diff --git a/argv.go b/argv.go
index 6f9a8d2..d6e3c64 100644
--- a/argv.go
+++ b/argv.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ type ImportXml struct {
 	DomainName string   `arg:"--domain"                          help:"the virsh domain name"`
 	Host       string   `arg:"--host"                            help:"the hypervisor hostname (optional)"`
 	Delete     bool     `arg:"--delete"          default:"false" help:"delete the old xml after import"`
+	Force      bool     `arg:"--force"           default:"false" help:"attempts to merge xml with existing protobuf"`
 }
 
 type args struct {
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 5898ba2..456e67b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ func main() {
 		log.Info("\n\nshould import here", argv.Start, "\n")
 		log.Info("import", argv.Import.Host, argv.Import.DomainName)
 		url := "/import?domainName=" +  argv.Import.DomainName
+		if argv.Import.Force {
+			url += "&force=true"
+		}
 		dumpStdout(url)
 	}
 }