diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 346b66f..07238e5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ sxiv supports the following command-line options:
                  (see section GEOMETRY SPECIFICATIONS of X(7))
     -p           Pixelize, i.e. turn off image anti-aliasing
     -q           Be quiet, disable warnings
+    -r           Search given directories recursively for images
     -s           Scale all images to fit into window
     -v           Print version information and exit
     -Z           Same as `-z 100'
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index e01f2a7..47f1994 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 - key mappings for fit image to window and vice versa
 - update filelist if image is removed or renamed while running
-- view all images in directories (recursive mode)
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 766312d..5ab7efa 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <string.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 #include <sys/select.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 
@@ -39,7 +41,8 @@ void on_motionnotify(XEvent*);
 void on_configurenotify(XEvent*);
 
 void update_title();
-void read_dir(const char*);
+void check_append(const char*);
+void read_dir_rec(const char*);
 
 static void (*handler[LASTEvent])(XEvent*) = {
 	[KeyPress] = on_keypress,
@@ -118,16 +121,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 			WARN("could not stat file: %s", filename);
 		} else if (S_ISDIR(fstats.st_mode)) {
 			if (options->recursive)
-				read_dir(filename);
+				read_dir_rec(filename);
 			else
 				WARN("ignoring directory: %s", filename);
-		} else if (img_check(filename)) {
-			if (fileidx == filecnt) {
-				filecnt *= 2;
-				filenames = (const char**) s_realloc(filenames,
-				                                     filecnt * sizeof(const char*));
-			}
-			filenames[fileidx++] = filename;
+		} else {
+			check_append(filename);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -384,7 +382,68 @@ void update_title() {
 	win_set_title(&win, win_title);
 }
 
-void read_dir(const char *dir) {
+void check_append(const char *filename) {
+	if (!filename)
+		return;
+
+	if (img_check(filename)) {
+		if (fileidx == filecnt) {
+			filecnt *= 2;
+			filenames = (const char**) s_realloc(filenames,
+																					 filecnt * sizeof(const char*));
+		}
+		filenames[fileidx++] = filename;
+	}
+}
+
+void read_dir_rec(const char *dirname) {
+	char *filename;
+	const char **dirnames;
+	int dircnt, diridx;
+	unsigned char first;
+	size_t len;
+	DIR *dir;
+	struct dirent *dentry;
+	struct stat fstats;
+
+	if (!dirname)
+		return;
+
+	dircnt = DNAME_CNT;
+	diridx = first = 1;
+	dirnames = (const char**) s_malloc(dircnt * sizeof(const char*));
+	dirnames[0] = dirname;
+
+	while (diridx > 0) {
+		dirname = dirnames[--diridx];
+		if (!(dir = opendir(dirname)))
+			DIE("could not open directory: %s", dirname);
+		while ((dentry = readdir(dir))) {
+			if (!strcmp(dentry->d_name, ".") || !strcmp(dentry->d_name, ".."))
+				continue;
+			len = strlen(dirname) + strlen(dentry->d_name) + 2;
+			filename = (char*) s_malloc(len * sizeof(char));
+			snprintf(filename, len, "%s/%s", dirname, dentry->d_name);
+			if (stat(filename, &fstats)) {
+				WARN("could not stat file: %s", filename);
+				free(filename);
+			} else if (S_ISDIR(fstats.st_mode)) {
+				if (diridx == dircnt) {
+					dircnt *= 2;
+					dirnames = (const char**) s_realloc(dirnames,
+					                                    dircnt * sizeof(const char*));
+				}
+				dirnames[diridx++] = filename;
+			} else {
+				check_append(filename);
+			}
+		}
+		closedir(dir);
+		if (!first)
+			free((void*) dirname);
+		else
+			first = 0;
+	}
 }
 
 void* s_malloc(size_t size) {
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index bb608e5..74daf5b 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ options_t _options;
 const options_t *options = (const options_t*) &_options;
 
 void print_usage() {
-	printf("usage: sxiv [-dFfhpqsvZ] [-g GEOMETRY] [-z ZOOM] FILES...\n");
+	printf("usage: sxiv [-dFfhpqrsvZ] [-g GEOMETRY] [-z ZOOM] FILES...\n");
 }
 
 void print_version() {
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ void parse_options(int argc, char **argv) {
 	_options.quiet = 0;
 	_options.recursive = 0;
 
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "dFfg:hpqsvZz:")) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "dFfg:hpqrsvZz:")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 			case '?':
 				print_usage();
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ void parse_options(int argc, char **argv) {
 			case 'q':
 				_options.quiet = 1;
 				break;
+			case 'r':
+				_options.recursive = 1;
+				break;
 			case 's':
 				_options.scalemode = SCALE_FIT;
 				break;
diff --git a/sxiv.1 b/sxiv.1
index a7daf29..56173ba 100644
--- a/sxiv.1
+++ b/sxiv.1
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 sxiv \- Simple (or small or suckless) X Image Viewer
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .B sxiv
-.RB [ \-dFfhpqsvZ ]
+.RB [ \-dFfhpqrsvZ ]
 .RB [ \-g
 .IR GEOMETRY ]
 .RB [ \-z
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ Pixelize images, i.e. turn off anti-aliasing.
 .B \-q
 Be quiet, disable warnings to standard error stream.
 .TP
+.B \-r
+Search the given directories recursively for images to view.
+.TP
 .B \-s
 Scale all images to fit into window.
 .TP