diff --git a/app.go b/app.go
index 333bd57b05..7e64c2d9f8 100644
--- a/app.go
+++ b/app.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"reflect"
 	"sort"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ type App struct {
 	Version string
 	// Description of the program
 	Description string
+	// DefaultCommand is the (optional) name of a command
+	// to run if no command names are passed as CLI arguments.
+	DefaultCommand string
 	// List of commands to execute
 	Commands []*Command
 	// List of flags to parse
@@ -333,13 +337,45 @@ func (a *App) RunContext(ctx context.Context, arguments []string) (err error) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	var c *Command
 	args := cCtx.Args()
 	if args.Present() {
 		name := args.First()
-		c := a.Command(name)
-		if c != nil {
-			return c.Run(cCtx)
+		if a.validCommandName(name) {
+			c = a.Command(name)
+		} else {
+			hasDefault := a.DefaultCommand != ""
+			isFlagName := checkStringSliceIncludes(name, cCtx.FlagNames())
+
+			var (
+				isDefaultSubcommand   = false
+				defaultHasSubcommands = false
+			)
+
+			if hasDefault {
+				dc := a.Command(a.DefaultCommand)
+				defaultHasSubcommands = len(dc.Subcommands) > 0
+				for _, dcSub := range dc.Subcommands {
+					if checkStringSliceIncludes(name, dcSub.Names()) {
+						isDefaultSubcommand = true
+						break
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			if isFlagName || (hasDefault && (defaultHasSubcommands && isDefaultSubcommand)) {
+				argsWithDefault := a.argsWithDefaultCommand(args)
+				if !reflect.DeepEqual(args, argsWithDefault) {
+					c = a.Command(argsWithDefault.First())
+				}
+			}
 		}
+	} else if a.DefaultCommand != "" {
+		c = a.Command(a.DefaultCommand)
+	}
+
+	if c != nil {
+		return c.Run(cCtx)
 	}
 
 	if a.Action == nil {
@@ -570,6 +606,41 @@ func (a *App) handleExitCoder(cCtx *Context, err error) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (a *App) commandNames() []string {
+	var cmdNames []string
+
+	for _, cmd := range a.Commands {
+		cmdNames = append(cmdNames, cmd.Names()...)
+	}
+
+	return cmdNames
+}
+
+func (a *App) validCommandName(checkCmdName string) bool {
+	valid := false
+	allCommandNames := a.commandNames()
+
+	for _, cmdName := range allCommandNames {
+		if checkCmdName == cmdName {
+			valid = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return valid
+}
+
+func (a *App) argsWithDefaultCommand(oldArgs Args) Args {
+	if a.DefaultCommand != "" {
+		rawArgs := append([]string{a.DefaultCommand}, oldArgs.Slice()...)
+		newArgs := args(rawArgs)
+
+		return &newArgs
+	}
+
+	return oldArgs
+}
+
 // Author represents someone who has contributed to a cli project.
 type Author struct {
 	Name  string // The Authors name
@@ -602,3 +673,15 @@ func HandleAction(action interface{}, cCtx *Context) (err error) {
 
 	return errInvalidActionType
 }
+
+func checkStringSliceIncludes(want string, sSlice []string) bool {
+	found := false
+	for _, s := range sSlice {
+		if want == s {
+			found = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	return found
+}
diff --git a/app_test.go b/app_test.go
index 3dd73abc16..437af25911 100644
--- a/app_test.go
+++ b/app_test.go
@@ -469,6 +469,175 @@ func TestApp_Command(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+var defaultCommandAppTests = []struct {
+	cmdName    string
+	defaultCmd string
+	expected   bool
+}{
+	{"foobar", "foobar", true},
+	{"batbaz", "foobar", true},
+	{"b", "", true},
+	{"f", "", true},
+	{"", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "", true},
+	{" ", "", false},
+	{"bat", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "", false},
+}
+
+func TestApp_RunDefaultCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range defaultCommandAppTests {
+		testTitle := fmt.Sprintf("command=%[1]s-default=%[2]s", test.cmdName, test.defaultCmd)
+		t.Run(testTitle, func(t *testing.T) {
+			app := &App{
+				DefaultCommand: test.defaultCmd,
+				Commands: []*Command{
+					{Name: "foobar", Aliases: []string{"f"}},
+					{Name: "batbaz", Aliases: []string{"b"}},
+				},
+			}
+
+			err := app.Run([]string{"c", test.cmdName})
+			expect(t, err == nil, test.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+var defaultCommandSubCmdAppTests = []struct {
+	cmdName    string
+	subCmd     string
+	defaultCmd string
+	expected   bool
+}{
+	{"foobar", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"foobar", "carly", "foobar", true},
+	{"batbaz", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"b", "", "", true},
+	{"f", "", "", true},
+	{"", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "", "", true},
+	{"", "jimbob", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "j", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "carly", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "jimmers", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "jimmers", "", true},
+	{" ", "jimmers", "foobar", false},
+	{"", "", "", true},
+	{" ", "", "", false},
+	{" ", "j", "", false},
+	{"bat", "", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "", "", false},
+	{"nothing", "j", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "carly", "", false},
+}
+
+func TestApp_RunDefaultCommandWithSubCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range defaultCommandSubCmdAppTests {
+		testTitle := fmt.Sprintf("command=%[1]s-subcmd=%[2]s-default=%[3]s", test.cmdName, test.subCmd, test.defaultCmd)
+		t.Run(testTitle, func(t *testing.T) {
+			app := &App{
+				DefaultCommand: test.defaultCmd,
+				Commands: []*Command{
+					{
+						Name:    "foobar",
+						Aliases: []string{"f"},
+						Subcommands: []*Command{
+							{Name: "jimbob", Aliases: []string{"j"}},
+							{Name: "carly"},
+						},
+					},
+					{Name: "batbaz", Aliases: []string{"b"}},
+				},
+			}
+
+			err := app.Run([]string{"c", test.cmdName, test.subCmd})
+			expect(t, err == nil, test.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+var defaultCommandFlagAppTests = []struct {
+	cmdName    string
+	flag       string
+	defaultCmd string
+	expected   bool
+}{
+	{"foobar", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"foobar", "-c derp", "foobar", true},
+	{"batbaz", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"b", "", "", true},
+	{"f", "", "", true},
+	{"", "", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "", "", true},
+	{"", "-j", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "-j", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "-c derp", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "--carly=derp", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "-j", "foobar", true},
+	{"", "-j", "", true},
+	{" ", "-j", "foobar", false},
+	{"", "", "", true},
+	{" ", "", "", false},
+	{" ", "-j", "", false},
+	{"bat", "", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "", "", false},
+	{"nothing", "--jimbob", "batbaz", false},
+	{"nothing", "--carly", "", false},
+}
+
+func TestApp_RunDefaultCommandWithFlags(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range defaultCommandFlagAppTests {
+		testTitle := fmt.Sprintf("command=%[1]s-flag=%[2]s-default=%[3]s", test.cmdName, test.flag, test.defaultCmd)
+		t.Run(testTitle, func(t *testing.T) {
+			app := &App{
+				DefaultCommand: test.defaultCmd,
+				Flags: []Flag{
+					&StringFlag{
+						Name:     "carly",
+						Aliases:  []string{"c"},
+						Required: false,
+					},
+					&BoolFlag{
+						Name:     "jimbob",
+						Aliases:  []string{"j"},
+						Required: false,
+						Value:    true,
+					},
+				},
+				Commands: []*Command{
+					{
+						Name:    "foobar",
+						Aliases: []string{"f"},
+					},
+					{Name: "batbaz", Aliases: []string{"b"}},
+				},
+			}
+
+			appArgs := []string{"c"}
+
+			if test.flag != "" {
+				flags := strings.Split(test.flag, " ")
+				if len(flags) > 1 {
+					appArgs = append(appArgs, flags...)
+				}
+
+				flags = strings.Split(test.flag, "=")
+				if len(flags) > 1 {
+					appArgs = append(appArgs, flags...)
+				}
+			}
+
+			appArgs = append(appArgs, test.cmdName)
+
+			err := app.Run(appArgs)
+			expect(t, err == nil, test.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestApp_Setup_defaultsReader(t *testing.T) {
 	app := &App{}
 	app.Setup()