diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilder.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilder.java
index e0e0728e50a..7578e89e722 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilder.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilder.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public class SpringApplicationBuilder {
 			// If already created we just return the existing context
 			return this.context;
 		}
-		configureAsChildIfNecessary();
+		configureAsChildIfNecessary(args);
 		if (this.running.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
 			synchronized (this.running) {
 				// If not already running copy the sources over and then run.
@@ -137,14 +137,14 @@ public class SpringApplicationBuilder {
 		return this.context;
 	}
 
-	private void configureAsChildIfNecessary() {
+	private void configureAsChildIfNecessary(String... args) {
 		if (this.parent != null && !this.configuredAsChild) {
 			this.configuredAsChild = true;
 			if (!this.registerShutdownHookApplied) {
 				this.application.setRegisterShutdownHook(false);
 			}
-			initializers(
-					new ParentContextApplicationContextInitializer(this.parent.run()));
+			initializers(new ParentContextApplicationContextInitializer(
+					this.parent.run(args)));
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -153,7 +153,17 @@ public class SpringApplicationBuilder {
 	 * @return the fully configured {@link SpringApplication}.
 	 */
 	public SpringApplication build() {
-		configureAsChildIfNecessary();
+		return build(new String[0]);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns a fully configured {@link SpringApplication} that is ready to run. Any
+	 * parent that has been configured will be run with the given {@code args}.
+	 * @param args the parent's args
+	 * @return the fully configured {@link SpringApplication}.
+	 */
+	public SpringApplication build(String... args) {
+		configureAsChildIfNecessary(args);
 		this.application.setSources(this.sources);
 		return this.application;
 	}
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilderTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilderTests.java
index f6dbb00d8ab..7967755522c 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilderTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/builder/SpringApplicationBuilderTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2015 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2016 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import org.springframework.boot.ApplicationArguments;
 import org.springframework.boot.test.ApplicationContextTestUtils;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
 import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContextInitializer;
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.DefaultResourceLoader;
 import org.springframework.core.io.ResourceLoader;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.contains;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
@@ -103,11 +105,15 @@ public class SpringApplicationBuilderTests {
 		SpringApplicationBuilder application = new SpringApplicationBuilder(
 				ChildConfig.class).contextClass(SpyApplicationContext.class);
 		application.parent(ExampleConfig.class);
-		this.context = application.run();
+		this.context = application.run("foo.bar=baz");
 		verify(((SpyApplicationContext) this.context).getApplicationContext())
 				.setParent(any(ApplicationContext.class));
 		assertThat(((SpyApplicationContext) this.context).getRegisteredShutdownHook(),
 				equalTo(false));
+		assertThat(this.context.getParent().getBean(ApplicationArguments.class)
+				.getNonOptionArgs(), contains("foo.bar=baz"));
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(ApplicationArguments.class).getNonOptionArgs(),
+				contains("foo.bar=baz"));
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -115,11 +121,15 @@ public class SpringApplicationBuilderTests {
 		SpringApplicationBuilder application = new SpringApplicationBuilder(
 				ChildConfig.class).contextClass(SpyApplicationContext.class);
 		application.parent(ExampleConfig.class);
-		this.context = application.build().run();
+		this.context = application.build("a=alpha").run("b=bravo");
 		verify(((SpyApplicationContext) this.context).getApplicationContext())
 				.setParent(any(ApplicationContext.class));
 		assertThat(((SpyApplicationContext) this.context).getRegisteredShutdownHook(),
 				equalTo(false));
+		assertThat(this.context.getParent().getBean(ApplicationArguments.class)
+				.getNonOptionArgs(), contains("a=alpha"));
+		assertThat(this.context.getBean(ApplicationArguments.class).getNonOptionArgs(),
+				contains("b=bravo"));
 	}
 
 	@Test