diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/index.js b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/index.js
index 4ac77fd051..caa00f6c6f 100755
--- a/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/index.js
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/src/babel/index.js
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ commander.option(
   "comma-separated list of plugin names",
   collect,
 );
+commander.option("--config-file [path]", "Path a to .babelrc file to use");
 
 // Basic file input configuration.
 commander.option("--source-type [script|module]", "");
@@ -200,6 +201,10 @@ if (errors.length) {
 //
 
 const opts = commander.opts();
+//the configFile CLI option maps to the extends option in the node API
+if (opts.configFile) {
+  opts.extends = opts.configFile;
+}
 
 // Delete options that are specific to babel-cli and shouldn't be passed to babel-core.
 delete opts.version;
@@ -210,6 +215,7 @@ delete opts.outFile;
 delete opts.outDir;
 delete opts.copyFiles;
 delete opts.quiet;
+delete opts.configFile;
 
 // Commander will default the "--no-" arguments to true, but we want to leave them undefined so that
 // babel-core can handle the default-assignment logic on its own.
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/.othername_babelrc b/packages/babel-cli/test/.othername_babelrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9bdbd52277
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/.othername_babelrc
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "comments": false
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/options.json b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/options.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40288838f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/options.json	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "args": ["--config-file", "../.othername_babelrc"]
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdin.txt b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdin.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a5535a8f59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdin.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/*
+ Test comment
+ */
+
+arr.map(x => x * MULTIPLIER);
+
+// END OF FILE
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdout.txt b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdout.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d6744173f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/babel-cli/test/fixtures/babel/--config-file babelrc nocomment/stdout.txt	
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+"use strict";
+
+arr.map(function (x) {
+  return x * MULTIPLIER;
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index ed50496391..bdd8777003 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -5367,6 +5367,18 @@ regenerator-runtime@^0.10.0:
   version "0.10.5"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/regenerator-runtime/-/regenerator-runtime-0.10.5.tgz#336c3efc1220adcedda2c9fab67b5a7955a33658"
 
+regenerator-runtime@^0.11.0:
+  version "0.11.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/regenerator-runtime/-/regenerator-runtime-0.11.0.tgz#7e54fe5b5ccd5d6624ea6255c3473be090b802e1"
+
+regenerator-transform@0.10.0:
+  version "0.10.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/regenerator-transform/-/regenerator-transform-0.10.0.tgz#f9ab3eac9cc2de38431d996a6a8abf1c50f2e459"
+  dependencies:
+    babel-runtime "^6.18.0"
+    babel-types "^6.19.0"
+    private "^0.1.6"
+
 regenerator-transform@0.9.11:
   version "0.9.11"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/regenerator-transform/-/regenerator-transform-0.9.11.tgz#3a7d067520cb7b7176769eb5ff868691befe1283"