diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d6bc35ef..01b6ea99 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ endif()
 
 install(PROGRAMS scripts/upgrade-world.sh
   DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_BIN_DESTINATION})
+install(PROGRAMS scripts/rosparam_instantiate.py
+  DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_BIN_DESTINATION})
 
 install(TARGETS stageros
   ARCHIVE DESTINATION ${CATKIN_PACKAGE_LIB_DESTINATION}
diff --git a/scripts/rosparam_instantiate.py b/scripts/rosparam_instantiate.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9b4e6362
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/rosparam_instantiate.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+import rospy
+import sys
+
+def instantiate_rosparams(world_str_in, rosparam_objs):
+	"""
+	Include this function if you want to embed this script's functionality in your own script.
+	"""
+	world_str_out = world_str_in + '\n\n# Additional rosparam objects\n\n'
+
+	for obj_name, obj_props in rosparam_objs.items():
+		try:
+			obj_str = obj_props['model_type'] + '\n(\n'
+			obj_str += '    name "%s"\n' % str(obj_name)
+			for prop, val in obj_props.items():
+				if str(prop) == 'model_type': continue
+				obj_str += '    %s ' % str(prop)
+				if isinstance(val, int) or isinstance(val, float):
+					obj_str += str(val)
+				elif isinstance(val, list):
+					obj_str += '[ %s ]' % ' '.join(map(str, val))
+				else:
+					obj_str += '"%s"' % str(val)
+				obj_str += '\n'
+			obj_str += ')\n\n'
+			world_str_out += obj_str
+
+		except Exception as e:
+			rospy.logwarn('Skip inserting "%s" into stage world:\n%s' % (str(obj_name), str(e)))
+
+	return world_str_out
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+
+	rospy.init_node('stage_rosparam_instantiate')
+
+	if len(sys.argv) != 4:
+		rospy.logwarn('''Failed to instantiate objects in stage world: Wrong number of arguments!
+Usage: rosparam_instantiate.py worldfile_in rosparam_ns worldfile_out
+ - worldfile_in:  Path to initial .world file.
+ - rosparam_ns:   Namespace which contains the objects to be instantiated.
+ - worldfile_out: Path to resulting .world file (loaded by stage).''')
+
+	else:
+		worldfile_in = sys.argv[1]
+		rosparam_ns = sys.argv[2]
+		worldfile_out = sys.argv[-1]
+
+		world_str_out = None
+		try:
+			world_str_in = ""
+			with open(worldfile_in, 'r') as f:
+				world_str_in = f.read()
+
+			rosparam_objs = rospy.get_param(rosparam_ns)
+			if not isinstance(rosparam_objs, dict):
+				raise TypeError(rosparam_objs.__class__)
+
+			# do the work...
+			world_str_out = instantiate_rosparams(world_str_in, rosparam_objs)
+
+		except IOError as e:
+			rospy.logerr('Unable to load initial .world file for stage:\n%s' % str(e))
+		except KeyError as e:
+			rospy.logerr('Unable to access rosparam for stage:\nMissing key: %s' % str(e))
+		except TypeError as e:
+			rospy.logerr("Type mismatch of rosparam for stage:\nParam '%s' is %s, but should be a dictionary/namespace." % (rosparam_ns, str(e)))
+
+		if world_str_out is not None:
+			header_label = '# AUTO-GENERATED FILE by rosparam_instantiate.py'
+			header_args = '# args: ' + ' '.join(sys.argv[1:])
+			header_border = '#' * (max(len(header_label), len(header_args)) + 1)
+			header = '\n'.join([header_border, header_label, header_args, header_border, '\n'])
+
+			try:
+				with open(worldfile_out, 'w') as f:
+					f.write(header)
+					f.write(world_str_out)
+
+			except IOError as e:
+				rospy.logerr('Unable to write resulting .world file for stage:\n%s' % str(e))
diff --git a/src/stageros.cpp b/src/stageros.cpp
index b6a58699..bfd77328 100644
--- a/src/stageros.cpp
+++ b/src/stageros.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class StageNode
 public:
     // Constructor; stage itself needs argc/argv.  fname is the .world file
     // that stage should load.
-    StageNode(int argc, char** argv, bool gui, const char* fname, bool use_model_names);
+    StageNode(int argc, char** argv, bool gui, const char* fname, bool use_model_names, const char* compute_cmd);
     ~StageNode();
 
     // Subscribe to models of interest.  Currently, we find and subscribe
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ StageNode::cmdvelReceived(int idx, const boost::shared_ptr<geometry_msgs::Twist
     this->base_last_cmd = this->sim_time;
 }
 
-StageNode::StageNode(int argc, char** argv, bool gui, const char* fname, bool use_model_names)
+StageNode::StageNode(int argc, char** argv, bool gui, const char* fname, bool use_model_names, const char* compute_cmd)
 {
     this->use_model_names = use_model_names;
     this->sim_time.fromSec(0.0);
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ StageNode::StageNode(int argc, char** argv, bool gui, const char* fname, bool us
     if(!localn.getParam("is_depth_canonical", isDepthCanonical))
         isDepthCanonical = true;
 
+    if(strcmp(compute_cmd, ""))
+        system(compute_cmd);
 
     // We'll check the existence of the world file, because libstage doesn't
     // expose its failure to open it.  Could go further with checks (e.g., is
@@ -744,15 +746,28 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
 
     bool gui = true;
     bool use_model_names = false;
-    for(int i=0;i<(argc-1);i++)
+    int i;
+    for(i=0;i<(argc-1);i++)
     {
         if(!strcmp(argv[i], "-g"))
             gui = false;
         if(!strcmp(argv[i], "-u"))
             use_model_names = true;
+        if(!strcmp(argv[i], "-c"))
+            break; // all further args are passed to the -c command
     }
 
-    StageNode sn(argc-1,argv,gui,argv[argc-1], use_model_names);
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    if(i+1 < argc-1)
+    {
+        for(i+=1; i<(argc-1); ++i)
+            ss << argv[i] << " ";
+        ss << argv[argc-1]; // expected worldfile passed as last arg
+    }
+    std::string s = ss.str();
+    const char* compute_cmd = s.c_str();
+
+    StageNode sn(argc-1,argv,gui,argv[argc-1], use_model_names, compute_cmd);
 
     if(sn.SubscribeModels() != 0)
         exit(-1);