diff --git a/activitytype-stdout/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/stdout/StdoutActivityType.java b/activitytype-stdout/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/stdout/StdoutActivityType.java
index 0a1ffeecb..6de74b7cd 100644
--- a/activitytype-stdout/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/stdout/StdoutActivityType.java
+++ b/activitytype-stdout/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/activitytype/stdout/StdoutActivityType.java
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ public class StdoutActivityType implements ActivityType<StdoutActivity> {
 
         // sanity check that we have a yaml parameter, which contains our statements and bindings
         if (!yaml.isPresent()) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("Currently, the stdout activity type requires yaml activity parameter.");
+            throw new RuntimeException("Currently, the stdout activity type requires yaml/workload activity parameter" +
+                ".");
         }
 
         // allow shortcut: yaml parameter provide the default alias name
diff --git a/engine-cli/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/cli/NBCLI.java b/engine-cli/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/cli/NBCLI.java
index 776860dd2..53868428f 100644
--- a/engine-cli/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/cli/NBCLI.java
+++ b/engine-cli/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/cli/NBCLI.java
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ public class NBCLI {
         }
 
         NBCLIOptions options = new NBCLIOptions(args);
+        NBIO.addGlobalIncludes(options.wantsIncludes());
+
         ConsoleLogging.enableConsoleLogging(options.wantsConsoleLogLevel(), options.getConsoleLoggingPattern());
 
         if (options.wantsBasicHelp()) {
diff --git a/nb-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/nb/api/content/NBIO.java b/nb-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/nb/api/content/NBIO.java
index 68d0da29a..235be2e9c 100644
--- a/nb-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/nb/api/content/NBIO.java
+++ b/nb-api/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/nb/api/content/NBIO.java
@@ -26,11 +26,17 @@ import java.util.stream.Collectors;
  */
 public class NBIO implements NBPathsAPI.Facets {
 
+    private static String[] globalIncludes = new String[0];
+
+    public synchronized static void addGlobalIncludes(String[] globalIncludes) {
+        NBIO.globalIncludes = globalIncludes;
+    }
+
     private URIResolver resolver;
 
     private List<String> names = new ArrayList<>();
     private List<String> extensions = new ArrayList<>();
-    private List<String> prefixes = new ArrayList<>();
+    private List<String> prefixes = Arrays.asList(globalIncludes);
 
     private NBIO() {
     }