diff --git a/phpBB/bin/phpbbcli.php b/phpBB/bin/phpbbcli.php
index 63c8f2230b..8b8d8e43fd 100755
--- a/phpBB/bin/phpbbcli.php
+++ b/phpBB/bin/phpbbcli.php
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ $phpbb_container = phpbb_create_update_container($phpbb_root_path, $phpEx, "$php
 $phpbb_container->get('request')->enable_super_globals();
 require($phpbb_root_path . 'includes/compatibility_globals.' . $phpEx);
 
-$application = new \phpbb\console\application('phpBB Console', PHPBB_VERSION);
+$user = $phpbb_container->get('user');
+$user->add_lang('acp/common');
+
+$application = new \phpbb\console\application('phpBB Console', PHPBB_VERSION, $user);
 $application->register_container_commands($phpbb_container);
 $application->run();
diff --git a/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php b/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
index 12cdc28aa3..6ca1a985a5 100644
--- a/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
+++ b/phpBB/language/en/acp/common.php
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ $lang = array_merge($lang, array(
 	'CLI_DESCRIPTION_CRON_RUN'				=> 'Runs all ready cron tasks.',
 	'CLI_DESCRIPTION_CRON_RUN_ARGUMENT_1'	=> 'Name of the task to be run',
 
+	'CLI_DESCRIPTION_OPTION_SHELL'			=> 'Launch the shell.',
+
 	'COLOUR_SWATCH'			=> 'Web-safe colour swatch',
 	'CONFIG_UPDATED'		=> 'Configuration updated successfully.',
 	'CRON_LOCK_ERROR'		=> 'Could not obtain cron lock.',
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/console/application.php b/phpBB/phpbb/console/application.php
index da2bfbb49a..b1f0635913 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/console/application.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/console/application.php
@@ -13,15 +13,93 @@
 
 namespace phpbb\console;
 
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Shell;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputInterface;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\OutputInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\DependencyInjection\TaggedContainerInterface;
 
 class application extends \Symfony\Component\Console\Application
 {
-	function register_container_commands(TaggedContainerInterface $container, $tag = 'console.command')
+	/**
+	* @var bool Indicates whether or not we are in a shell
+	*/
+	protected $in_shell = false;
+
+	/**
+	* @var \phpbb\user User object
+	*/
+	protected $user;
+
+	/**
+	* @param string			$name		The name of the application
+	* @param string			$version	The version of the application
+	* @param \phpbb\user	$user		The user which runs the application (used for translation)
+	*/
+	public function __construct($name, $version, \phpbb\user $user)
+	{
+		parent::__construct($name, $version);
+
+		$this->user = $user;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* Gets the help message.
+	*
+	* It's a hack of the default help message to display the --shell
+	* option only for the application and not for all the commands.
+	*
+	* @return string A help message.
+	*/
+	public function getHelp()
+	{
+		// If we are already in a shell
+		// we do not want to have the --shell option available
+		if ($this->in_shell)
+		{
+			return parent::getHelp();
+		}
+
+		$this->getDefinition()->addOption(new InputOption(
+			'--shell',
+			'-s',
+			InputOption::VALUE_NONE,
+			$this->user->lang('CLI_DESCRIPTION_OPTION_SHELL')
+		));
+
+		return parent::getHelp();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	* Register a set of commands from the container
+	*
+	* @param TaggedContainerInterface	$container	The container
+	* @param string						$tag		The tag used to register the commands
+	*/
+	public function register_container_commands(TaggedContainerInterface $container, $tag = 'console.command')
 	{
 		foreach($container->findTaggedServiceIds($tag) as $id => $void)
 		{
 			$this->add($container->get($id));
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	* {@inheritdoc}
+	*/
+	public function doRun(InputInterface $input, OutputInterface $output)
+	{
+		// Run a shell if the --shell (or -s) option is set and if no command name is specified
+		// Also, we do not want to have the --shell option available if we are already in a shell
+		if (!$this->in_shell && $this->getCommandName($input) === null && $input->hasParameterOption(array('--shell', '-s')))
+		{
+			$shell = new Shell($this);
+			$this->in_shell = true;
+			$shell->run();
+
+			return 0;
+		}
+
+		return parent::doRun($input, $output);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/cache/purge.php b/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/cache/purge.php
index 1e2adaeb4d..50953185a4 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/cache/purge.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/cache/purge.php
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ class purge extends \phpbb\console\command\command
 		$this->log = $log;
 		$this->user = $user;
 		$this->config = $config;
-		$this->user->add_lang(array('acp/common'));
 		parent::__construct();
 	}
 
diff --git a/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/db/migrate.php b/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/db/migrate.php
index 0f74664095..2abeaf5268 100644
--- a/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/db/migrate.php
+++ b/phpBB/phpbb/console/command/db/migrate.php
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class migrate extends \phpbb\console\command\command
 		$this->cache = $cache;
 		$this->log = $log;
 		$this->user = $user;
-		$this->user->add_lang(array('common', 'acp/common', 'install', 'migrator'));
+		$this->user->add_lang(array('common', 'install', 'migrator'));
 		parent::__construct();
 	}