diff --git a/code/controllers/configuration.dm b/code/controllers/configuration.dm
index 7750a40074f..7447cde5f6c 100644
--- a/code/controllers/configuration.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/configuration.dm
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@
 	var/randomize_shift_time = FALSE
 	var/enable_night_shifts = FALSE
 
+	// Developer
+	var/developer_express_start = 0
+
 /datum/configuration/New()
 	for(var/T in subtypesof(/datum/game_mode))
 		var/datum/game_mode/M = T
@@ -617,6 +620,8 @@
 					config.high_pop_mc_mode_amount = text2num(value)
 				if("disable_high_pop_mc_mode_amount")
 					config.disable_high_pop_mc_mode_amount = text2num(value)
+				if("developer_express_start")
+					config.developer_express_start = 1
 				else
 					diary << "Unknown setting in configuration: '[name]'"
 
diff --git a/code/controllers/master.dm b/code/controllers/master.dm
index 28395717f08..25d6923dbd0 100644
--- a/code/controllers/master.dm
+++ b/code/controllers/master.dm
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ GLOBAL_REAL(Master, /datum/controller/master) = new
 	var/static/restart_clear = 0
 	var/static/restart_timeout = 0
 	var/static/restart_count = 0
-	
+
 	var/static/random_seed
 
 	//current tick limit, assigned before running a subsystem.
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ GLOBAL_REAL(Master, /datum/controller/master) = new
 	if(!random_seed)
 		random_seed = rand(1, 1e9)
 		rand_seed(random_seed)
-	
+
 	var/list/_subsystems = list()
 	subsystems = _subsystems
 	if(Master != src)
@@ -193,6 +193,9 @@ GLOBAL_REAL(Master, /datum/controller/master) = new
 	to_chat(world, "<span class='boldannounce'>[msg]</span>")
 	log_to_dd(msg)
 
+	if(config.developer_express_start & ticker.current_state == GAME_STATE_PREGAME)
+		ticker.current_state = GAME_STATE_SETTING_UP
+
 	if(!current_runlevel)
 		SetRunLevel(1)
 
diff --git a/config/example/config.txt b/config/example/config.txt
index 95ec5292021..69fa34128b1 100644
--- a/config/example/config.txt
+++ b/config/example/config.txt
@@ -371,3 +371,6 @@ HIGH_POP_MC_MODE_AMOUNT 65
 
 ##Disengage high pop mode if player count drops below this
 DISABLE_HIGH_POP_MC_MODE_AMOUNT 60
+
+##Uncomment to enable developer start. Auto starts the server after initialization
+##DEVELOPER_EXPRESS_START
\ No newline at end of file