puts('  --rootElement <string>: Element housing ng-app, if not html or body');
-  util.puts('  --specs <list>: Comma separated list of files to test');
-  util.puts('  --[no]includeStackTrace: Print stack trace on error');
-  util.puts('  --verbose: Print full spec names');
-
-  process.exit(0);
+if (argv.version) {
+  printVersion();
 }
 
-var commandLineConfig = { capabilities: {}, jasmineNodeOpts: {}};
-
-while(args.length) {
-  var arg = args.shift();
-  switch(arg) {
-    case '--version':
-      printVersion();
-      break;
-    case '--browser':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.browserName = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--name':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.name = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--platform':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.platform = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--platform-version':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.version = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--build':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.build = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--tags':
-      commandLineConfig.capabilities.tags = args.shift().split(',');
-      break;
-    case '--seleniumAddress':
-      commandLineConfig.seleniumAddress = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--seleniumServerJar':
-      commandLineConfig.seleniumServerJar = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--seleniumPort':
-      commandLineConfig.seleniumPort = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--chromeDriver':
-      commandLineConfig.chromeDriver = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--sauceUser':
-      commandLineConfig.sauceUser = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--sauceKey':
-      commandLineConfig.sauceKey = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--baseUrl':
-      commandLineConfig.baseUrl = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--rootElement':
-      commandLineConfig.rootElement = args.shift();
-      break;
-    case '--specs':
-      commandLineSpecs = args.shift().split(',');
-      commandLineSpecs.forEach(function(spec, index, arr) {
-        arr[index] = path.resolve(process.cwd(), spec);
-      });
-      commandLineConfig.specs = commandLineSpecs;
-      break;
-    case '--includeStackTrace':
-      commandLineConfig.jasmineNodeOpts.includeStackTrace = true;
-      break;
-    case '--noincludeStackTrace':
-      commandLineConfig.jasmineNodeOpts.includeStackTrace = false;
-      break;
-    case '--verbose':
-      commandLineConfig.jasmineNodeOpts.isVerbose = true;
-      break;
-    default:
-      configPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), arg);
-      break;
-  }
+if (argv.specs) {
+  argv.specs = argv.specs.split(',');
+  argv.specs.forEach(function(spec, index, arr) {
+    arr[index] = path.resolve(process.cwd(), spec);
+  });
 }
 
-if (configPath) {
+var configFilename = argv._[0];
+if (configFilename) {
+  configPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), configFilename);
   runner.addConfig(require(configPath).config);
   runner.addConfig({specFileBase: path.dirname(configPath)})
 }
 
-runner.addConfig(commandLineConfig);
+runner.addConfig(argv);
 
 runner.runOnce();
diff --git a/lib/protractor.js b/lib/protractor.js
index 77a0bb046..419f8a36a 100644
--- a/lib/protractor.js
+++ b/lib/protractor.js
@@ -91,6 +91,13 @@ var Protractor = function(webdriver, opt_baseUrl, opt_rootElement) {
    */
   this.ignoreSynchronization = false;
 
+  /**
+   * An object that holds custom test parameters.
+   *
+   * @type {Object}
+   */
+  this.params = {};
+
   this.moduleNames_ = [];
 
   this.moduleScripts_ = [];
diff --git a/lib/runner.js b/lib/runner.js
index fe3a93fd3..ea395e163 100644
--- a/lib/runner.js
+++ b/lib/runner.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ var config = {
     'browserName': 'chrome'
   },
   rootElement: 'body',
+  params: {},
   jasmineNodeOpts: {
     isVerbose: false,
     showColors: true,
@@ -190,10 +191,13 @@ var runJasmineTests = function() {
 
     sessionId = session.getId();
 
-    protractor.setInstance(protractor.wrapDriver(
+    var ptor = protractor.wrapDriver(
         driver,
         config.baseUrl,
-        config.rootElement));
+        config.rootElement)
+    ptor.params = config.params;
+
+    protractor.setInstance(ptor);
 
     // Export protractor to the global namespace to be used in tests.
     global.protractor = protractor;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6255b6551..e8d3ff761 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
     "minijasminenode": "~0.2.4",
     "saucelabs": "~0.1.0",
     "glob": ">=3.1.14",
-    "adm-zip": ">=0.4.2"
+    "adm-zip": ">=0.4.2",
+    "optimist": "~0.6.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "expect.js": "~0.2.0",
diff --git a/referenceConf.js b/referenceConf.js
index 33d6c18bb..a9dec2d4e 100644
--- a/referenceConf.js
+++ b/referenceConf.js
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ exports.config = {
     'browserName': 'chrome'
   },
 
+  // ----- More information for your tests ----
+  //
   // A base URL for your application under test. Calls to protractor.get()
   // with relative paths will be prepended with this.
   baseUrl: 'http://localhost:8000',
@@ -74,6 +76,18 @@ exports.config = {
     //     jasmine.getEnv().addReporter(new jasmine.JUnitXmlReporter(
     //         'outputdir/', true, true));
   },
+
+  // The params object will be passed directly to the protractor instance,
+  // and can be accessed from your test. It is an arbitrary object and can
+  // contain anything you my need in your test.
+  // This can be changed via the command line as:
+  //   --params.login.user 'Joe'
+  params: {
+    login: {
+      user: 'Jane',
+      password: '1234'
+    }
+  }
   
   // ----- Options to be passed to minijasminenode -----
   jasmineNodeOpts: {
diff --git a/spec/basicConf.js b/spec/basicConf.js
index 0c5ef5383..059799967 100644
--- a/spec/basicConf.js
+++ b/spec/basicConf.js
@@ -15,4 +15,11 @@ exports.config = {
   },
 
   baseUrl: 'http://localhost:8000',
+
+  params: {
+    login: {
+      user: 'Jane',
+      password: '1234'
+    }
+  }
 };
diff --git a/spec/lib_spec.js b/spec/lib_spec.js
index 46216273b..05f49d5b2 100644
--- a/spec/lib_spec.js
+++ b/spec/lib_spec.js
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ describe('protractor library', function() {
     expect(ptor.getTitle()).toEqual('My AngularJS App');
   });
 
+  it('should export custom parameters to the protractor instance', function() {
+    expect(ptor.params.login).toBeDefined();
+    expect(ptor.params.login.user).toEqual('Jane');
+    expect(ptor.params.login.password).toEqual('1234');
+  });
+
   it('should allow a mix of using protractor and using the driver directly',
     function() {
       ptor.get('app/index.html');