diff --git a/shell/ash.c b/shell/ash.c
index d20618d..bec37cf 100644
--- a/shell/ash.c
+++ b/shell/ash.c
@@ -7356,6 +7356,10 @@
 
 	if (sflag || minusc == NULL) {
 	  state4:			/* XXX ??? - why isn't this before the "if" statement */
+#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_SAVEHISTORY
+	    if ( iflag )
+	    	load_history ( ".ash_history" );
+#endif
 		cmdloop(1);
 	}
 #if PROFILE
@@ -7546,6 +7550,11 @@
 {
 	if (stoppedjobs())
 		return 0;
+#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_SAVEHISTORY
+	if ( iflag )
+		save_history ( ".ash_history" );
+#endif			
+		
 	if (argc > 1)
 		exitstatus = number(argv[1]);
 	else
diff --git a/shell/cmdedit.c b/shell/cmdedit.c
index b6e743e..73378e6 100644
--- a/shell/cmdedit.c
+++ b/shell/cmdedit.c
@@ -90,7 +90,12 @@
 
 
 /* Maximum length of the linked list for the command line history */
-#define MAX_HISTORY 15
+#ifndef CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_HISTORY
+#define MAX_HISTORY   15
+#else
+#define MAX_HISTORY   CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_HISTORY
+#endif
+
 #if MAX_HISTORY < 1
 #warning cmdedit: You set MAX_HISTORY < 1. The history algorithm switched off.
 #else
@@ -1125,6 +1130,55 @@
 		return 0;
 	}
 }
+
+
+extern void load_history ( char *fromfile )
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_SAVEHISTORY
+	FILE *fp;
+
+	// cleanup old
+	while ( n_history ) {
+		if ( history [n_history - 1] )
+			free ( history [n_history - 1] );
+		n_history--;
+	}
+
+	if (( fp = fopen ( fromfile, "r" ))) {
+		char buffer [256];
+		int i, l;
+	
+		for ( i = 0; i < MAX_HISTORY; i++ ) {
+			if ( !fgets ( buffer, sizeof( buffer ) - 1, fp ))
+				break;
+			l = xstrlen	( buffer );
+			if ( l && buffer [l - 1] == '\n' )
+				buffer [l - 1] = 0;
+			history [n_history++] = xstrdup ( buffer );
+		}
+		fclose ( fp );
+	}
+	cur_history = n_history;
+#endif
+}
+
+extern void save_history ( char *tofile )
+{
+#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_SAVEHISTORY
+	FILE *fp = fopen ( tofile, "w" );
+	
+	if ( fp ) {
+		int i;
+		
+		for ( i = 0; i < n_history; i++ ) {
+			fputs ( history [i], fp );
+			fputc ( '\n', fp );
+		}
+		fclose ( fp );
+	}
+#endif
+}
+
 #endif
 
 enum {
diff --git a/shell/cmdedit.h b/shell/cmdedit.h
index 8389357..045588d 100644
--- a/shell/cmdedit.h
+++ b/shell/cmdedit.h
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@
 
 int     cmdedit_read_input(char* promptStr, char* command);
 
+void    load_history ( char *fromfile );
+void    save_history ( char *tofile );
+
 #endif /* CMDEDIT_H */
diff --git a/shell/config.in b/shell/config.in
index b34c238..cb1365b 100644
--- a/shell/config.in
+++ b/shell/config.in
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 bool 'command line editing'		CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_EDITING
 bool 'tab completion'			CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_TAB_COMPLETION
 bool 'username completion'		CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_USERNAME_COMPLETION
+int  'history size'             CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_HISTORY  15
+bool 'history saving (currently only ash)'         CONFIG_FEATURE_COMMAND_SAVEHISTORY
 bool 'Standalone shell'			CONFIG_FEATURE_SH_STANDALONE_SHELL
 bool 'Standalone shell -- applets always win'	CONFIG_FEATURE_SH_APPLETS_ALWAYS_WIN
 bool 'Fancy shell prompts'	CONFIG_FEATURE_SH_FANCY_PROMPT