diff --git a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/ApplicationUtils.java b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/ApplicationUtils.java
index 4f0f6fd35a2..07824aee849 100644
--- a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/ApplicationUtils.java
+++ b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/ApplicationUtils.java
@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ public static String[] mergeArgs(String[] args, String... defaultArgs) {
 	 */
 	public static boolean isRunFromDesktop() {
 
+		// check if gui was explicitly enabled
+		String env = System.getenv().getOrDefault("RUN_GUI", "false");
+		if (env.equalsIgnoreCase("true") || env.equals("1") )
+			return true;
+
+		String property = System.getProperty("RUN_GUI", "false");
+		if (property.equalsIgnoreCase("true") || property.equals("1") )
+			return true;
+
 		String macIdentifier = System.getenv().getOrDefault("__CFBundleIdentifier", "none");
 
 		if (macIdentifier.equals("com.apple.java.JarLauncher") || macIdentifier.equals("com.apple.JavaLauncher"))
diff --git a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/MATSimApplication.java b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/MATSimApplication.java
index 97722ab2e93..6a3b0ef9e04 100644
--- a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/MATSimApplication.java
+++ b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/MATSimApplication.java
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ public abstract class MATSimApplication implements Callable<Integer>, CommandLin
 
 	private static final Logger log = LogManager.getLogger(MATSimApplication.class);
 
+	private static final String ARGS_DELIMITER = "§$";
+
 	public static final String COLOR = "@|bold,fg(81) ";
 	static final String DEFAULT_NAME = "MATSimApplication";
 	static final String HEADER = COLOR +
@@ -202,9 +204,7 @@ public Integer call() throws Exception {
 				} catch (Exception e) {
 					log.error("Error running post-processing", e);
 				}
-
 			}
-
 		}
 
 
@@ -337,6 +337,12 @@ public static void run(Class<? extends MATSimApplication> clazz, String... args)
 			l.addAll(Arrays.asList(args));
 
 			args = l.toArray(new String[0]);
+
+			// Pass stored args to the instance as well
+			if (System.getenv().containsKey("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS")) {
+				String[] guiArgs = System.getenv("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS").split(ARGS_DELIMITER);
+				args = ApplicationUtils.mergeArgs(args, guiArgs);
+			}
 		}
 
 		prepareArgs(args);
@@ -369,12 +375,26 @@ public static void run(Class<? extends MATSimApplication> clazz, String... args)
 	public static void runWithDefaults(Class<? extends MATSimApplication> clazz, String[] args, String... defaultArgs) {
 
 		if (ApplicationUtils.isRunFromDesktop()) {
-//			TODO: implement
-//			runInGui(clazz, args, defaultArgs);
+
+			String value = String.join(ARGS_DELIMITER, defaultArgs);
+			System.getenv().put("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS", value);
+
+			run(clazz, "gui");
+
 		} else {
+			// run if no other command is present
+			if (args.length > 0) {
+				if (args[0].equals("run") || args[0].equals("prepare") || args[0].equals("analysis") || args[0].equals("gui") ){
+					// valid command is present
+				} else
+					// Automatically add run command
+					args = ApplicationUtils.mergeArgs(new String[]{"run"}, defaultArgs);
+			} else
+				// Automatically add run command
+				args = ApplicationUtils.mergeArgs(new String[]{"run"}, defaultArgs);
+
 			run(clazz, ApplicationUtils.mergeArgs(args, defaultArgs));
 		}
-
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -670,7 +690,7 @@ public Integer call() throws Exception {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Option to switch post processing behavour
+	 * Option to switch post-processing behaviour
 	 */
 	public enum PostProcessOption {
 
diff --git a/matsim/src/main/java/org/matsim/run/gui/ExeRunner.java b/matsim/src/main/java/org/matsim/run/gui/ExeRunner.java
index 8e2f94c3109..7c1b75eac56 100644
--- a/matsim/src/main/java/org/matsim/run/gui/ExeRunner.java
+++ b/matsim/src/main/java/org/matsim/run/gui/ExeRunner.java
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ public void killProcess() {
 		public void run()  {
 			var processBuilder = new ProcessBuilder();
 			processBuilder.environment().put("MATSIM_GUI", "true"); // add "MATSIM_GUI" to the inherited vars
+
+			// Copy the MATSIM_GUI_ARGS environment variable to the process environment
+			// these arguments may be used internally by the matsim scenario
+			if (System.getenv().containsKey("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS")) {
+				processBuilder.environment().put("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS", System.getenv("MATSIM_GUI_ARGS"));
+			}
+
 			if (workingDirectory != null) {
 				processBuilder.directory(new File(workingDirectory));
 			}