diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 5835eb3..9e89945 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -122,3 +122,10 @@ Button buttons[] = {
 	{ BUTTON1_TRIPLE_CLICKED, { mouse_zoom,       { NULL } } },
 	{ BUTTON2_CLICKED,        { mouse_minimize,   { NULL } } },
 };
+
+/* gets executed when dvtm is started */
+Action actions[] = {
+/* XXX: doesn't yet work, after the first keystroke only  the
+ * selected window content is visible. */
+ 	{ create, { SHELL } },
+};
diff --git a/dvtm.c b/dvtm.c
index 9cc4630..6e31feb 100644
--- a/dvtm.c
+++ b/dvtm.c
@@ -738,6 +738,13 @@ resize_screen(){
 }
 
 void
+startup(){
+	int i;
+	for(i = 0; i < countof(actions); i++)
+		actions[i].cmd(actions[i].args);
+}
+
+void
 setup(){
 	int i;
 	mmask_t mask;
@@ -824,6 +831,7 @@ int
 main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 	parse_args(argc, argv);
 	setup();
+	startup();
 	while(running){
 		Client *c;
 		int r, nfds = 0;