diff --git a/src/server/simpleslave.c b/src/server/simpleslave.c
--- a/src/server/simpleslave.c
+++ b/src/server/simpleslave.c
@@ -63,8 +63,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
   char curopt;
   int runBenchmark = 0;
+  int updateConf = 0;
 
-  while(((char)-1) != (curopt = getopt(argc, argv, "u:rh")))
+  while(((char)-1) != (curopt = getopt(argc, argv, "u:p:rh")))
      {
        if(curopt == ':')
          {
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
          }
        else if(curopt == 'h')
          {
-           fprintf(stderr, "Usage: distrensimpleslave [option] \nStarts a distren slave\n\t-u\tset username (run after fresh install)\n\t-r\tRecalculate render power (benchmark)\n\t-h\tshow this help\n");
+           fprintf(stderr, "Usage: distrensimpleslave [option] \nStarts a distren slave\n\t-u\tset Slave ID/Username (run after fresh install)\n\t-p\tset Slave Passphrase (run after fresh install)\n\t-r\tRecalculate render power (benchmark)\n\t-h\tshow this help\n");
            return 2;
          }
        else if(curopt == 'r')
@@ -86,16 +87,27 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
            runBenchmark = 1;
            break;
          }
-       else if(curopt == 'u')
+       else if(curopt == 'u'){
          username = strdup(optarg);
-         if(DEBUG)
-           fprintf(stderr, "Putting username \"%s\" in distrenslave.conf\n", username);
-
-         conf_replace("distrenslave.conf", "!username", username);
-         fprintf(stderr, "Please invoke distrensimpleslave with no arguments to run with the username you just set\n");
-         return 0;
+         updateConf = 1;
+       }
+       else if(curopt == 'p'){
+         password = strdup(optarg);
+         updateConf = 1;
+       }
      }
 
+if(updateConf){
+  if(DEBUG)
+    fprintf(stderr, "Putting Slave ID \"%s\" and Slave Passphrase \"%s\" in distrenslave.conf\n", username, password);
+  if(username != NULL)
+    conf_replace("distrenslave.conf", "!username", username);
+  if(password != NULL)
+    conf_replace("distrenslave.conf", "!password", password);
+
+  fprintf(stderr, "Please invoke distrensimpleslave with no arguments to run with the slave ID and/or passphrase you just set\n");
+  return 0;
+}
   /* Get conf data */
   options_init(argc, argv, &my_cfg, myopts, "slave", &commonopts);
 
@@ -111,12 +123,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     }
   if(!username)
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "username not set\n");
+      fprintf(stderr, "username not set, try the -u flag \n");
       return 1;
     }
   if(!password)
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "password not set\n");
+      fprintf(stderr, "password not set, try the -p flag\n");
       return 1;
     }
   if(!hostname)
@@ -131,7 +143,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     return 1;
   if(!strncmp(password, "!password",10))
     {
-      fprintf(stderr, "You haven't specified a password. Please edit distrenslave.conf!\n");
+      fprintf(stderr, "You haven't specified a password. Please edit distrenslave.conf or try the -p flag!\n");
       return 1;
     }