diff --git a/aider/args.py b/aider/args.py
index c02254e49..852b42ee2 100644
--- a/aider/args.py
+++ b/aider/args.py
@@ -630,6 +630,12 @@ def get_parser(default_config_files, git_root):
         metavar="FILE",
         help="Apply the changes from the given file instead of running the chat (debug)",
     )
+    group.add_argument(
+        "--apply-clipboard-edits",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Apply clipboard contents as edits using the main model's editor format",
+        default=False,
+    )
     group.add_argument(
         "--yes-always",
         action="store_true",
diff --git a/aider/main.py b/aider/main.py
index 9ad59dc0b..463400a38 100644
--- a/aider/main.py
+++ b/aider/main.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-#ai: add a --apply-clipboard-edits switch which sets the edit-format to the main models editor format and acts as if "--msg /paste" was provided as an arg!
 
 import configparser
 import json
@@ -776,6 +775,10 @@ def main(argv=None, input=None, output=None, force_git_root=None, return_coder=F
         coder.apply_updates()
         return
 
+    if args.apply_clipboard_edits:
+        args.edit_format = main_model.editor_edit_format
+        args.message = "/paste"
+
     if "VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE" in os.environ:
         args.pretty = False
         io.tool_output("VSCode terminal detected, pretty output has been disabled.")