diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index be1b4cad2c..6b0a32704d 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 static int centered = 0;                    /* -c option; centers dmenu on screen */
 static int min_width = 500;                    /* minimum width when centered */
 static const float menu_height_ratio = 4.0f;  /* This is the ratio used in the original calculation */
+static int draw_input = 1;                  /* -noi option; if 0, the input will not be drawn by default */
 /* -fn option overrides fonts[0]; default X11 font or font set */
 static const char *fonts[] = {
 	"monospace:size=10"
diff --git a/dmenu.c b/dmenu.c
index ceb52c70ca..bafda5af1f 100644
--- a/dmenu.c
+++ b/dmenu.c
@@ -157,30 +157,32 @@
 {
 	unsigned int curpos;
 	struct item *item;
-	int x = 0, y = 0, w;
+	int x = 0, y = 0, w = 0;
 
 	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
 	drw_rect(drw, 0, 0, mw, mh, 1, 1);
 
 	if (prompt && *prompt) {
 		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeSel]);
-		x = drw_text(drw, x, 0, promptw, bh, lrpad / 2, prompt, 0);
+		x = drw_text(drw, x, 0, !draw_input ? mw : promptw, bh, lrpad / 2, prompt, 0);
 	}
-	/* draw input field */
-	w = (lines > 0 || !matches) ? mw - x : inputw;
-	drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
-	drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, text, 0);
 
-	curpos = TEXTW(text) - TEXTW(&text[cursor]);
-	if ((curpos += lrpad / 2 - 1) < w) {
+	if (draw_input) {
+		w = (lines > 0 || !matches) ? mw - x : inputw;
 		drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
-		drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 2, 2, bh - 4, 1, 0);
+		drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, text, 0);
+
+		curpos = TEXTW(text) - TEXTW(&text[cursor]);
+		if ((curpos += lrpad / 2 - 1) < w) {
+			drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
+			drw_rect(drw, x + curpos, 2, 2, bh - 4, 1, 0);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (lines > 0) {
 		/* draw vertical list */
 		for (item = curr; item != next; item = item->right)
-			drawitem(item, x, y += bh, mw - x);
+			drawitem(item, (!draw_input && prompt && *prompt) ? x - mw : x - promptw, y += bh, mw);
 	} else if (matches) {
 		/* draw horizontal list */
 		x += inputw;
@@ -188,8 +190,8 @@
 		if (curr->left) {
 			drw_setscheme(drw, scheme[SchemeNorm]);
 			drw_text(drw, x, 0, w, bh, lrpad / 2, "<", 0);
+			x += w;
 		}
-		x += w;
 		for (item = curr; item != next; item = item->right)
 			x = drawitem(item, x, 0, textw_clamp(item->text, mw - x - TEXTW(">")));
 		if (next) {
@@ -368,16 +370,19 @@
 		case XK_p: ksym = XK_Up;        break;
 
 		case XK_k: /* delete right */
-			text[cursor] = '\0';
-			match();
+			if (draw_input) {
+				text[cursor] = '\0';
+				match();
+			}
 			break;
 		case XK_u: /* delete left */
-			insert(NULL, 0 - cursor);
+			if (draw_input)
+				insert(NULL, 0 - cursor);
 			break;
 		case XK_w: /* delete word */
-			while (cursor > 0 && strchr(worddelimiters, text[nextrune(-1)]))
+			while (cursor > 0 && strchr(worddelimiters, text[nextrune(-1)]) && draw_input)
 				insert(NULL, nextrune(-1) - cursor);
-			while (cursor > 0 && !strchr(worddelimiters, text[nextrune(-1)]))
+			while (cursor > 0 && !strchr(worddelimiters, text[nextrune(-1)]) && draw_input)
 				insert(NULL, nextrune(-1) - cursor);
 			break;
 		case XK_y: /* paste selection */
@@ -424,23 +429,23 @@
 	switch(ksym) {
 	default:
 insert:
-		if (!iscntrl((unsigned char)*buf))
+		if (!iscntrl((unsigned char)*buf) && draw_input)
 			insert(buf, len);
 		break;
 	case XK_Delete:
 	case XK_KP_Delete:
-		if (text[cursor] == '\0')
+		if (text[cursor] == '\0' || !draw_input)
 			return;
 		cursor = nextrune(+1);
 		/* fallthrough */
 	case XK_BackSpace:
-		if (cursor == 0)
+		if (cursor == 0 || !draw_input)
 			return;
 		insert(NULL, nextrune(-1) - cursor);
 		break;
 	case XK_End:
 	case XK_KP_End:
-		if (text[cursor] != '\0') {
+		if (text[cursor] != '\0' && draw_input) {
 			cursor = strlen(text);
 			break;
 		}
@@ -524,7 +529,7 @@
 		}
 		break;
 	case XK_Tab:
-		if (!sel)
+		if (!sel || !draw_input)
 			return;
 		cursor = strnlen(sel->text, sizeof text - 1);
 		memcpy(text, sel->text, cursor);
@@ -703,7 +708,7 @@
 		}
 	}
 	promptw = (prompt && *prompt) ? TEXTW(prompt) - lrpad / 4 : 0;
-	inputw = mw / 3; /* input width: ~33% of monitor width */
+	inputw = !draw_input ? 0 : mw / 3; /* input width: ~33% of monitor width */
 	match();
 
 	/* create menu window */
@@ -740,7 +745,7 @@
 static void
 usage(void)
 {
-	die("usage: dmenu [-bfiv] [-l lines] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-m monitor]\n"
+	die("usage: dmenu [-bfiv] [-noi] [-l lines] [-p prompt] [-fn font] [-m monitor]\n"
 	    "             [-nb color] [-nf color] [-sb color] [-sf color] [-w windowid]");
 }
 
@@ -761,6 +766,8 @@
 			fast = 1;
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-c"))   /* centers dmenu on screen */
 			centered = 1;
+	        else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-noi")) /* no input field. intended to be used with a prompt */
+			draw_input = 0;
 		else if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-i")) { /* case-insensitive item matching */
 			fstrncmp = strncasecmp;
 			fstrstr = cistrstr;