diff --git a/website/assets/sample.aider.conf.yml b/website/assets/sample.aider.conf.yml
index f6b3233ac..8aaac6dc0 100644
--- a/website/assets/sample.aider.conf.yml
+++ b/website/assets/sample.aider.conf.yml
@@ -223,6 +223,9 @@
 ## Print the system prompts and exit (debug)
 #show-prompts: false
 
+## Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)
+#exit: false
+
 ## Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)
 #message:
 
diff --git a/website/assets/sample.env b/website/assets/sample.env
index 72cc98a3a..e14e2c1d0 100644
--- a/website/assets/sample.env
+++ b/website/assets/sample.env
@@ -228,6 +228,9 @@
 ## Print the system prompts and exit (debug)
 #AIDER_SHOW_PROMPTS=false
 
+## Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)
+#AIDER_EXIT=false
+
 ## Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)
 #AIDER_MESSAGE=
 
diff --git a/website/docs/config/aider_conf.md b/website/docs/config/aider_conf.md
index 428ff55d2..977d5c26b 100644
--- a/website/docs/config/aider_conf.md
+++ b/website/docs/config/aider_conf.md
@@ -251,6 +251,9 @@ cog.outl("```")
 ## Print the system prompts and exit (debug)
 #show-prompts: false
 
+## Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)
+#exit: false
+
 ## Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)
 #message:
 
diff --git a/website/docs/config/dotenv.md b/website/docs/config/dotenv.md
index dfede0e8e..e0d2b00c6 100644
--- a/website/docs/config/dotenv.md
+++ b/website/docs/config/dotenv.md
@@ -261,6 +261,9 @@ cog.outl("```")
 ## Print the system prompts and exit (debug)
 #AIDER_SHOW_PROMPTS=false
 
+## Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)
+#AIDER_EXIT=false
+
 ## Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)
 #AIDER_MESSAGE=
 
diff --git a/website/docs/config/options.md b/website/docs/config/options.md
index b9bb5c228..58558a5b8 100644
--- a/website/docs/config/options.md
+++ b/website/docs/config/options.md
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ usage: aider [-h] [--openai-api-key] [--anthropic-api-key] [--model]
              [--test-cmd] [--auto-test | --no-auto-test] [--test]
              [--vim] [--voice-language] [--version] [--check-update]
              [--skip-check-update] [--apply] [--yes] [-v]
-             [--show-repo-map] [--show-prompts] [--message]
+             [--show-repo-map] [--show-prompts] [--exit] [--message]
              [--message-file] [--encoding] [-c] [--gui]
 
 ```
@@ -425,6 +425,11 @@ Print the system prompts and exit (debug)
 Default: False  
 Environment variable: `AIDER_SHOW_PROMPTS`  
 
+### `--exit`
+Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)  
+Default: False  
+Environment variable: `AIDER_EXIT`  
+
 ### `--message COMMAND`
 Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)  
 Environment variable: `AIDER_MESSAGE`