diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index cd54992b..303412e3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ Initialize a repo.
 `initOpts` (optional) is an object with the following properties:
   - `keysize` (default 2048) - The bit size of the identity key.
   - `directory` (default IPFS_PATH if defined, or ~/.ipfs for go-ipfs and ~/.jsipfs for js-ipfs) - The location of the repo.
+  - `pass` (optional) - The passphrase of the key chain.
  
 `callback` is a function with the signature `function (Error, ipfsd)` where `err` is an Error in case something goes wrong and `ipfsd` is the daemon controller instance.
 
diff --git a/src/daemon-node.js b/src/daemon-node.js
index 7909cd1f..2bcfed7a 100644
--- a/src/daemon-node.js
+++ b/src/daemon-node.js
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ class Node {
    * @param {Object} [initOpts={}]
    * @param {number} [initOpts.keysize=2048] - The bit size of the identiy key.
    * @param {string} [initOpts.directory=IPFS_PATH] - The location of the repo.
+   * @param {string} [initOpts.pass] - The passphrase of the keychain.
    * @param {function (Error, Node)} callback
    * @returns {undefined}
    */
@@ -117,13 +118,16 @@ class Node {
       initOpts = {}
     }
 
-    const keySize = initOpts.keysize || 2048
-
     if (initOpts.directory && initOpts.directory !== this.path) {
       this.path = initOpts.directory
     }
 
-    run(this, ['init', '-b', keySize], { env: this.env }, (err, result) => {
+    const args = ['init', '-b', initOpts.keysize || 2048]
+    if (initOpts.pass) {
+      args.push('--pass')
+      args.push('"' + initOpts.pass + '"')
+    }
+    run(this, args, { env: this.env }, (err, result) => {
       if (err) {
         return callback(err)
       }
diff --git a/src/in-proc-node.js b/src/in-proc-node.js
index f06ac169..2fad9557 100644
--- a/src/in-proc-node.js
+++ b/src/in-proc-node.js
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class Node {
    * @param {Object} [initOpts={}]
    * @param {number} [initOpts.keysize=2048] - The bit size of the identiy key.
    * @param {string} [initOpts.directory=IPFS_PATH] - The location of the repo.
+   * @param {string} [initOpts.pass] - The passphrase of the keychain.
    * @param {function (Error, Node)} callback
    * @returns {undefined}
    */