diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 17250eb0..e6518042 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -1,65 +1,18 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-BASH_IT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+# bash-it installer
 
-case $OSTYPE in
-  darwin*)
-    CONFIG_FILE=.bash_profile
-    ;;
-  *)
-    CONFIG_FILE=.bashrc
-    ;;
-esac
-
-BACKUP_FILE=$CONFIG_FILE.bak
-
-if [ -e "$HOME/$BACKUP_FILE" ]; then
-  echo -e "\033[0;33mBackup file already exists. Make sure to backup your .bashrc before running this installation.\033[0m" >&2
-  while true
-  do
-    read -e -n 1 -r -p "Would you like to overwrite the existing backup? This will delete your existing backup file ($HOME/$BACKUP_FILE) [y/N] " RESP
-    case $RESP in
-    [yY])
-      break
-      ;;
-    [nN]|"")
-      echo -e "\033[91mInstallation aborted. Please come back soon!\033[m"
-      exit 1
-      ;;
-    *)
-      echo -e "\033[91mPlease choose y or n.\033[m"
-      ;;
-    esac
-  done
-fi
-
-while true
-do
-  read -e -n 1 -r -p "Would you like to keep your $CONFIG_FILE and append bash-it templates at the end? [y/N] " choice
-  case $choice in
-  [yY])
-    test -w "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" &&
-    cp -aL "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak" &&
-    echo -e "\033[0;32mYour original $CONFIG_FILE has been backed up to $CONFIG_FILE.bak\033[0m"
-
-    (sed "s|{{BASH_IT}}|$BASH_IT|" "$BASH_IT/template/bash_profile.template.bash" | tail -n +2) >> "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE"
-    echo -e "\033[0;32mBash-it template has been added to your $CONFIG_FILE\033[0m"
-    break
-    ;;
-  [nN]|"")
-    test -w "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" &&
-    cp -aL "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak" &&
-    echo -e "\033[0;32mYour original $CONFIG_FILE has been backed up to $CONFIG_FILE.bak\033[0m"
-    sed "s|{{BASH_IT}}|$BASH_IT|" "$BASH_IT/template/bash_profile.template.bash" > "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE"
-    break
-    ;;
-  *)
-    echo -e "\033[91mPlease choose y or n.\033[m"
-    ;;
-  esac
-done
-
-echo -e "\033[0;32mCopied the template $CONFIG_FILE into ~/$CONFIG_FILE, edit this file to customize bash-it\033[0m"
+# Show how to use this installer
+function show_usage() {
+  echo -e "\n$0 : Install bash-it"
+  echo -e "Usage:\n$0 [arguments] \n"
+  echo "Arguments:"
+  echo "--help (-h): Display this help message"
+  echo "--silent (-s): Install default settings without prompting for input";
+  echo "--interactive (-i): Interactively choose plugins"
+  exit 0;
+}
 
+# enable a thing
 function load_one() {
   file_type=$1
   file_to_enable=$2
@@ -73,6 +26,7 @@ function load_one() {
   fi
 }
 
+# Interactively enable several things
 function load_some() {
   file_type=$1
   [ -d "$BASH_IT/$file_type/enabled" ] || mkdir "$BASH_IT/$file_type/enabled"
@@ -98,7 +52,102 @@ function load_some() {
   done
 }
 
-if [[ "$1" == "--interactive" ]]
+# Back up existing profile and create new one for bash-it
+function backup_new() {
+  test -w "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" &&
+  cp -aL "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak" &&
+  echo -e "\033[0;32mYour original $CONFIG_FILE has been backed up to $CONFIG_FILE.bak\033[0m"
+  sed "s|{{BASH_IT}}|$BASH_IT|" "$BASH_IT/template/bash_profile.template.bash" > "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE"
+  echo -e "\033[0;32mCopied the template $CONFIG_FILE into ~/$CONFIG_FILE, edit this file to customize bash-it\033[0m"
+}
+
+for param in "$@"; do
+  shift
+  case "$param" in
+    "--help")        set -- "$@" "-h" ;;
+    "--silent")      set -- "$@" "-s" ;;
+    "--interactive") set -- "$@" "-i" ;;
+    *)               set -- "$@" "$param"
+  esac
+done
+
+OPTIND=1
+while getopts "hsi" opt
+do
+  case "$opt" in
+  "h") show_usage; exit 0 ;;
+  "s") silent=true ;;
+  "i") interactive=true ;;
+  "?") show_usage >&2; exit 1 ;;
+  esac
+done
+shift $(expr $OPTIND - 1)
+
+if [[ $silent ]] && [[ $interactive ]]; then
+  echo -e "\033[91mOptions --silent and --interactive are mutually exclusive. Please choose one or the other.\033[m"
+  exit 1;
+fi
+
+BASH_IT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+
+case $OSTYPE in
+  darwin*)
+    CONFIG_FILE=.bash_profile
+    ;;
+  *)
+    CONFIG_FILE=.bashrc
+    ;;
+esac
+
+BACKUP_FILE=$CONFIG_FILE.bak
+echo "Installing bash-it"
+if [ -e "$HOME/$BACKUP_FILE" ]; then
+  echo -e "\033[0;33mBackup file already exists. Make sure to backup your .bashrc before running this installation.\033[0m" >&2
+  while ! [ $silent ];  do
+    read -e -n 1 -r -p "Would you like to overwrite the existing backup? This will delete your existing backup file ($HOME/$BACKUP_FILE) [y/N] " RESP
+    case $RESP in
+    [yY])
+      break
+      ;;
+    [nN]|"")
+      echo -e "\033[91mInstallation aborted. Please come back soon!\033[m"
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+    *)
+      echo -e "\033[91mPlease choose y or n.\033[m"
+      ;;
+    esac
+  done
+fi
+
+while ! [ $silent ]; do
+  read -e -n 1 -r -p "Would you like to keep your $CONFIG_FILE and append bash-it templates at the end? [y/N] " choice
+  case $choice in
+  [yY])
+    test -w "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" &&
+    cp -aL "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE" "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE.bak" &&
+    echo -e "\033[0;32mYour original $CONFIG_FILE has been backed up to $CONFIG_FILE.bak\033[0m"
+
+    (sed "s|{{BASH_IT}}|$BASH_IT|" "$BASH_IT/template/bash_profile.template.bash" | tail -n +2) >> "$HOME/$CONFIG_FILE"
+    echo -e "\033[0;32mBash-it template has been added to your $CONFIG_FILE\033[0m"
+    break
+    ;;
+  [nN]|"")
+    backup_new
+    break
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo -e "\033[91mPlease choose y or n.\033[m"
+    ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ $silent ]; then
+  # backup/new by default
+  backup_new
+fi
+
+if [[ $interactive ]] && ! [[ $silent ]] ;
 then
   for type in "aliases" "plugins" "completion"
   do