diff --git a/docs/TODO.md b/docs/TODO.md
index 45562d9..4c72383 100644
--- a/docs/TODO.md
+++ b/docs/TODO.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-To Do List for gLabels 4.0 -- 2018-10-06
+To Do List for gLabels 4.0 -- 2019-10-07
 ========================================
 
+Expose user variables to glabels-batch
+--------------------------------------
+There should be a way to set initial values of user variables from the glabels-batch
+command line.  Possibly even create them on the fly.
+
 Add programmable margin to text objects
 ---------------------------------------
 The current built-in fixed margin seems to confuse people when dealing with
diff --git a/glabels-batch/main.cpp b/glabels-batch/main.cpp
index 8240d02..b69afda 100644
--- a/glabels-batch/main.cpp
+++ b/glabels-batch/main.cpp
@@ -121,7 +121,11 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 		 QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "Print crop marks." ) },
 		
 		{{"r","reverse"},
-		 QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "Print in reverse (mirror image)." ) }
+		 QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "Print in reverse (mirror image)." ) },
+
+		{{"D","define"},
+		 QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "Set user variable <var> to <value>" ),
+		 QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "var>=<value" ) }
 	};
 
 
@@ -134,7 +138,23 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 	                              QCoreApplication::translate( "main", "gLabels project file to print." ),
 	                              "file" );
 	parser.process( app );
+
+	//
+	// Parse variable definitions from command line, if any
+	//
+	QMap<QString,QString> variableDefinitions;
 	
+	for ( QString definition : parser.values("define") )
+	{
+		QStringList parts = definition.split( '=' );
+		if ( parts.size() != 2 )
+		{
+			qWarning() << "Error: bad variable definition: " << definition;
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		variableDefinitions[ parts[0] ] = parts[1];
+	}
 
 	//
 	// Initialize subsystems
@@ -152,6 +172,8 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
 		glabels::model::Model *model = glabels::model::XmlLabelParser::readFile( filename );
 		if ( model )
 		{
+			model->variables()->setVariables( variableDefinitions );
+
 			QPrinter printer( QPrinter::HighResolution );
 			printer.setColorMode( QPrinter::Color );
 			if ( parser.isSet("printer") )
diff --git a/model/Variable.cpp b/model/Variable.cpp
index fa96462..56f8b6a 100644
--- a/model/Variable.cpp
+++ b/model/Variable.cpp
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ namespace glabels
 		}
 
 		
+		void Variable::setInitialValue( const QString& value )
+		{
+			mInitialValue = value;
+		}
+
+
 		void    Variable::resetValue()
 		{
 			switch (mType)
diff --git a/model/Variable.h b/model/Variable.h
index c18f74f..e0b8fe0 100644
--- a/model/Variable.h
+++ b/model/Variable.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ namespace glabels
 			Increment increment() const;
 			QString   stepSize() const;
 
+			void setInitialValue( const QString& value );
+
 			void    resetValue();
 			void    incrementValueOnItem();
 			void    incrementValueOnCopy();
diff --git a/model/Variables.cpp b/model/Variables.cpp
index 03fa927..4d16822 100644
--- a/model/Variables.cpp
+++ b/model/Variables.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,27 @@ namespace glabels
 		}
 
 
+		///
+		/// Set initial value of multiple variables
+		///
+		void Variables::setVariables( const QMap<QString,QString>& definitions )
+		{
+			for ( auto& name : definitions.keys() )
+			{
+				if ( hasVariable( name ) )
+				{
+					(*this)[name].setInitialValue( definitions[name] );
+				}
+				else
+				{
+					addVariable( Variable( Variable::Type::STRING,
+					                       name,
+					                       definitions[name] ) );
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		
+
 		///
 		/// Reset variables to their initial values
 		///
diff --git a/model/Variables.h b/model/Variables.h
index 379d56f..b636f18 100644
--- a/model/Variables.h
+++ b/model/Variables.h
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ namespace glabels
 			void deleteVariable( const QString& name );
 			void replaceVariable( const QString& name, const Variable& variable );
 
+			void setVariables( const QMap<QString,QString>& definitions );
+
 			void resetVariables();
 			void incrementVariablesOnItem();
 			void incrementVariablesOnCopy();