diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 00e4418..5b4011c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,6 +12,4 @@ A basic clipboard manager for Wayland.
 
 Install the binary in your path, then run it in your Sway session by adding `exec clipman -d` at the beginning of your config.
 
-You should edit `main.go` directly to configure how many unique history items to preserve (default: 15).
-
 To query the history and select items, run the binary as `clipman -s`. You can assign it to a keybinding: `bindsym $mod+h exec clipman -s`.
diff --git a/demon.go b/demon.go
index 16fed38..2795825 100644
--- a/demon.go
+++ b/demon.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func filter(history []string, text string) []string {
 	return history
 }
 
-func listen(history []string, histfile string, persist bool) error {
+func listen(history []string, histfile string, persist bool, max int) error {
 
 	for {
 
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0afa085..627293d 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"gopkg.in/alecthomas/kingpin.v2"
 )
 
-const max = 15
-
 var (
 	app        = kingpin.New("clipman", "A clipboard manager for Wayland")
 	asDemon    = app.Flag("demon", "Run as a demon to record clipboard events").Short('d').Default("false").Bool()
 	asSelector = app.Flag("select", "Select an item from clipboard history").Short('s').Default("false").Bool()
 	noPersist  = app.Flag("no-persist", "Don't persist a copy buffer after a program exits").Short('P').Default("false").Bool()
+	max        = app.Flag("max-items", "How many copy items to store in history").Default("15").Int()
 )
 
 var (
@@ -46,11 +45,11 @@ func main() {
 
 	if *asDemon {
 		persist := !*noPersist
-		if err := listen(history, histfile, persist); err != nil {
+		if err := listen(history, histfile, persist, *max); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	} else if *asSelector {
-		if err := selector(history); err != nil {
+		if err := selector(history, *max); err != nil {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/selector.go b/selector.go
index 1f5da5e..b4afabd 100644
--- a/selector.go
+++ b/selector.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-func selector(history []string) error {
+func selector(history []string, max int) error {
 
 	// reverse the history
 	for i, j := 0, len(history)-1; i < j; i, j = i+1, j-1 {