diff --git a/src/global.h b/src/global.h
index 79b1b869..bad0eeb2 100755
--- a/src/global.h
+++ b/src/global.h
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@
 #define VERSION                         "4.0.0cvs"
 #define APP_NAME                        "llcon"
 
+// Windows registry key name of auto run entry for the server
+#define AUTORUN_SERVER_REG_NAME         "llcon server"
+
 // default names of the ini-file for client and server
 #define DEFAULT_INI_FILE_NAME           "llcon.ini"
 #define DEFAULT_INI_FILE_NAME_SERVER    "llconserver.ini"
diff --git a/src/llconserverdlg.cpp b/src/llconserverdlg.cpp
index b7a4e449..d6eefa6f 100755
--- a/src/llconserverdlg.cpp
+++ b/src/llconserverdlg.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 /* Implementation *************************************************************/
 CLlconServerDlg::CLlconServerDlg ( CServer*        pNServP,
+                                   const bool      bStartMinimized,
                                    QWidget*        parent,
                                    Qt::WindowFlags f )
     : QDialog                  ( parent, f ),
@@ -37,18 +38,6 @@ CLlconServerDlg::CLlconServerDlg ( CServer*        pNServP,
     setupUi ( this );
 
 
-
-// TEST
-#ifdef _WIN32
-/*
-QSettings RegSettings ( "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run",
-                        QSettings::NativeFormat );
-RegSettings.setValue ( "llcon server",
-                       QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath().replace ( "/", "\\" ) );
-*/
-#endif
-
-
     // Add help text to controls -----------------------------------------------
     // client list
     ListViewClients->setWhatsThis ( tr ( "<b>Client List:</b> The client list "
@@ -117,6 +106,16 @@ RegSettings.setValue ( "llcon server",
         "Country where the server is located combo box" ) );
 
 
+
+// TODO does not work!
+// act on "start minimized" flag
+if ( bStartMinimized )
+{
+    hide();
+}
+
+
+
     // check if system tray icon can be used
     bSystemTrayIconAvaialbe = SystemTrayIcon.isSystemTrayAvailable();
 
@@ -218,6 +217,26 @@ ListViewClients->setMinimumHeight ( 140 );
         cbRegisterServer->setCheckState ( Qt::Unchecked );
     }
 
+    // update start minimized check box (only available for Windows)
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    cbStartOnOSStart->setVisible ( false );
+#else
+    const bool bCurAutoStartMinState = pServer->GetAutoRunMinimized();
+
+    if ( bCurAutoStartMinState )
+    {
+        cbStartOnOSStart->setCheckState ( Qt::Checked );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        cbStartOnOSStart->setCheckState ( Qt::Unchecked );
+    }
+
+    // modify registry according to setting (this is just required in case a
+    // user has changed the registry by hand)
+    ModifyAutoStartEntry ( bCurAutoStartMinState );
+#endif
+
     // update GUI dependencies
     UpdateGUIDependencies();
 
@@ -247,6 +266,9 @@ ListViewClients->setMinimumHeight ( 140 );
     QObject::connect ( cbDefaultCentralServer, SIGNAL ( stateChanged ( int ) ),
         this, SLOT ( OnDefaultCentralServerStateChanged ( int ) ) );
 
+    QObject::connect ( cbStartOnOSStart, SIGNAL ( stateChanged ( int ) ),
+        this, SLOT ( OnStartOnOSStartStateChanged ( int ) ) );
+
     // line edits
     QObject::connect ( LineEditCentralServerAddress,
         SIGNAL ( editingFinished() ),
@@ -282,6 +304,15 @@ ListViewClients->setMinimumHeight ( 140 );
     Timer.start ( GUI_CONTRL_UPDATE_TIME );
 }
 
+void CLlconServerDlg::OnStartOnOSStartStateChanged ( int value )
+{
+    const bool bCurAutoStartMinState = ( value == Qt::Checked );
+
+    // update registry and server setting (for ini file)
+    pServer->SetAutoRunMinimized ( bCurAutoStartMinState );
+    ModifyAutoStartEntry         ( bCurAutoStartMinState );
+}
+
 void CLlconServerDlg::OnDefaultCentralServerStateChanged ( int value )
 {
     // apply new setting to the server and update it
@@ -471,6 +502,47 @@ void CLlconServerDlg::UpdateSystemTrayIcon ( const bool bIsActive )
     }
 }
 
+void CLlconServerDlg::ModifyAutoStartEntry ( const bool bDoAutoStart )
+{
+// auto start is currently only supported for Windows
+#ifdef _WIN32
+    // init settings object so that it points to the correct place in the
+    // Windows registry for the auto run entry
+    QSettings RegSettings ( "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run",
+                            QSettings::NativeFormat );
+
+    // create start string of auto run entry
+    QString strRegValue =
+        QCoreApplication::applicationFilePath().replace ( "/", "\\" ) +
+        " --startminimized";
+#endif
+
+    if ( bDoAutoStart )
+    {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+        // ckeck if registry entry is correctly present, if not, correct
+        const bool bWriteRegValue = strRegValue.compare (
+            RegSettings.value ( AUTORUN_SERVER_REG_NAME ).toString() );
+
+        if ( bWriteRegValue )
+        {
+            // write reg key in the registry
+            RegSettings.setValue ( AUTORUN_SERVER_REG_NAME, strRegValue );
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+    else
+    {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+        // delete reg key if present
+        if ( RegSettings.contains ( AUTORUN_SERVER_REG_NAME ) )
+        {
+            RegSettings.remove ( AUTORUN_SERVER_REG_NAME );
+        }
+#endif
+    }
+}
+
 void CLlconServerDlg::changeEvent ( QEvent* pEvent )
 {
     // if we have a system tray icon, we make the window invisible if it is
diff --git a/src/llconserverdlg.h b/src/llconserverdlg.h
index e2e84345..0dc50cdc 100755
--- a/src/llconserverdlg.h
+++ b/src/llconserverdlg.h
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class CLlconServerDlg : public QDialog, private Ui_CLlconServerDlgBase
 
 public:
     CLlconServerDlg ( CServer*        pNServP,
+                      const bool      bStartMinimized,
                       QWidget*        parent = 0,
                       Qt::WindowFlags f = 0 );
 
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ protected:
     void         UpdateGUIDependencies();
     void         UpdateSystemTrayIcon ( const bool bIsActive );
     void         ShowWindowInForeground() { showNormal(); raise(); }
+    void         ModifyAutoStartEntry ( const bool bDoAutoStart );
 
     QTimer                        Timer;
     CServer*                      pServer;
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ protected:
 public slots:
     void OnRegisterServerStateChanged ( int value );
     void OnDefaultCentralServerStateChanged ( int value );
+    void OnStartOnOSStartStateChanged ( int value );
     void OnLineEditCentralServerAddressEditingFinished();
     void OnLineEditServerNameTextChanged ( const QString& strNewName );
     void OnLineEditLocationCityTextChanged ( const QString& strNewCity );
diff --git a/src/llconserverdlgbase.ui b/src/llconserverdlgbase.ui
index d2f06167..b34d803a 100755
--- a/src/llconserverdlgbase.ui
+++ b/src/llconserverdlgbase.ui
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
     <width>588</width>
-    <height>378</height>
+    <height>386</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle" >
@@ -51,10 +51,17 @@
      </column>
     </widget>
    </item>
+   <item>
+    <widget class="QCheckBox" name="cbStartOnOSStart" >
+     <property name="text" >
+      <string>Start Minimized on Windows Start</string>
+     </property>
+    </widget>
+   </item>
    <item>
     <widget class="QCheckBox" name="cbRegisterServer" >
      <property name="text" >
-      <string>Register My Server at Central Server</string>
+      <string>Register My Server in the Server List at the Central Server</string>
      </property>
     </widget>
    </item>
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 76c19569..a8dc5022 100755
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ int main ( int argc, char** argv )
     // arguments
     bool    bIsClient             = true;
     bool    bUseGUI               = true;
+    bool    bStartMinimized       = false;
     bool    bConnectOnStartup     = false;
     bool    bDisalbeLEDs          = false;
     quint16 iPortNumber           = LLCON_DEFAULT_PORT_NUMBER;
@@ -95,6 +96,18 @@ int main ( int argc, char** argv )
         }
 
 
+        // Start minimized -----------------------------------------------------
+        if ( GetFlagArgument ( argv,
+                               i,
+                               "-z",
+                               "--startminimized" ) )
+        {
+            bStartMinimized = true;
+            tsConsole << "- start minimized enabled" << endl;
+            continue;
+        }
+
+
         // Disable LEDs flag ---------------------------------------------------
         if ( GetFlagArgument ( argv,
                                i,
@@ -361,6 +374,7 @@ int main ( int argc, char** argv )
                 // GUI object for the server
                 CLlconServerDlg ServerDlg (
                     &Server,
+                    bStartMinimized,
                     0,
                     Qt::Window );
 
@@ -419,6 +433,7 @@ QString UsageArguments ( char **argv )
         "\nRecognized options:\n"
         "  -s, --server          start server\n"
         "  -n, --nogui           disable GUI (server only)\n"
+        "  -z, --startminimized  start minimizied (server only)\n"
         "  -l, --log             enable logging, set file name\n"
         "  -i, --inifile         initialization file name (client only)\n"
         "  -p, --port            local port number (server only)\n"
diff --git a/src/server.cpp b/src/server.cpp
index 65b9d17a..a6fb689f 100755
--- a/src/server.cpp
+++ b/src/server.cpp
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ CServer::CServer ( const QString& strLoggingFileName,
     ServerListManager ( iPortNumber,
                         strCentralServer,
                         strServerInfo,
-                        &ConnLessProtocol )
+                        &ConnLessProtocol ),
+    bAutoRunMinimized ( false )
 {
     int i;
 
diff --git a/src/server.h b/src/server.h
index 0b9a48d9..d2c5eea4 100755
--- a/src/server.h
+++ b/src/server.h
@@ -165,6 +165,13 @@ public:
     QLocale::Country GetServerCountry()
         { return ServerListManager.GetServerCountry(); }
 
+
+    // GUI settings ------------------------------------------------------------
+    void SetAutoRunMinimized ( const bool NAuRuMin )
+        { bAutoRunMinimized = NAuRuMin; }
+
+    bool GetAutoRunMinimized() { return bAutoRunMinimized; }
+
 protected:
     // access functions for actual channels
     bool IsConnected ( const int iChanNum )
@@ -224,6 +231,9 @@ protected:
     // server list
     CServerListManager  ServerListManager;
 
+    // GUI settings
+    bool                bAutoRunMinimized;
+
 signals:
     void Started();
     void Stopped();
diff --git a/src/settings.cpp b/src/settings.cpp
index 4cee262c..60f68f0e 100755
--- a/src/settings.cpp
+++ b/src/settings.cpp
@@ -231,6 +231,12 @@ void CSettings::ReadIniFile ( const QString& sFileName )
         {
             pServer->SetServerCountry ( static_cast<QLocale::Country> ( iValue ) );
         }
+
+        // start minimized on OS start
+        if ( GetFlagIniSet ( IniXMLDocument, "server", "autostartmin", bValue ) )
+        {
+            pServer->SetAutoRunMinimized ( bValue );
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -352,6 +358,10 @@ void CSettings::WriteIniFile ( const QString& sFileName )
         // country
         SetNumericIniSet ( IniXMLDocument, "server", "country",
             static_cast<int> ( pServer->GetServerCountry() ) );
+
+        // start minimized on OS start
+        SetFlagIniSet ( IniXMLDocument, "server", "autostartmin",
+            pServer->GetAutoRunMinimized() );
     }
 
     // prepare file name for storing initialization data in XML file and store