diff --git a/qubes-rpc/qopen-in-vm.c b/qubes-rpc/qopen-in-vm.c
index 45949df..8d2b24f 100644
--- a/qubes-rpc/qopen-in-vm.c
+++ b/qubes-rpc/qopen-in-vm.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <libqubes-rpc-filecopy.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <getopt.h>
 #include <gui-fatal.h>
 #include "dvm2.h"
 
@@ -92,17 +93,35 @@ void recv_file(const char *fname)
         actually_recv_file(fname, tempfile, tmpfd);
 }
 
-void talk_to_daemon(const char *fname)
-{
-    send_file(fname);
-    recv_file(fname);
-}
-
 int main(int argc, char ** argv)
 {
+    char *fname;
+    int view_only = 0;
+    int ret;
+    const struct option opts[] = {
+        {"view-only", no_argument, &view_only, 1},
+        {0}
+    };
+
+    while ((ret=getopt_long(argc, argv, "", opts, NULL)) != -1) {
+        if (ret == '?') {
+            exit(2);
+        }
+    }
+
     signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
-    if (argc!=2)
+
+    if (optind >= argc)
         gui_fatal("OpenInVM - no file given?");
-    talk_to_daemon(argv[1]);
+    fname = argv[optind];
+    send_file(fname);
+    if (!view_only) {
+        recv_file(fname);
+    } else {
+        /* discard received data */
+        int null_fd = open("/dev/null", O_WRONLY);
+        copy_fd_all(null_fd, 0);
+        close(null_fd);
+    }
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-dvm b/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-dvm
index 84af921..8046858 100755
--- a/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-dvm
+++ b/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-dvm
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@
 #
 #
 
-if ! [ $# = 1 ] ; then
-	echo "Usage: $0 filename"
+if ! [ $# = 1 ] && ! [ $# = 2 ]; then
+	echo "Usage: $0 [--view-only] filename"
 	exit 1
 fi
 
 # shellcheck disable=SC2016
-exec qvm-open-in-vm '$dispvm' "$1"
+exec qvm-open-in-vm '$dispvm' "$@"
diff --git a/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-vm b/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-vm
index d109e6b..ead9acf 100755
--- a/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-vm
+++ b/qubes-rpc/qvm-open-in-vm
@@ -20,16 +20,37 @@
 #
 #
 
-if ! [ $# = 2 ] ; then
-	echo "Usage: $0 vmname filename"
-	exit 1
+usage() {
+	echo "Usage: $0 [--view-only] vmname filename"
+	exit 2
+}
+
+qopen_opts=
+target=
+filename=
+
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+    if [ "x$1" = "x--view-only" ]; then
+        qopen_opts=--view-only
+    elif [ -z "$target" ]; then
+        target="$1"
+    elif [ -z "$filename" ]; then
+        filename="$1"
+    else
+        usage
+    fi
+    shift
+done
+
+if [ -z "$target" ] || [ -z "$filename" ]; then
+    usage
 fi
 
-case "$2" in
+case "$filename" in
 	*://*)
-        exec /usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm "$1" qubes.OpenURL /bin/echo "$2"
+        exec /usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm "$target" qubes.OpenURL /bin/echo "$filename"
         ;;
     *)
-        exec /usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm "$1" qubes.OpenInVM "/usr/lib/qubes/qopen-in-vm" "$2"
+        exec /usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm "$target" qubes.OpenInVM "/usr/lib/qubes/qopen-in-vm" $qopen_opts "$filename"
         ;;
 esac