diff --git a/lib/irb.rb b/lib/irb.rb
index fd0bfe35c..d5e00b7e1 100644
--- a/lib/irb.rb
+++ b/lib/irb.rb
@@ -40,9 +40,11 @@ def CurrentContext # :nodoc:
     end
 
     # Initializes IRB and creates a new Irb.irb object at the `TOPLEVEL_BINDING`
-    def start(ap_path = nil)
+    def start(ap_path = nil, **options)
       STDOUT.sync = true
       $0 = File::basename(ap_path, ".rb") if ap_path
+      pre_cmds = options[:pre]&.rstrip
+      do_cmds = options[:do]&.rstrip
 
       setup(ap_path)
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ def start(ap_path = nil)
       else
         irb = Irb.new
       end
-      irb.run(@CONF)
+      irb.run(@CONF, pre_cmds: pre_cmds, do_cmds: do_cmds)
     end
 
     # Quits irb
@@ -146,7 +148,7 @@ def debug_readline(binding)
       input
     end
 
-    def run(conf = IRB.conf)
+    def run(conf = IRB.conf, pre_cmds: nil, do_cmds: nil)
       in_nested_session = !!conf[:MAIN_CONTEXT]
       conf[:IRB_RC].call(context) if conf[:IRB_RC]
       prev_context = conf[:MAIN_CONTEXT]
@@ -169,6 +171,13 @@ def run(conf = IRB.conf)
           RubyVM.keep_script_lines = true
         end
 
+        if pre_cmds
+          context.evaluate(parse_input(pre_cmds), @line_no)
+        elsif do_cmds
+          context.evaluate(parse_input(do_cmds), @line_no)
+          return
+        end
+
         forced_exit = catch(:IRB_EXIT) do
           eval_input
         end
@@ -703,7 +712,7 @@ class Binding
   #     Cooked potato: true
   #
   # See IRB for more information.
-  def irb(show_code: true)
+  def irb(show_code: true, **options)
     # Setup IRB with the current file's path and no command line arguments
     IRB.setup(source_location[0], argv: []) unless IRB.initialized?
     # Create a new workspace using the current binding
@@ -714,6 +723,8 @@ def irb(show_code: true)
     debugger_irb = IRB.instance_variable_get(:@debugger_irb)
 
     irb_path = File.expand_path(source_location[0])
+    pre_cmds = options[:pre]&.rstrip
+    do_cmds = options[:do]&.rstrip
 
     if debugger_irb
       # If we're already in a debugger session, set the workspace and irb_path for the original IRB instance
@@ -722,14 +733,14 @@ def irb(show_code: true)
       # If we've started a debugger session and hit another binding.irb, we don't want
       # to start an IRB session instead, we want to resume the irb:rdbg session.
       IRB::Debug.setup(debugger_irb)
-      IRB::Debug.insert_debug_break
+      IRB::Debug.insert_debug_break(pre_cmds: pre_cmds, do_cmds: do_cmds)
       debugger_irb.debug_break
     else
       # If we're not in a debugger session, create a new IRB instance with the current
       # workspace
       binding_irb = IRB::Irb.new(workspace, from_binding: true)
       binding_irb.context.irb_path = irb_path
-      binding_irb.run(IRB.conf)
+      binding_irb.run(IRB.conf, pre_cmds: pre_cmds, do_cmds: do_cmds)
       binding_irb.debug_break
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/irb/test_debugger_integration.rb b/test/irb/test_debugger_integration.rb
index 45ffb2a52..32edbaa29 100644
--- a/test/irb/test_debugger_integration.rb
+++ b/test/irb/test_debugger_integration.rb
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ def test_irb_command_can_check_local_variables
         type "show_source + 'Bar'"
         type "continue"
       end
-      assert_include(output, "def start(ap_path = nil)")
+      assert_include(output, "def start(ap_path = nil, **options)")
       assert_include(output, '"FooBar"')
     end
 
diff --git a/test/irb/test_irb.rb b/test/irb/test_irb.rb
index d687ca9af..c14e98c08 100644
--- a/test/irb/test_irb.rb
+++ b/test/irb/test_irb.rb
@@ -947,4 +947,59 @@ def bar
       end
     end
   end
+
+  class ArgumentTest < TestIRB::IntegrationTestCase
+    def test_pre_commands
+      write_ruby <<~'RUBY'
+        ninty_nine = "It's a #{100 - 1}"
+        ninty_eight = "It's a #{100 - 2}"
+
+        require 'irb' # need to pass an argument to binding.irb(see also: https://github.com/ruby/ruby/pull/12796)
+        binding.irb(pre: 'p ninty_nine ;; p ninty_eight')
+      RUBY
+
+      output = run_ruby_file do
+        type "exit"
+      end
+
+      assert_include output, "It's a 98"
+      assert_include output, "It's a 99"
+    end
+
+    def test_do_cmds
+      @envs['IRB_COPY_COMMAND'] = "#{EnvUtil.rubybin} -e \"puts 'foo' + STDIN.read\""
+
+      write_ruby <<~'RUBY'
+        ninty_nine = "It's a #{100 - 1}"
+
+        require 'irb' # need to pass an argument to binding.irb(see also: https://github.com/ruby/ruby/pull/12796)
+        binding.irb(do: 'copy "foo"')
+        puts ninty_nine
+      RUBY
+
+      output = run_ruby_file {}
+
+      assert_match("foo", output)
+      assert_match(/Copied to system clipboard/, output)
+      assert_match("It's a 99", output)
+    end
+
+    def test_pre_commands_takes_priority_over_do_commands
+      @envs['IRB_COPY_COMMAND'] = "#{EnvUtil.rubybin} -e \"puts 'foo' + STDIN.read\""
+
+      write_ruby <<~'RUBY'
+        ninty_nine = "It's a #{100 - 1}"
+
+        require 'irb' # need to pass an argument to binding.irb(see also: https://github.com/ruby/ruby/pull/12796)
+        binding.irb(pre: 'p ninty_nine', do: 'copy ninty_nine')
+      RUBY
+
+      output = run_ruby_file do
+        type "exit"
+      end
+
+      assert_not_match(/Copied to system clipboard/, output)
+      assert_match("It's a 99", output)
+    end
+  end
 end