diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 3e0561c..7db91bd 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func main() {
 	var verbose = flag.Bool("verbose", false, "Verbose output")
 	var srcpath = flag.String("src", pwd, "Source directory")
 	var dstpath = flag.String("dst", pathpkg.Join("/rsync", pwd), "Destination directory")
+	var nodelete = flag.Bool("nodelete", false, "Don't delete pre-existing files in destination")
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -62,12 +63,12 @@ func main() {
 		rsyncEndpoint := via
 
 		fmt.Printf("Syncing %s (local) to %s (%s)\n", *srcpath, *dstpath, rsyncEndpoint)
-		Sync(rsyncEndpoint, SSHCredentials{}, rpath, rpathDir, *verbose) // initial sync
+		Sync(rsyncEndpoint, SSHCredentials{}, rpath, rpathDir, *nodelete, *verbose) // initial sync
 
 		if *watch {
 			fmt.Println("Watching for file changes ...")
 			Watch(rpath, func(id uint64, path string, flags []string) {
-				Sync(rsyncEndpoint, SSHCredentials{}, rpath, rpathDir, *verbose)
+			Sync(rsyncEndpoint, SSHCredentials{}, rpath, rpathDir, *nodelete, *verbose)
 			})
 		}
 
@@ -83,13 +84,18 @@ func main() {
 
 		Provision(machineName, *verbose)
 		RunSSHCommand(machineName, "sudo mkdir -p "+rpathDir, *verbose)
-		fmt.Printf("Syncing %s (local) to %s (docker-machine %s)\n", *srcpath, *dstpath, machineName)
-		Sync(machineName, c, rpath, rpathDir, *verbose) // initial sync
+		if *nodelete {
+			fmt.Printf("Copying")
+		} else {
+			fmt.Printf("Syncing")
+		}
+		fmt.Printf(" %s (local) to %s (docker-machine %s)\n", *srcpath, *dstpath, machineName)
+		Sync(machineName, c, rpath, rpathDir, *nodelete, *verbose) // initial sync
 
 		if *watch {
 			fmt.Println("Watching for file changes ...")
 			Watch(rpath, func(id uint64, path string, flags []string) {
-				Sync(machineName, c, rpath, rpathDir, *verbose)
+			Sync(machineName, c, rpath, rpathDir, *nodelete, *verbose)
 			})
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/rsync.go b/rsync.go
index fc299da..952d42f 100644
--- a/rsync.go
+++ b/rsync.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 var lastSyncError = ""
 
-func Sync(via string, c SSHCredentials, src, dst string, verbose bool) {
+func Sync(via string, c SSHCredentials, src, dst string, nodelete bool, verbose bool) {
 	args := []string{
 		// "--verbose",
 		// "--stats",
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ func Sync(via string, c SSHCredentials, src, dst string, verbose bool) {
 		"--times",
 		"--inplace",
 		"--itemize-changes",
-		"--delete",
 		"--force",
 		"--executability",
 		"--compress",
@@ -39,6 +38,10 @@ func Sync(via string, c SSHCredentials, src, dst string, verbose bool) {
 		args = append(args, src, fmt.Sprintf("%s@%s:%s", c.SSHUser, c.IPAddress, dst))
 	}
 
+	if ! nodelete {
+		args = append(args, "--delete")
+	}
+
 	cmd := Exec("rsync", args...)
 
 	if verbose {