diff --git a/SimplySerial/SimplySerial.cs b/SimplySerial/SimplySerial.cs
index 2fce8dc..ae03a4c 100644
--- a/SimplySerial/SimplySerial.cs
+++ b/SimplySerial/SimplySerial.cs
@@ -13,54 +13,23 @@ namespace SimplySerial
         static bool _continue = true;
         static SerialPort _serialPort;
 
+        static bool Quiet = false;
+        static bool NoWait = false;
+        
+        // default comspec values set here will be overridden by values passed through command-line arguments
+        static string port = string.Empty;
+        static int baud = 9600;
+        static Parity parity = Parity.None;
+        static int dataBits = 8;
+        static StopBits stopBits = StopBits.One;
 
         static void Main(string[] args)
         {
-
+            ProcessArguments(args);
 
             ConsoleKeyInfo cki = new ConsoleKeyInfo();
             Console.TreatControlCAsInput = true;
 
-            // default comspec values (will be overridden by command-line arguments)
-            string[] availablePorts = SerialPort.GetPortNames();
-            string port = string.Empty;
-            int baud = 9600;
-            Parity parity = Parity.None;
-            int dataBits = 8;
-            StopBits stopBits = StopBits.One;
-
-            if (availablePorts.Count() < 1)
-                ExitProgram("No COM ports detected.", -1);
-            else
-                port = availablePorts[0];
-
-            for(int i = 0; i < args.Count(); i++)
-            {
-                if ((args[i].ToLower()).StartsWith("-c"))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("PORT: {0}", args[i]);
-                }
-                if ((args[i].ToLower()).StartsWith("-b"))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("BAUD: {0}", args[i]);
-                }
-                if ((args[i].ToLower()).StartsWith("-p"))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("PARITY: {0}", args[i]);
-                }
-                if ((args[i].ToLower()).StartsWith("-d"))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("DATABITS: {0}", args[i]);
-                }
-                if ((args[i].ToLower()).StartsWith("-s"))
-                {
-                    Console.WriteLine("STOPBITS: {0}", args[i]);
-                }
-            }
-
-
-
-            ExitProgram("That's All Folks!", 1);
 
             _serialPort = new SerialPort("COM15", 9600, Parity.None, 8, StopBits.One);
             _serialPort.Handshake = Handshake.None;
@@ -107,12 +76,128 @@ namespace SimplySerial
 
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Validates and processes any command-line arguments that were passed in.  Invalid arguments will halt program execution.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="args">Command-line parameters</param>
+        static void ProcessArguments(string[] args)
+        {
+            // get a list of all available com ports
+            string[] availablePorts = SerialPort.GetPortNames();
+
+            // iterate through command-line arguments
+            foreach (string arg in args)
+            {
+                // split argument into components based on 'key:value' formatting             
+                string[] argument = arg.Split(':');
+
+                // switch to lower case and remove '/', '--' and '-' from beginning of arguments - we can process correctly without them
+                argument[0] = (argument[0].TrimStart('/', '-')).ToLower();
+
+                // help
+                if (argument[0].StartsWith("h") || argument[0].StartsWith("?"))
+                {
+                    ExitProgram("Sorry, you're on your own.", 0);
+                }
+
+                // quiet (no output to console other than comes in via serial)
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("q"))
+                {
+                    SimplySerial.Quiet = true;
+                }
+
+                // nowait (disables the "press any key to exit" function)
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("n"))
+                {
+                    SimplySerial.NoWait = true;
+                }
+
+                // the remainder of possible command-line arguments require two parameters, so let's enforce that now
+                else if (argument.Count() < 2)
+                {
+                    ExitProgram(("Invalid or incomplete argument <" + arg + ">\nTry 'SimplySerial help' to see a list of valid arguments"), -1);
+                }
+
+                // com port 
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("c"))
+                {
+                    string newPort = argument[1].ToUpper();
+
+                    if (!argument[1].StartsWith("COM"))
+                        newPort = "COM" + argument[1];
+                    if (!availablePorts.Contains(newPort))
+                        ExitProgram("Cannot find specified port <" + newPort + ">", -1);
+                    port = newPort;
+                    Output("PORT: " + port);
+                }
+
+                // baud rate
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("b"))
+                {
+                    //validate requested baud rate
+                    Output("BAUD: " + argument[1]);
+                }
+
+                // parity
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("p"))
+                {
+                    //validate requested COM port
+                    Output("PARITY: " + argument[1]);
+                }
+
+                // databits
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("d"))
+                {
+                    //validate requested data bits
+                    Output("DATABITS: " + argument[1]);
+                }
+
+                // stopbits
+                else if (argument[0].StartsWith("s"))
+                {
+                    //validate requested stop bits
+                    Output("STOPBITS: " + argument[1]);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    ExitProgram(("Invalid or incomplete argument <" + arg + ">\nTry 'SimplySerial help' to see a list of valid arguments"), -1);
+                }
+            }
+
+            // default to the first/only available com port, exit with error if no ports are available
+            if (availablePorts.Count() >= 1)
+                SimplySerial.port = availablePorts[0];
+            else
+                ExitProgram("No COM ports detected.", -1);
+
+            ExitProgram("That's All Folks!", 1);
+
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Writes messages using Console.WriteLine() as long as the 'Quiet' option hasn't been enabled
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="message">Message to output (assuming 'Quiet' is false)</param>
+        static void Output(string message)
+        {
+            if (!SimplySerial.Quiet)
+                Console.WriteLine(message);
+        }
+        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Writes the specified exit message to the console, then waits for user to press a key before halting program execution.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="message">Message to display - should indicate the reason why the program is terminating.</param>
+        /// <param name="exitCode">Code to return to parent process.  Should be &lt;0 if an error occurred, &gt;=0 if program is terminating normally.</param>
         static void ExitProgram(string message, int exitCode)
         {
-            Console.WriteLine(message);
+            Output(message);
             Console.WriteLine("\nPress any key to exit...");
-            while (!Console.KeyAvailable)
-                Thread.Sleep(25);
+            if (!SimplySerial.NoWait)
+            {
+                while (!Console.KeyAvailable)
+                    Thread.Sleep(25);
+            }
             Environment.Exit(exitCode);
         }
     }