diff --git a/src/VirtualLeaf.cpp b/src/VirtualLeaf.cpp
--- a/src/VirtualLeaf.cpp
+++ b/src/VirtualLeaf.cpp
@@ -388,20 +388,21 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 
 						
     char *leaffile=0;
-
+    char *modelfile=0;
 						
     while (1) {
 							
       //int this_option_optind = optind ? optind : 1;
       int option_index = 0;
       static struct option long_options[] = {
-	{"batch", 0, 0, 0},
-	{"leaffile", 2, 0, 0}
+	{"batch", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
+	{"leaffile", required_argument, NULL, 'l'},
+	{"model", required_argument, NULL, 'm'} 
       };
 		
       // short option 'p' creates trouble for non-commandline usage on MacOSX. Option -p changed to -P (capital)
-      static char *short_options = "bl";
-      c = getopt_long (argc, argv, "bl:",
+      static char *short_options = "blm";
+      c = getopt_long (argc, argv, "bl:m:",
 		       long_options, &option_index);
       if (c == -1)
 	break;
@@ -429,7 +430,14 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 	}
 	printf("Reading leaf state file '%s'\n", leaffile);
 	break;
-				
+
+      case 'm':
+	modelfile=strdup(optarg);
+	if (!modelfile) {
+	  throw("Out of memory");
+	}
+	break;
+					
       case '?':
 	break;
 				
@@ -494,19 +502,19 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 	  */
 
 	 	  
-
-	  ModelCatalogue model_catalogue(&mesh, (Main *)main_window);
-	  model_catalogue.PopulateModelMenu();
-	  model_catalogue.InstallFirstModel();
+    // Install model or read catalogue of models
+    ModelCatalogue model_catalogue(&mesh, useGUI?(Main *)main_window:0,modelfile);
+    if (useGUI)
+      model_catalogue.PopulateModelMenu();
+    model_catalogue.InstallFirstModel();
 	  
-	  //main_window->Init(leaffile);
+    main_window->Init(leaffile);
 	  
     Cell::SetMagnification(1);
     Cell::setOffset(0,0);
 						
     main_window->FitLeafToCanvas();
-						
-				
+							
 						
     main_window->Plot();
 
diff --git a/src/VirtualLeaf.pro b/src/VirtualLeaf.pro
--- a/src/VirtualLeaf.pro
+++ b/src/VirtualLeaf.pro
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 #  Copyright 2010 Roeland Merks.
 #
 
-CONFIG += release
-CONFIG -= debug
+CONFIG -= release
+CONFIG += debug
 CONFIG += qt
 
 QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -fexceptions
diff --git a/src/modelcatalogue.cpp b/src/modelcatalogue.cpp
--- a/src/modelcatalogue.cpp
+++ b/src/modelcatalogue.cpp
@@ -25,10 +25,16 @@
 
 static const std::string _module_id("$Id$");
 
-ModelCatalogue::ModelCatalogue(Mesh *_mesh, Main *_mainwin) {
+ModelCatalogue::ModelCatalogue(Mesh *_mesh, Main *_mainwin, const char *model=0) {
 	mesh = _mesh;
 	mainwin = _mainwin;
-	LoadPlugins();
+	if (model) {
+	  cerr << "Loading model: " << model << endl;
+		LoadPlugin(model);
+	} else {
+	  cerr << "Loading all models." << endl;
+		LoadPlugins();
+	}
 }
 
 void ModelCatalogue::LoadPlugins() {
@@ -55,7 +61,7 @@ void ModelCatalogue::LoadPlugins() {
 	}
 	
 	
-	QVector<SimPluginInterface *> plugins;
+	//QVector<SimPluginInterface *> plugins;
 	foreach (QString fileName, pluginDir.entryList(QDir::Files)){ 
 		QPluginLoader loader(pluginDir.absoluteFilePath(fileName)); 
 		if (SimPluginInterface *plugin = 
@@ -67,6 +73,53 @@ void ModelCatalogue::LoadPlugins() {
 	}
 }
 
+void ModelCatalogue::LoadPlugin(const char *model) {
+
+	
+  QDir pluginDir(QApplication::applicationDirPath()); 
+  QStringList plugin_filters; // filter for plugins, i.e "*.dll", "*.dylib"
+	
+	
+#if defined(Q_OS_WIN) 
+  if (pluginDir.dirName().toLower() =="debug" 
+      ||pluginDir.dirName().toLower() =="release") 
+    pluginDir.cdUp(); 
+  //plugin_filters << "*.dll";
+#elif defined(Q_OS_MAC) 
+  if (pluginDir.dirName() =="MacOS"){ 
+    pluginDir.cdUp(); 
+    pluginDir.cdUp(); 
+    pluginDir.cdUp(); 
+  } 
+  //plugin_filters << "*.dylib";
+#endif
+  plugin_filters << model;
+  pluginDir.setNameFilters(plugin_filters);
+	
+  if (!pluginDir.cd("models")) {
+    MyWarning::error("Directory 'models' not found!");
+  }
+	
+	
+  //QVector<SimPluginInterface *> plugins;
+	
+  QStringList modelnames=pluginDir.entryList(QDir::Files);
+  if (modelnames.empty()) {
+    MyWarning::error("Model %s not found - hint: do not include path in filename.",model);
+  }
+  foreach (QString fileName, modelnames){ 
+    QPluginLoader loader(pluginDir.absoluteFilePath(fileName)); 
+		
+    if (SimPluginInterface *plugin = 
+	qobject_cast<SimPluginInterface *>(loader.instance())) {
+      models.append(plugin); 
+      MyWarning::warning("Successfully loaded model %s",fileName.toStdString().c_str());
+    } else {
+      MyWarning::warning("Could not load plugin %s",fileName.toStdString().c_str());
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void ModelCatalogue::InstallFirstModel() {
 	InstallModel(models[0]);
 }
@@ -99,7 +152,10 @@ void ModelCatalogue::InstallModel(SimPlu
 	Cell::SetNChem(plugin->NChem());
 	plugin->SetParameters(&par);
 
-	mainwin->RefreshInfoBar();
-//	mesh->StandardInit();
-	mainwin->Init(0);
+	if (mainwin) {
+		mainwin->RefreshInfoBar();
+		//mainwin->Init(0);
+	}
+	//	mesh->StandardInit();
+	
 }
diff --git a/src/modelcatalogue.h b/src/modelcatalogue.h
--- a/src/modelcatalogue.h
+++ b/src/modelcatalogue.h
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@
 class ModelCatalogue : public QObject {
 Q_OBJECT
 public:
-	ModelCatalogue(Mesh *mesh, Main *mainwin); 	
+	ModelCatalogue(Mesh *mesh, Main *mainwin, const char *model); 	
 	void LoadPlugins(); 
+	void LoadPlugin(const char *model);
 	
 	void InstallFirstModel();
 	void PopulateModelMenu();	
@@ -56,4 +57,4 @@ private:
 	Main *mainwin;
 
 };
-#endif
\ No newline at end of file
+#endif
diff --git a/src/warning.cpp b/src/warning.cpp
--- a/src/warning.cpp
+++ b/src/warning.cpp
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ void MyWarning::error(const char *fmt, .
   
   QString qmess(message);
   
-  bool batch = false;
+  //  bool batch = false;
   
-  if (batch) {
+  if (qApp->type()==QApplication::Tty) {
     // batch mode: print the message to stderr
     fprintf(stderr, "Fatal error: %s\n",qmess.toStdString().c_str());
     exit(1);
@@ -123,9 +123,9 @@ void MyWarning::warning(const char *fmt,
   
   QString qmess(message);
   
-  bool batch = false;
+  //  bool batch = false;
   
-  if (batch) {
+  if (qApp->type()==QApplication::Tty) {
     // batch mode: print the message to stderr
     fprintf(stderr, "Warning: %s\n",qmess.toStdString().c_str());
   } else { // issue a dialog box