diff --git a/cli/cli.go b/cli/cli.go
index bf6ff04b..243a8439 100644
--- a/cli/cli.go
+++ b/cli/cli.go
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ type Format struct {
 
 	CpuProfile string `optional:"" help:"The file into which a cpu profile will be written."`
 
+	Ci bool `help:"Runs treefmt in a CI mode, enabling --no-cache, --fail-on-change and adjusting some other settings best suited to a CI use case."`
+
 	formatters     map[string]*format.Formatter
 	globalExcludes []glob.Glob
 
diff --git a/cli/format.go b/cli/format.go
index 1aaa0e59..dc1d6732 100644
--- a/cli/format.go
+++ b/cli/format.go
@@ -34,6 +34,37 @@ func (f *Format) Run() (err error) {
 	// set log level and other options
 	f.configureLogging()
 
+	// ci mode
+	if f.Ci {
+		f.NoCache = true
+		f.FailOnChange = true
+
+		// ensure INFO level
+		if f.Verbosity < 1 {
+			f.Verbosity = 1
+		}
+		// reconfigure logging
+		f.configureLogging()
+
+		log.Info("ci mode enabled")
+
+		startAfter := time.Now().
+			// truncate to second precision
+			Truncate(time.Second).
+			// add one second
+			Add(1 * time.Second).
+			// a little extra to ensure we don't start until the next second
+			Add(10 * time.Millisecond)
+
+		log.Debugf("waiting until %v before continuing", startAfter)
+
+		// Wait until we tick over into the next second before processing to ensure our EPOCH level modtime comparisons
+		// for change detection are accurate.
+		// This can fail in CI between checkout and running treefmt if everything happens too quickly.
+		// For humans, the second level precision should not be a problem as they are unlikely to run treefmt in sub-second succession.
+		<-time.After(time.Until(startAfter))
+	}
+
 	// cpu profiling
 	if f.CpuProfile != "" {
 		cpuProfile, err := os.Create(f.CpuProfile)
diff --git a/docs/usage.md b/docs/usage.md
index 2e09bd2c..c9f4fbeb 100644
--- a/docs/usage.md
+++ b/docs/usage.md
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ Flags:
                                      <debug|info|warn|error|fatal>.
       --stdin                        Format the context passed in via stdin.
       --cpu-profile=STRING           The file into which a cpu profile will be written.
+      --ci                           Runs treefmt in a CI mode, enabling --no-cache, --fail-on-change and adjusting some other settings best suited to a CI use case.
 ```
 
 ## Arguments
@@ -112,13 +113,22 @@ Format the context passed in via stdin.
 
 The file into which a cpu profile will be written.
 
+### `--ci`
+
+Runs treefmt in a CI mode which does the following:
+
+-   ensures `INFO` level logging at a minimum
+-   enables `--no-cache` and `--fail-on-change`
+-   introduces a small startup delay so we do not start processing until the second after the process started, thereby
+    ensuring the accuracy of our change detection based on second-level `modtime`.
+
 ### `-V, --version`
 
 Print version.
 
 ## CI integration
 
-Typically, you would use `treefmt` in CI with the `--fail-on-change` and `--no-cache flags`.
+Typically, you would use `treefmt` in CI with the `--ci` flag.
 
 You can configure a `treefmt` job in a GitHub pipeline for Ubuntu with `nix-shell` like this:
 
@@ -141,5 +151,5 @@ jobs:
                   name: nix-community
                   authToken: "${{ secrets.CACHIX_AUTH_TOKEN }}"
             - name: treefmt
-              run: nix-shell -p treefmt --run "treefmt --fail-on-change --no-cache"
+              run: nix-shell -p treefmt --run "treefmt --ci"
 ```