diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8eda7e9..2a13225 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ my-app/
  config/
    development/
      env.sh
+     exec.sh
      settings.json
  app/
    client/
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ my-app/
 $ iron run 
 ```
 
-This will automatically load your config/development/env.sh and config/development/settings.json files.
+This will automatically load your config/development/env.sh and config/development/settings.json files and run exec.sh as a shell script.
 
 ### Run the Application with a Different Environment
 
diff --git a/lib/commands/run.js b/lib/commands/run.js
index 909f947..f6d0d22 100644
--- a/lib/commands/run.js
+++ b/lib/commands/run.js
@@ -22,10 +22,15 @@ Command.create({
 
   var configPath = this.pathFromProject('config', appEnv);
   var envPath = path.join(configPath, 'env.sh');
+  var execPath = path.join(configPath, 'exec.sh');
   var settingsPath = path.join(configPath, 'settings.json');
 
-  // source the env file into the process environment
+  // Exec a shell script named exec.sh in configPath
+  if (this.isFile(execPath)) {
+    this.execSync('sh ' + execPath);
+  }
 
+  // source the env file into the process environment
   if (this.isFile(envPath)) {
     syncSource(envPath);
   }
diff --git a/lib/templates/project/config/development/exec.sh b/lib/templates/project/config/development/exec.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a24852
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/templates/project/config/development/exec.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+#!/bin/sh