diff --git a/docs/doxygen/mainpages/samples.h b/docs/doxygen/mainpages/samples.h
index ae268507bc..29807d67ff 100644
--- a/docs/doxygen/mainpages/samples.h
+++ b/docs/doxygen/mainpages/samples.h
@@ -301,6 +301,11 @@ wxDebugReportUpload will report an error.
 This sample shows how to use the common dialogs available from wxWidgets. These
 dialogs are described in detail in the @ref overview_cmndlg.
 
+In addition to the dialogs accessible from the sample menus, you can also run
+it with a <code>--progress=style</code> command line option to show a
+wxProgressDialog with the given style (try 0 for the default style) on program
+startup, before the main window is shown.
+
 @sampledir{dialogs}
 
 @section page_samples_dialup Dialup Sample
diff --git a/samples/dialogs/dialogs.cpp b/samples/dialogs/dialogs.cpp
index 3abb136139..53fd1a8c46 100644
--- a/samples/dialogs/dialogs.cpp
+++ b/samples/dialogs/dialogs.cpp
@@ -277,12 +277,63 @@ BEGIN_EVENT_TABLE(StdButtonSizerDialog, wxDialog)
     EVT_RADIOBUTTON(wxID_ANY, StdButtonSizerDialog::OnEvent)
 END_EVENT_TABLE()
 
+#if wxUSE_CMDLINE_PARSER
+
+#include "wx/cmdline.h"
+
+static const char *PROGRESS_SWITCH = "progress";
+
+void MyApp::OnInitCmdLine(wxCmdLineParser& parser)
+{
+    wxApp::OnInitCmdLine(parser);
+
+    parser.AddOption("", PROGRESS_SWITCH,
+                     "Style for the startup progress dialog (wxPD_XXX)",
+                     wxCMD_LINE_VAL_NUMBER);
+}
+
+bool MyApp::OnCmdLineParsed(wxCmdLineParser& parser)
+{
+    if ( !wxApp::OnCmdLineParsed(parser) )
+        return false;
+
+    parser.Found(PROGRESS_SWITCH, &m_startupProgressStyle);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+#endif // wxUSE_CMDLINE_PARSER
+
 // `Main program' equivalent, creating windows and returning main app frame
 bool MyApp::OnInit()
 {
     if ( !wxApp::OnInit() )
         return false;
 
+#if wxUSE_PROGRESSDLG
+    if ( m_startupProgressStyle != -1 )
+    {
+        // Show a test progress dialog before the main event loop is started:
+        // it should still work.
+        const int PROGRESS_COUNT = 100;
+        wxProgressDialog dlg
+                         (
+                            "Progress in progress",
+                            "Please wait, starting...",
+                            PROGRESS_COUNT,
+                            NULL,
+                            m_startupProgressStyle
+                         );
+        for ( int i = 0; i <= PROGRESS_COUNT; i++ )
+        {
+            if ( !dlg.Update(i) )
+                break;
+
+            wxMilliSleep(50);
+        }
+    }
+#endif // wxUSE_PROGRESSDLG
+
 #if wxUSE_IMAGE
     wxInitAllImageHandlers();
 #endif
diff --git a/samples/dialogs/dialogs.h b/samples/dialogs/dialogs.h
index d63cd1717b..71a1f53b61 100644
--- a/samples/dialogs/dialogs.h
+++ b/samples/dialogs/dialogs.h
@@ -115,12 +115,26 @@ public:
 class MyApp: public wxApp
 {
 public:
+    MyApp() { m_startupProgressStyle = -1; }
+
     virtual bool OnInit();
 
+#if wxUSE_CMDLINE_PARSER
+    virtual void OnInitCmdLine(wxCmdLineParser& parser);
+    virtual bool OnCmdLineParsed(wxCmdLineParser& parser);
+#endif // wxUSE_CMDLINE_PARSER
+
 protected:
 #if wxUSE_LOG
     virtual wxAppTraits *CreateTraits() { return new MyAppTraits; }
 #endif // wxUSE_LOG
+
+private:
+    // Flag set to a valid value if command line option "progress" is used,
+    // this allows testing of wxProgressDialog before the main event loop is
+    // started. If this option is not specified it is set to -1 by default
+    // meaning that progress dialog shouldn't be shown at all.
+    long m_startupProgressStyle;
 };
 
 #if USE_MODAL_PRESENTATION