diff --git a/main/main.cpp b/main/main.cpp
index 970c77a34b1..e5a8e3e13fa 100644
--- a/main/main.cpp
+++ b/main/main.cpp
@@ -1318,6 +1318,19 @@ Error Main::setup(const char *execpath, int argc, char *argv[], bool p_second_ph
 			audio_driver = NULL_AUDIO_DRIVER;
 			display_driver = NULL_DISPLAY_DRIVER;
 			main_args.push_back(I->get());
+#ifdef MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
+		} else if (I->get() == "--gdscript-docs") {
+			if (I->next()) {
+				project_path = I->next()->get();
+				// Will be handled in start()
+				main_args.push_back(I->get());
+				main_args.push_back(I->next()->get());
+				N = I->next()->next();
+			} else {
+				OS::get_singleton()->print("Missing relative or absolute path to project for --gdscript-docs, aborting.\n");
+				goto error;
+			}
+#endif // MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
 #endif // TOOLS_ENABLED
 		} else if (I->get() == "--path") { // set path of project to start or edit
 
@@ -2806,39 +2819,7 @@ bool Main::start() {
 	}
 
 #ifdef TOOLS_ENABLED
-#ifdef MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
-	if (!doc_tool_path.is_empty() && !gdscript_docs_path.is_empty()) {
-		DocTools docs;
-		Error err;
-
-		Vector<String> paths = get_files_with_extension(gdscript_docs_path, "gd");
-		ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(paths.size() == 0, false, "Couldn't find any GDScript files under the given directory: " + gdscript_docs_path);
-
-		for (const String &path : paths) {
-			Ref<GDScript> gdscript = ResourceLoader::load(path);
-			for (const DocData::ClassDoc &class_doc : gdscript->get_documentation()) {
-				docs.add_doc(class_doc);
-			}
-		}
-
-		if (doc_tool_path == ".") {
-			doc_tool_path = "./docs";
-		}
-
-		Ref<DirAccess> da = DirAccess::create_for_path(doc_tool_path);
-		err = da->make_dir_recursive(doc_tool_path);
-		ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(err != OK, false, "Error: Can't create GDScript docs directory: " + doc_tool_path + ": " + itos(err));
-
-		HashMap<String, String> doc_data_classes;
-		err = docs.save_classes(doc_tool_path, doc_data_classes, false);
-		ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(err != OK, false, "Error saving GDScript docs:" + itos(err));
-
-		OS::get_singleton()->set_exit_code(EXIT_SUCCESS);
-		return false;
-	}
-#endif // MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
-
-	if (!doc_tool_path.is_empty()) {
+	if (!doc_tool_path.is_empty() && gdscript_docs_path.is_empty()) {
 		// Needed to instance editor-only classes for their default values
 		Engine::get_singleton()->set_editor_hint(true);
 
@@ -3170,6 +3151,38 @@ bool Main::start() {
 		}
 
 #ifdef TOOLS_ENABLED
+#ifdef MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
+		if (!doc_tool_path.is_empty() && !gdscript_docs_path.is_empty()) {
+			DocTools docs;
+			Error err;
+
+			Vector<String> paths = get_files_with_extension(gdscript_docs_path, "gd");
+			ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(paths.size() == 0, false, "Couldn't find any GDScript files under the given directory: " + gdscript_docs_path);
+
+			for (const String &path : paths) {
+				Ref<GDScript> gdscript = ResourceLoader::load(path);
+				for (const DocData::ClassDoc &class_doc : gdscript->get_documentation()) {
+					docs.add_doc(class_doc);
+				}
+			}
+
+			if (doc_tool_path == ".") {
+				doc_tool_path = "./docs";
+			}
+
+			Ref<DirAccess> da = DirAccess::create_for_path(doc_tool_path);
+			err = da->make_dir_recursive(doc_tool_path);
+			ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(err != OK, false, "Error: Can't create GDScript docs directory: " + doc_tool_path + ": " + itos(err));
+
+			HashMap<String, String> doc_data_classes;
+			err = docs.save_classes(doc_tool_path, doc_data_classes, false);
+			ERR_FAIL_COND_V_MSG(err != OK, false, "Error saving GDScript docs:" + itos(err));
+
+			OS::get_singleton()->set_exit_code(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+			return false;
+		}
+#endif // MODULE_GDSCRIPT_ENABLED
+
 		EditorNode *editor_node = nullptr;
 		if (editor) {
 			OS::get_singleton()->benchmark_begin_measure("editor");