diff --git a/src/Application.cpp b/src/Application.cpp
--- a/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/src/Application.cpp
@@ -422,6 +422,14 @@
         if (m_parser->isSet(QStringLiteral("fullscreen"))) {
             window->viewFullScreen(true);
         }
+        if (m_parser->isSet(QStringLiteral("show-tabbar"))) {
+            qDebug() << "Triggered show tabbar";
+            window->viewManager()->setNavigationVisibility(ViewManager::AlwaysShowNavigation);
+        }
+        else if (m_parser->isSet(QStringLiteral("hide-tabbar"))) {
+            qDebug() << "Triggered hide tabbar";
+            window->viewManager()->setNavigationVisibility(ViewManager::AlwaysHideNavigation);
+        }
     }
     return window;
 }
diff --git a/src/ViewContainer.h b/src/ViewContainer.h
--- a/src/ViewContainer.h
+++ b/src/ViewContainer.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 
 // Konsole
 #include "Profile.h"
+#include "ViewManager.h"
 
 // Qt
 class QPoint;
@@ -133,6 +134,7 @@
 
     void tabDoubleClicked(int index);
     void openTabContextMenu(const QPoint &point);
+    void setNavigationVisibility(ViewManager::NavigationVisibility navigationVisibility);
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     /** Emitted when the container has no more children */
@@ -199,6 +201,7 @@
     QToolButton *_newTabButton;
     QToolButton *_closeTabButton;
     int _contextMenuTabIndex;
+    ViewManager::NavigationVisibility _navigationVisibility;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ViewContainer.cpp b/src/ViewContainer.cpp
--- a/src/ViewContainer.cpp
+++ b/src/ViewContainer.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@
     _connectedViewManager(connectedViewManager),
     _newTabButton(new QToolButton()),
     _closeTabButton(new QToolButton()),
-    _contextMenuTabIndex(-1)
+    _contextMenuTabIndex(-1),
+    _navigationVisibility(ViewManager::NavigationVisibility::NavigationNotSet)
 {
     auto tabBarWidget = new DetachableTabBar();
     setTabBar(tabBarWidget);
@@ -146,7 +147,14 @@
 
 void TabbedViewContainer::konsoleConfigChanged()
 {
-    setTabBarAutoHide((bool) KonsoleSettings::tabBarVisibility());
+    // if we start with --show-tabs or --hide-tabs we ignore the preferences.
+    setTabBarAutoHide(KonsoleSettings::tabBarVisibility() == KonsoleSettings::EnumTabBarVisibility::ShowTabBarWhenNeeded);
+    if (KonsoleSettings::tabBarVisibility() == KonsoleSettings::EnumTabBarVisibility::AlwaysShowTabBar) {
+        tabBar()->setVisible(true);
+    } else if (KonsoleSettings::tabBarVisibility() == KonsoleSettings::EnumTabBarVisibility::AlwaysHideTabBar) {
+        tabBar()->setVisible(false);
+    }
+
     setTabPosition((QTabWidget::TabPosition) KonsoleSettings::tabBarPosition());
 
     setCornerWidget( KonsoleSettings::showQuickButtons() ? _newTabButton : nullptr, Qt::TopLeftCorner);
@@ -425,3 +433,16 @@
 {
     return _connectedViewManager;
 }
+
+void TabbedViewContainer::setNavigationVisibility(ViewManager::NavigationVisibility navigationVisibility) {
+    if (navigationVisibility == ViewManager::NavigationNotSet) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    setTabBarAutoHide(navigationVisibility == ViewManager::ShowNavigationAsNeeded);
+    if (navigationVisibility == ViewManager::AlwaysShowNavigation) {
+        tabBar()->setVisible(true);
+    } else if (navigationVisibility == ViewManager::AlwaysHideNavigation) {
+        tabBar()->setVisible(false);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ViewManager.h b/src/ViewManager.h
--- a/src/ViewManager.h
+++ b/src/ViewManager.h
@@ -130,6 +130,28 @@
         PutNewTabAfterCurrentTab = 1
     };
 
+    /**
+     * Describes the options for showing or hiding the containe's navigation widget.
+    */
+    enum NavigationVisibility {
+        NavigationNotSet,       // Don't rely on this information, Only use the settings.
+        AlwaysShowNavigation,
+        ShowNavigationAsNeeded,
+        AlwaysHideNavigation
+    };
+
+    /**
+      * Sets the visibility of the view container's navigation widget.
+      * The ViewContainer subclass is responsible for ensuring that this
+      * setting is respected as views are dded or removed from the container
+      */
+    void setNavigationVisibility(NavigationVisibility Mode);
+
+    /** Returns the current mode for controlling the visibility of the
+     * view container's navigation widget.
+     */
+    NavigationVisibility navigationVisibility() const;
+
     /**
      * Sets the type of widget provided to navigate between open sessions
      * in a container.  The changes will only apply to newly created containers.
@@ -386,6 +408,7 @@
     KActionCollection *_actionCollection;
 
     NavigationMethod _navigationMethod;
+    NavigationVisibility _navigationVisibility;
     QString _navigationStyleSheet;
     int _managerId;
     static int lastManagerId;
diff --git a/src/ViewManager.cpp b/src/ViewManager.cpp
--- a/src/ViewManager.cpp
+++ b/src/ViewManager.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
     _pluggedController(nullptr),
     _sessionMap(QHash<TerminalDisplay *, Session *>()),
     _actionCollection(collection),
+    _navigationVisibility(NavigationNotSet),
     _managerId(0)
 {
     // create main view area
@@ -616,6 +617,7 @@
 {
 
     auto *container = new TabbedViewContainer(this, _viewSplitter);
+    container->setNavigationVisibility(_navigationVisibility);
     //TODO: Fix Detaching.
     connect(container, &TabbedViewContainer::detachTab, this, &ViewManager::detachView);
 
@@ -1101,3 +1103,12 @@
 {
     moveActiveViewRight();
 }
+
+void ViewManager::setNavigationVisibility(NavigationVisibility navigationVisibility) {
+    if (_navigationVisibility != navigationVisibility) {
+        _navigationVisibility = navigationVisibility;
+        for(auto *container : _viewSplitter->containers()) {
+            container->setNavigationVisibility(navigationVisibility);
+        }
+    }
+}