diff --git a/rpcs3/Input/pad_thread.cpp b/rpcs3/Input/pad_thread.cpp
index 026fa32d90..86e7d4f188 100644
--- a/rpcs3/Input/pad_thread.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/Input/pad_thread.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ LOG_CHANNEL(input_log, "Input");
 LOG_CHANNEL(sys_log, "SYS");
 
 extern bool is_input_allowed();
+extern std::string g_pad_profile_override;
 
 namespace pad
 {
@@ -102,10 +103,16 @@ void pad_thread::Init()
 
 	g_cfg_profile.load();
 
-	std::string active_profile = g_cfg_profile.active_profiles.get_value(pad::g_title_id);
+	std::string active_profile = g_pad_profile_override;
+
 	if (active_profile.empty())
 	{
-		active_profile = g_cfg_profile.active_profiles.get_value(g_cfg_profile.global_key);
+		active_profile = g_cfg_profile.active_profiles.get_value(pad::g_title_id);
+
+		if (active_profile.empty())
+		{
+			active_profile = g_cfg_profile.active_profiles.get_value(g_cfg_profile.global_key);
+		}
 	}
 
 	input_log.notice("Using pad profile: '%s'", active_profile);
diff --git a/rpcs3/main.cpp b/rpcs3/main.cpp
index f7a8a847a2..467134142e 100644
--- a/rpcs3/main.cpp
+++ b/rpcs3/main.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ static atomic_t<bool> s_no_gui = false;
 static atomic_t<char*> s_argv0;
 
 atomic_t<bool> g_start_games_fullscreen = false;
+std::string g_pad_profile_override;
 
 extern thread_local std::string(*g_tls_log_prefix)();
 extern thread_local std::string_view g_tls_serialize_name;
@@ -283,6 +284,7 @@ constexpr auto arg_styles       = "styles";
 constexpr auto arg_style        = "style";
 constexpr auto arg_stylesheet   = "stylesheet";
 constexpr auto arg_config       = "config";
+constexpr auto arg_pad_profile  = "pad-profile"; // only useful with no-gui
 constexpr auto arg_q_debug      = "qDebug";
 constexpr auto arg_error        = "error";
 constexpr auto arg_updating     = "updating";
@@ -635,6 +637,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 	parser.addOption(QCommandLineOption(arg_stylesheet, "Loads a custom stylesheet.", "path", ""));
 	const QCommandLineOption config_option(arg_config, "Forces the emulator to use this configuration file for CLI-booted game.", "path", "");
 	parser.addOption(config_option);
+	const QCommandLineOption pad_profile_option(arg_pad_profile, "Forces the emulator to use this pad profile file for CLI-booted game.", "name", "");
+	parser.addOption(pad_profile_option);
 	const QCommandLineOption installfw_option(arg_installfw, "Forces the emulator to install this firmware file.", "path", "");
 	parser.addOption(installfw_option);
 	const QCommandLineOption installpkg_option(arg_installpkg, "Forces the emulator to install this pkg file.", "path", "");
@@ -1211,6 +1215,21 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
 			}
 		}
 
+		if (parser.isSet(arg_pad_profile))
+		{
+			if (!s_no_gui)
+			{
+				report_fatal_error(fmt::format("The option '%s' can only be used in combination with '%s'.", arg_pad_profile, arg_no_gui));
+			}
+
+			g_pad_profile_override = parser.value(pad_profile_option).toStdString();
+
+			if (g_pad_profile_override.empty())
+			{
+				report_fatal_error(fmt::format("Pad profile name is empty"));
+			}
+		}
+
 		// Postpone startup to main event loop
 		Emu.CallFromMainThread([path = spath.starts_with("%RPCS3_") ? spath : sstr(QFileInfo(::at32(args, 0)).absoluteFilePath()), rpcs3_argv = std::move(rpcs3_argv), config_path = std::move(config_path)]() mutable
 		{