diff --git a/main/Main.hs b/main/Main.hs
index aed6499d..c0154921 100644
--- a/main/Main.hs
+++ b/main/Main.hs
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ parseKernelArgs = foldl' addFlag defaultKernelSpecOptions
       kernelSpecOpts { kernelSpecGhcLibdir = libdir }
     addFlag kernelSpecOpts (KernelspecInstallPrefix prefix) =
       kernelSpecOpts { kernelSpecInstallPrefix = Just prefix }
+    addFlag kernelSpecOpts KernelspecUseStack =
+      kernelSpecOpts { kernelSpecUseStack = True }
     addFlag kernelSpecOpts flag = error $ "Unknown flag" ++ show flag
 
 -- | Run the IHaskell language kernel.
@@ -112,6 +114,7 @@ runKernel :: KernelSpecOptions -- ^ Various options from when the kernel was ins
 runKernel kernelOpts profileSrc = do
   let debug = kernelSpecDebug kernelOpts
       libdir = kernelSpecGhcLibdir kernelOpts
+      useStack = kernelSpecUseStack kernelOpts
 
   -- Parse the profile file.
   Just profile <- liftM decode $ LBS.readFile profileSrc
@@ -121,22 +124,23 @@ runKernel kernelOpts profileSrc = do
   Stdin.recordKernelProfile dir profile
 
 #if MIN_VERSION_ghc(7,8,0)
-  -- Detect if we have stack
-  runResult <- try $ readProcessWithExitCode "stack" [] ""
-  let stack = 
-        case runResult :: Either SomeException (ExitCode, String, String) of 
-          Left _ -> False
-          Right (exitCode, stackStdout, _) -> exitCode == ExitSuccess && "The Haskell Tool Stack" `isInfixOf` stackStdout
+  when useStack $ do
+    -- Detect if we have stack
+    runResult <- try $ readProcessWithExitCode "stack" [] ""
+    let stack = 
+          case runResult :: Either SomeException (ExitCode, String, String) of 
+            Left _ -> False
+            Right (exitCode, stackStdout, _) -> exitCode == ExitSuccess && "The Haskell Tool Stack" `isInfixOf` stackStdout
 
-  -- If we're in a stack directory, use `stack` to set the environment
-  -- We can't do this with base <= 4.6 because setEnv doesn't exist.
-  when stack $ do
-    stackEnv <- lines <$> readProcess "stack" ["exec", "env"] ""
-    forM_ stackEnv $ \line ->
-      let (var, val) = break (== '=') line
-      in case tailMay val of
-           Nothing -> return ()
-           Just val' -> setEnv var val'
+    -- If we're in a stack directory, use `stack` to set the environment
+    -- We can't do this with base <= 4.6 because setEnv doesn't exist.
+    when stack $ do
+      stackEnv <- lines <$> readProcess "stack" ["exec", "env"] ""
+      forM_ stackEnv $ \line ->
+        let (var, val) = break (== '=') line
+        in case tailMay val of
+            Nothing -> return ()
+            Just val' -> setEnv var val'
 #endif
 
   -- Serve on all sockets and ports defined in the profile.
diff --git a/src/IHaskell/Flags.hs b/src/IHaskell/Flags.hs
index 5cde5b0b..85f19e06 100644
--- a/src/IHaskell/Flags.hs
+++ b/src/IHaskell/Flags.hs
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ data Argument = ConfFile String     -- ^ A file with commands to load at startup
               | ConvertToFormat NotebookFormat
               | ConvertLhsStyle (LhsStyle String)
               | KernelspecInstallPrefix String
+              | KernelspecUseStack
   deriving (Eq, Show)
 
 data LhsStyle string =
@@ -100,6 +101,11 @@ kernelDebugFlag = flagNone ["debug"] addDebug "Print debugging output from the k
   where
     addDebug (Args mode prev) = Args mode (KernelDebug : prev)
 
+kernelStackFlag :: Flag Args
+kernelStackFlag = flagNone ["stack"] addStack "Inherit environment from `stack` when it is installed"
+  where
+    addStack (Args mode prev) = Args mode (KernelspecUseStack : prev)
+
 confFlag :: Flag Args
 confFlag = flagReq ["conf", "c"] (store ConfFile) "<rc.hs>"
              "File with commands to execute at start; replaces ~/.ihaskell/rc.hs."
@@ -118,11 +124,11 @@ store constructor str (Args mode prev) = Right $ Args mode $ constructor str : p
 installKernelSpec :: Mode Args
 installKernelSpec =
   mode "install" (Args InstallKernelSpec []) "Install the Jupyter kernelspec." noArgs
-    [ghcLibFlag, kernelDebugFlag, confFlag, installPrefixFlag, helpFlag]
+    [ghcLibFlag, kernelDebugFlag, confFlag, installPrefixFlag, helpFlag, kernelStackFlag]
 
 kernel :: Mode Args
 kernel = mode "kernel" (Args (Kernel Nothing) []) "Invoke the IHaskell kernel." kernelArg
-           [ghcLibFlag, kernelDebugFlag, confFlag]
+           [ghcLibFlag, kernelDebugFlag, confFlag, kernelStackFlag]
   where
     kernelArg = flagArg update "<json-kernel-file>"
     update filename (Args _ flags) = Right $ Args (Kernel $ Just filename) flags
diff --git a/src/IHaskell/IPython.hs b/src/IHaskell/IPython.hs
index 50ec1b39..ef6a8c9f 100644
--- a/src/IHaskell/IPython.hs
+++ b/src/IHaskell/IPython.hs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ data KernelSpecOptions =
          , kernelSpecDebug :: Bool                 -- ^ Spew debugging output?
          , kernelSpecConfFile :: IO (Maybe String) -- ^ Filename of profile JSON file.
          , kernelSpecInstallPrefix :: Maybe String
+         , kernelSpecUseStack :: Bool              -- ^ Whether to use @stack@ environments.
          }
 
 defaultKernelSpecOptions :: KernelSpecOptions
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ defaultKernelSpecOptions = KernelSpecOptions
   , kernelSpecDebug = False
   , kernelSpecConfFile = defaultConfFile
   , kernelSpecInstallPrefix = Nothing
+  , kernelSpecUseStack = False
   }
 
 -- | The IPython kernel name.
@@ -188,6 +190,7 @@ installKernelspec replace opts = void $ do
            Nothing   -> []
            Just file -> ["--conf", file])
         ++ ["--ghclib", kernelSpecGhcLibdir opts]
+        ++ ["--stack" | kernelSpecUseStack opts]
 
   let kernelSpec = KernelSpec
         { kernelDisplayName = "Haskell"