diff --git a/gnucash/gnucash-cli.cpp b/gnucash/gnucash-cli.cpp
index ec2a34a3da..20f78ff8a3 100644
--- a/gnucash/gnucash-cli.cpp
+++ b/gnucash/gnucash-cli.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ Gnucash::GnucashCli::configure_program_options (void)
     ("report,R", bpo::value (&m_report_cmd),
      _("Execute report related commands. The following commands are supported.\n\n"
      "  list: \tLists available reports.\n"
-     "  show: \tDescribe the options modified in the named report.\n"
+     "  show: \tDescribe the options modified in the named report. A datafile \
+may be specified to describe some saved options.\n"
      "  run: \tRun the named report in the given GnuCash datafile.\n"))
     ("name", bpo::value (&m_report_name),
      _("Name of the report to run\n"))
@@ -154,13 +155,19 @@ Gnucash::GnucashCli::start ([[maybe_unused]] int argc, [[maybe_unused]] char **a
                 return Gnucash::run_report(m_file_to_load, m_report_name,
                                            m_export_type, m_output_file);
         }
-        // the following two commands list and show do *not* test&pass
-        // the m_file_to_load argument because the reports are global
-        // rather than per-file objects. In the future, saved reports
-        // may be saved into the datafile, therefore one will need to
-        // be specified for loading.
+
+        // The command "list" does *not* test&pass the m_file_to_load
+        // argument because the reports are global rather than
+        // per-file objects. In the future, saved reports may be saved
+        // into the datafile, therefore one will need to be specified
+        // for loading.
         else if (*m_report_cmd == "list")
                 return Gnucash::report_list ();
+
+        // The command "show" does test&pass the m_file_to_load
+        // argument, and will attempt to load datafile prior to
+        // describing report. If loading fails, it will continue
+        // showing report options.
         else if (*m_report_cmd == "show")
             if (!m_report_name || m_report_name->empty())
             {
@@ -169,7 +176,7 @@ Gnucash::GnucashCli::start ([[maybe_unused]] int argc, [[maybe_unused]] char **a
                 return 1;
             }
             else
-                return Gnucash::report_show (m_report_name);
+                return Gnucash::report_show (m_file_to_load, m_report_name);
         else
         {
             std::cerr << bl::format (bl::translate("Unknown report command '{1}'")) % *m_report_cmd << "\n\n"
diff --git a/gnucash/gnucash-commands.cpp b/gnucash/gnucash-commands.cpp
index cda95f3de2..d39b1c3fd2 100644
--- a/gnucash/gnucash-commands.cpp
+++ b/gnucash/gnucash-commands.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ scm_run_report (void *data,
 
 
 struct show_report_args {
+    const std::string file_to_load;
     const std::string show_report;
 };
 
@@ -218,6 +219,20 @@ scm_report_show (void *data,
     scm_c_use_module ("gnucash reports");
     gnc_report_init ();
 
+    if (!args->file_to_load.empty())
+    {
+        auto datafile = args->file_to_load.c_str();
+        PINFO ("Loading datafile %s...\n", datafile);
+
+        auto session = gnc_get_current_session ();
+        if (session)
+        {
+            qof_session_begin (session, datafile, SESSION_READ_ONLY);
+            if (qof_session_get_error (session) == ERR_BACKEND_NO_ERR)
+                qof_session_load (session, report_session_percentage);
+        }
+    }
+
     scm_call_2 (scm_c_eval_string ("gnc:cmdline-report-show"),
                 scm_from_utf8_string (args->show_report.c_str ()),
                 scm_current_output_port ());
@@ -267,9 +282,11 @@ Gnucash::run_report (const bo_str& file_to_load,
 }
 
 int
-Gnucash::report_show (const bo_str& show_report)
+Gnucash::report_show (const bo_str& file_to_load,
+                      const bo_str& show_report)
 {
-    auto args = show_report_args { show_report ? *show_report : std::string() };
+    auto args = show_report_args { file_to_load ? *file_to_load : std::string(),
+                                   show_report ? *show_report : std::string() };
     if (show_report && !show_report->empty())
         scm_boot_guile (0, nullptr, scm_report_show, &args);
 
diff --git a/gnucash/gnucash-commands.hpp b/gnucash/gnucash-commands.hpp
index d55f3d1696..01511d5847 100644
--- a/gnucash/gnucash-commands.hpp
+++ b/gnucash/gnucash-commands.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ namespace Gnucash {
                     const bo_str& export_type,
                     const bo_str& output_file);
     int report_list (void);
-    int report_show (const bo_str& run_report);
+    int report_show (const bo_str& file_to_load,
+                     const bo_str& run_report);
 }
 #endif