diff --git a/client.c b/client.c
index faa7c919..7d188609 100644
--- a/client.c
+++ b/client.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ print_usage(const char *prog_name)
     printf("\n");
     printf("Options:\n");
     printf("  -t,--term=TERM                        value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)\n"
+           "     --maximized                        start in maximized mode\n"
+           "     --fullscreen                       start in fullscreen mode\n"
            "     --login-shell                      start shell as a login shell\n"
            "  -s,--server-socket=PATH               path to the server UNIX domain socket (default=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/foot-$XDG_SESSION_ID.sock)\n"
            "  -l,--log-colorize=[never|always|auto] enable/disable colorization of log output on stderr\n"
@@ -48,6 +50,8 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
 
     static const struct option longopts[] =  {
         {"term",          required_argument, 0, 't'},
+        {"maximized",     no_argument,       0, 'm'},
+        {"fullscreen",    no_argument,       0, 'F'},
         {"login-shell",   no_argument,       0, 'L'},
         {"server-socket", required_argument, 0, 's'},
         {"log-colorize",  optional_argument, NULL, 'l'},
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     const char *server_socket_path = NULL;
     enum log_colorize log_colorize = LOG_COLORIZE_AUTO;
     bool login_shell = false;
+    bool maximized = false;
+    bool fullscreen = false;
 
     while (true) {
         int c = getopt_long(argc, argv, ":t:s:l::hv", longopts, NULL);
@@ -75,6 +81,16 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
             login_shell = true;
             break;
 
+        case ',':
+            maximized = true;
+            fullscreen = false;
+            break;
+
+        case 'F':
+            fullscreen = true;
+            maximized = false;
+            break;
+
         case 's':
             server_socket_path = optarg;
             break;
@@ -177,6 +193,8 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
     /* Calculate total length */
     total_len += sizeof(cwd_len) + cwd_len;
     total_len += sizeof(term_len) + term_len;
+    total_len += sizeof(uint8_t);  /* maximized */
+    total_len += sizeof(uint8_t);  /* fullscreen */
     total_len += sizeof(uint8_t);  /* login_shell */
     total_len += sizeof(argc);
 
@@ -207,6 +225,16 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         goto err;
     }
 
+    if (send(fd, &(uint8_t){maximized}, sizeof(uint8_t), 0) != sizeof(uint8_t)) {
+        LOG_ERRNO("failed to send maximized");
+        goto err;
+    }
+
+    if (send(fd, &(uint8_t){fullscreen}, sizeof(uint8_t), 0) != sizeof(uint8_t)) {
+        LOG_ERRNO("failed to send fullscreen");
+        goto err;
+    }
+
     if (send(fd, &(uint8_t){login_shell}, sizeof(uint8_t), 0) != sizeof(uint8_t)) {
         LOG_ERRNO("failed to send login-shell");
         goto err;
diff --git a/completions/zsh/_footclient b/completions/zsh/_footclient
index 75a99b95..7f8c8009 100644
--- a/completions/zsh/_footclient
+++ b/completions/zsh/_footclient
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 _arguments \
     -s \
     '(-t --term)'{-t,--term}'[value to set the environment variable TERM to (foot)]:term:->terms' \
+    '--maximized[start in maximized mode]' \
+    '--fullscreen[start in fullscreen mode]' \
     '--login-shell[start shell as a login shell]' \
     '(-s --server-socket)'{-s,--server-socket}'[override the default path to the foot server socket (XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/foot.sock)]:server:_files' \
     '(-l --log-colorize)'{-l,--log-colorize}'[enable or disable colorization of log output on stderr]:logcolor:(never always auto)' \
diff --git a/doc/footclient.1.scd b/doc/footclient.1.scd
index d6115906..a4de1089 100644
--- a/doc/footclient.1.scd
+++ b/doc/footclient.1.scd
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ execute (instead of the shell).
 *-t*,*--term*=_TERM_
 	Value to set the environment variable _TERM_ to. Default: _foot_.
 
+*--maximized*
+	Start in maximized mode. If both *--maximized* and *--fullscreen*
+	are specified, the _last_ one takes precedence.
+
+*--fullscreen*
+	Start in fullscreen mode. If both *--maximized* and *--fullscreen*
+	are specified, the _last_ one takes precedence.
+
 *--login-shell*
 	Start a login shell, by prepending a '-' to argv[0].
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index bf73c199..0d8dc139 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -360,8 +360,7 @@ main(int argc, char *const *argv)
         goto out;
 
     if (!as_server && (term = term_init(
-                           &conf, fdm, wayl, conf.term, conf.login_shell,
-                           "foot", cwd, argc, argv,
+                           &conf, fdm, wayl, "foot", cwd, argc, argv,
                            &term_shutdown_cb, &shutdown_ctx)) == NULL) {
         free(cwd);
         goto out;
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index 710e7e9d..42116f27 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct client {
         size_t idx;
     } buffer;
 
+    struct config conf;
     struct terminal *term;
 };
 
@@ -69,6 +70,11 @@ client_destroy(struct client *client)
     }
 
     free(client->buffer.data);
+
+    /* TODO: clone server conf completely, so that we can just call
+     * conf_destroy() here */
+    free(client->conf.term);
+
     free(client);
 }
 
@@ -218,6 +224,12 @@ fdm_client(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
         goto shutdown;
     }
 
+    CHECK_BUF(sizeof(uint8_t));
+    const uint8_t maximized = *(const uint8_t *)p; p += sizeof(maximized);
+
+    CHECK_BUF(sizeof(uint8_t));
+    const uint8_t fullscreen = *(const uint8_t *)p; p += sizeof(fullscreen);
+
     CHECK_BUF(sizeof(uint8_t));
     const uint8_t login_shell = *(const uint8_t *)p; p += sizeof(login_shell);
 
@@ -244,9 +256,18 @@ fdm_client(struct fdm *fdm, int fd, int events, void *data)
 
 #undef CHECK_BUF
 
+    client->conf = *server->conf;
+    client->conf.term = strlen(term_env) > 0
+        ? strdup(term_env) : strdup(server->conf->term);
+    client->conf.login_shell = login_shell;
+
+    if (maximized)
+        client->conf.startup_mode = STARTUP_MAXIMIZED;
+    else if (fullscreen)
+        client->conf.startup_mode = STARTUP_FULLSCREEN;
+
     client->term = term_init(
-        server->conf, server->fdm, server->wayl,
-        strlen(term_env) > 0 ? term_env : server->conf->term, login_shell,
+        &client->conf, server->fdm, server->wayl,
         "footclient", cwd, argc, argv, &term_shutdown_handler, client);
 
     if (client->term == NULL) {
diff --git a/terminal.c b/terminal.c
index 41b0ccd9..73c5d943 100644
--- a/terminal.c
+++ b/terminal.c
@@ -616,8 +616,7 @@ load_fonts_from_conf(const struct terminal *term, const struct config *conf,
 
 struct terminal *
 term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
-          const char *term_env, bool login_shell, const char *foot_exe,
-          const char *cwd, int argc, char *const *argv,
+          const char *foot_exe, const char *cwd, int argc, char *const *argv,
           void (*shutdown_cb)(void *data, int exit_code), void *shutdown_data)
 {
     int ptmx = -1;
@@ -815,8 +814,12 @@ term_init(const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
     }
 
     /* Start the slave/client */
-    if ((term->slave = slave_spawn(term->ptmx, argc, term->cwd, argv, term_env, conf->shell, login_shell)) == -1)
+    if ((term->slave = slave_spawn(
+             term->ptmx, argc, term->cwd, argv,
+             conf->term, conf->shell, conf->login_shell)) == -1)
+    {
         goto err;
+    }
 
 
     return term;
diff --git a/terminal.h b/terminal.h
index 3685c0d7..d7d4d705 100644
--- a/terminal.h
+++ b/terminal.h
@@ -430,8 +430,7 @@ struct terminal {
 struct config;
 struct terminal *term_init(
     const struct config *conf, struct fdm *fdm, struct wayland *wayl,
-    const char *term_env, bool login_shell, const char *foot_exe,
-    const char *cwd, int argc, char *const *argv,
+    const char *foot_exe, const char *cwd, int argc, char *const *argv,
     void (*shutdown_cb)(void *data, int exit_code), void *shutdown_data);
 
 bool term_shutdown(struct terminal *term);