diff --git a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_connection.c b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_connection.c
index cb1660090..65e522765 100644
--- a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_connection.c
+++ b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_connection.c
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ struct private_cmd_connection_t {
 	 */
 	bool key_seen;
 
+	/**
+	 * Whether to use childless IKE SA initiation
+	 */
+	childless_t childless;
+
 	/**
 	 * Selected connection profile
 	 */
@@ -149,6 +154,7 @@ static peer_cfg_t* create_peer_cfg(private_cmd_connection_t *this)
 		.remote = this->host,
 		.remote_port = IKEV2_UDP_PORT,
 		.fragmentation = FRAGMENTATION_YES,
+		.childless = this->childless,
 	};
 	peer_cfg_create_t peer = {
 		.cert_policy = CERT_SEND_IF_ASKED,
@@ -542,6 +548,13 @@ METHOD(cmd_connection_t, handle, bool,
 			}
 			this->child_proposals->insert_last(this->child_proposals, proposal);
 			break;
+		case CMD_OPT_CHILDLESS:
+			this->childless = CHILDLESS_PREFER;
+			if (arg && streq("force", arg))
+			{
+				this->childless = CHILDLESS_FORCE;
+			}
+			break;
 		case CMD_OPT_PROFILE:
 			set_profile(this, arg);
 			break;
@@ -582,6 +595,7 @@ cmd_connection_t *cmd_connection_create()
 		.remote_ts = linked_list_create(),
 		.ike_proposals = linked_list_create(),
 		.child_proposals = linked_list_create(),
+		.childless = CHILDLESS_NEVER,
 		.profile = PROF_UNDEF,
 	);
 
diff --git a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.c b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.c
index 8aa09050f..6731177c3 100644
--- a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.c
+++ b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.c
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ cmd_option_t cmd_options[CMD_OPT_COUNT] = {
 	  "a single ESP proposal to offer instead of the default", {}},
 	{ CMD_OPT_AH_PROPOSAL, "ah-proposal", required_argument, "proposal",
 	  "a single AH proposal to offer instead of the default", {}},
+	{ CMD_OPT_CHILDLESS, "childless", optional_argument, "force",
+	  "use childless IKE SA initiation if supported by the responder, ", {
+		"passing 'force' aborts if that's not the case",
+	}},
 	{ CMD_OPT_PROFILE, "profile", required_argument, "name",
 	  "authentication profile to use, where name is one of:", {
 		"  ikev2-pub, ikev2-eap, ikev2-pub-eap, ikev2-psk",
diff --git a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.h b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.h
index 0fe2f5698..47249181b 100644
--- a/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.h
+++ b/src/charon-cmd/cmd/cmd_options.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ enum cmd_option_type_t {
 	CMD_OPT_IKE_PROPOSAL,
 	CMD_OPT_AH_PROPOSAL,
 	CMD_OPT_ESP_PROPOSAL,
+	CMD_OPT_CHILDLESS,
 	CMD_OPT_PROFILE,
 
 	CMD_OPT_COUNT