diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3b1c759..ec6d032 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -111,10 +111,13 @@ EOF
 
 You can show or hide the biscuits by placing a `toggle_keybind` at the root of your config or inside a language config.
 
+We also expose an optional flag, `show_on_start`, to enable biscuits to show on initial load. This value defaults to `false`;
+
 ```lua
 lua <<EOF
 require('nvim-biscuits').setup({
-  toggle_keybind = "<leader>cb"
+  toggle_keybind = "<leader>cb",
+  show_on_start = true -- defaults to false
 })
 EOF
 ```
diff --git a/lua/nvim-biscuits/init.lua b/lua/nvim-biscuits/init.lua
index 56c17c1..922c15c 100644
--- a/lua/nvim-biscuits/init.lua
+++ b/lua/nvim-biscuits/init.lua
@@ -10,9 +10,7 @@ if not has_ts then error("nvim-treesitter must be installed") end
 
 local ts_parsers = require('nvim-treesitter.parsers')
 local ts_utils = require('nvim-treesitter.ts_utils')
-local nvim_biscuits = {}
-
-local should_render_biscuits = true
+local nvim_biscuits = {should_render_biscuits = true}
 
 local make_biscuit_hl_group_name =
     function(lang) return 'BiscuitColor' .. lang end
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ nvim_biscuits.decorate_nodes = function(bufnr, lang)
     local biscuit_highlight_group = vim.api.nvim_create_namespace(
                                         biscuit_highlight_group_name)
 
-    if not should_render_biscuits then
+    if not nvim_biscuits.should_render_biscuits then
         vim.api.nvim_buf_clear_namespace(bufnr, biscuit_highlight_group, 0, -1)
         return
     end
@@ -121,11 +119,10 @@ nvim_biscuits.decorate_nodes = function(bufnr, lang)
                     vim.api.nvim_buf_clear_namespace(bufnr,
                                                      biscuit_highlight_group,
                                                      end_line, end_line + 1)
-                    vim.api.nvim_buf_set_extmark(bufnr, biscuit_highlight_group, end_line, 0, {
+                    vim.api.nvim_buf_set_extmark(bufnr, biscuit_highlight_group,
+                                                 end_line, 0, {
                         virt_text_pos = "eol",
-                        virt_text = {
-                            {text, biscuit_highlight_group_name}
-                        },
+                        virt_text = {{text, biscuit_highlight_group_name}},
                         hl_mode = "combine"
                     })
                 end
@@ -178,8 +175,13 @@ nvim_biscuits.BufferAttach = function(bufnr)
     vim.cmd("highlight default link " .. make_biscuit_hl_group_name(lang) ..
                 " BiscuitColor")
 
-    -- we need to fire once at the very start
-    nvim_biscuits.decorate_nodes(bufnr, lang)
+    -- we need to fire once at the very start if config allows
+    if toggle_keybind ~= nil and
+        config.get_language_config(final_config, lang, "show_on_start") == true then
+        nvim_biscuits.decorate_nodes(bufnr, lang)
+    else
+        nvim_biscuits.should_render_biscuits = false
+    end
 
     local on_events = table.concat(final_config.on_events, ',')
     if on_events ~= "" then
@@ -207,7 +209,8 @@ nvim_biscuits.BufferAttach = function(bufnr)
 end
 
 nvim_biscuits.toggle_biscuits = function()
-    should_render_biscuits = not should_render_biscuits
+    nvim_biscuits.should_render_biscuits =
+        not nvim_biscuits.should_render_biscuits
     local bufnr = vim.api.nvim_get_current_buf()
     local lang = ts_parsers.get_buf_lang(bufnr)
     nvim_biscuits.decorate_nodes(bufnr, lang)