diff --git a/django_mailbox/management/commands/getmail.py b/django_mailbox/management/commands/getmail.py
index f6575092..5b285ae2 100644
--- a/django_mailbox/management/commands/getmail.py
+++ b/django_mailbox/management/commands/getmail.py
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
 
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument('-mb', '--mailboxes', type=str, nargs='+', help='Write mailbox names')
+        parser.add_argument('-mr', '--max_read', type=int,
+                            help='Write maximum number of email to read from each mailbox')
+
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
-        Mailbox.get_new_mail_all_mailboxes(args)
+        Mailbox.get_new_mail_all_mailboxes(options)
diff --git a/django_mailbox/models.py b/django_mailbox/models.py
index 871b0ccb..9b03a7ed 100644
--- a/django_mailbox/models.py
+++ b/django_mailbox/models.py
@@ -446,15 +446,19 @@ def _process_save_original_message(self, message, msg):
                 save=False
             )
 
-    def get_new_mail(self, condition=None):
+    def get_new_mail(self, condition=None, max_read=None):
         """Connect to this transport and fetch new messages."""
         new_mail = []
         connection = self.get_connection()
         if not connection:
             return
         for message in connection.get_message(condition):
+            if max_read is not None and max_read <= 0:
+                break
             msg = self.process_incoming_message(message)
-            if not msg is None:
+            if msg is not None:
+                if max_read is not None:
+                    max_read -= 1
                 yield msg
         self.last_polling = now()
         if django.VERSION >= (1, 5):  # Django 1.5 introduces update_fields
@@ -463,18 +467,18 @@ def get_new_mail(self, condition=None):
             self.save()
 
     @staticmethod
-    def get_new_mail_all_mailboxes(args=None):
+    def get_new_mail_all_mailboxes(options: dict):
         mailboxes = Mailbox.active_mailboxes.all()
-        if args:
+        if options.get('mailboxes'):
             mailboxes = mailboxes.filter(
-                name=' '.join(args)
+                name__in=options['mailboxes']
             )
         for mailbox in mailboxes:
             logger.info(
                 'Gathering messages for %s',
                 mailbox.name
             )
-            messages = mailbox.get_new_mail()
+            messages = mailbox.get_new_mail(max_read=options.get('max_read'))
             for message in messages:
                 logger.info(
                     'Received %s (from %s)',
diff --git a/docs/topics/polling.rst b/docs/topics/polling.rst
index 5b35bbe3..b59d4658 100644
--- a/docs/topics/polling.rst
+++ b/docs/topics/polling.rst
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ Using a cron job
 ----------------
 
 You can easily consume incoming mail by running the management command named
-``getmail``  (optionally with an argument of the name of the mailbox you'd like
-to get the mail for).::
+``getmail``  (optionally with an argument of the name(s) of the mailbox(es) you'd like
+to get the mail for. You can also pass maximum number of email count to read).::
 
     python manage.py getmail
-
+    python manage.py getmail --mailboxes mailbox1 mailbox2 --max_read 10
 
 .. _receiving-mail-from-exim4-or-postfix: