diff --git a/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/scripts/runTheMatrix.py b/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/scripts/runTheMatrix.py
index 14be70b97b34a..263b5f8106724 100755
--- a/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/scripts/runTheMatrix.py
+++ b/Configuration/PyReleaseValidation/scripts/runTheMatrix.py
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ def runSelected(opt):
     parser.add_option('--command',
                       help='provide a way to add additional command to all of the cmsDriver commands in the matrix',
                       dest='command',
+                      action='append',
                       default=None
                       )
     parser.add_option('--apply',
@@ -305,6 +306,7 @@ def runSelected(opt):
                       action='store')
 
     opt,args = parser.parse_args()
+    if opt.command: opt.command = ' '.join(opt.command)
     os.environ["CMSSW_DAS_QUERY_SITES"]=opt.dasSites
     if opt.IBEos:
       try:from commands import getstatusoutput as run_cmd