diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e4503a17c8..b54e4d88a2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -5,3 +5,5 @@ node_modules
 /client/sockjs.bundle.js
 /coverage
 *.pem
+.idea/
+/package-lock.json
diff --git a/bin/webpack-dev-server.js b/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
index d5cfe9d0fa..6a607bff53 100755
--- a/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
+++ b/bin/webpack-dev-server.js
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ yargs.options({
     describe: 'close when stdin ends'
   },
   open: {
-    type: 'boolean',
-    describe: 'Open default browser'
+    type: 'string',
+    describe: 'Open the default browser, or optionally specify a browser name'
   },
   useLocalIp: {
     type: 'boolean',
@@ -324,11 +324,15 @@ function processOptions(webpackOptions) {
 
   if (argv['disable-host-check']) { options.disableHostCheck = true; }
 
-  if (argv.open || argv['open-page']) {
+  if (argv['open-page']) {
     options.open = true;
     options.openPage = argv['open-page'];
   }
 
+  if (typeof argv.open !== 'undefined') {
+    options.open = argv.open !== '' ? argv.open : true;
+  }
+
   if (options.open && !options.openPage) { options.openPage = ''; }
 
   if (argv.useLocalIp) { options.useLocalIp = true; }
@@ -452,9 +456,18 @@ function reportReadiness(uri, options) {
 
     if (options.bonjour) { console.log('Broadcasting "http" with subtype of "webpack" via ZeroConf DNS (Bonjour)'); }
   }
+
   if (options.open) {
-    open(uri + options.openPage).catch(() => {
-      console.log('Unable to open browser. If you are running in a headless environment, please do not use the open flag.');
+    let openOptions = {};
+    let openMessage = 'Unable to open browser';
+
+    if (typeof options.open === 'string') {
+      openOptions = { app: options.open };
+      openMessage += `: ${options.open}`;
+    }
+
+    open(uri + (options.openPage || ''), openOptions).catch(() => {
+      console.log(`${openMessage}. If you are running in a headless environment, please do not use the open flag.`);
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/optionsSchema.json b/lib/optionsSchema.json
index 1f63d7afc9..be1a9cd963 100644
--- a/lib/optionsSchema.json
+++ b/lib/optionsSchema.json
@@ -200,8 +200,15 @@
       "type": "boolean"
     },
     "open": {
-      "description": "Let the CLI open your browser.",
-      "type": "boolean"
+      "description": "Let the CLI open your browser with the URL.",
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      ]
     },
     "useLocalIp": {
       "description": "Let the browser open with your local IP.",