diff --git a/tools/cli/src/main/java/org/teavm/cli/TeaVMRunner.java b/tools/cli/src/main/java/org/teavm/cli/TeaVMRunner.java
index 2b95acb7b..252073363 100644
--- a/tools/cli/src/main/java/org/teavm/cli/TeaVMRunner.java
+++ b/tools/cli/src/main/java/org/teavm/cli/TeaVMRunner.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import java.nio.file.WatchKey;
 import java.nio.file.WatchService;
 import java.nio.file.attribute.BasicFileAttributes;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -130,6 +131,12 @@ public final class TeaVMRunner {
                 .withDescription("Additional classpath that will be reloaded by TeaVM each time in wait mode")
                 .withLongOpt("classpath")
                 .create('p'));
+        options.addOption(OptionBuilder
+                .withArgName("class name")
+                .hasArgs()
+                .withDescription("Tell optimizer to not remove class, so that it can be found by Class.forName")
+                .withLongOpt("preserve-class")
+                .create());
         options.addOption(OptionBuilder
                 .withLongOpt("wasm-version")
                 .withArgName("version")
@@ -167,6 +174,7 @@ public final class TeaVMRunner {
         parseTargetOption();
         parseOutputOptions();
         parseDebugOptions();
+        parsePreserveClassOptions();
         parseOptimizationOption();
         parseIncrementalOptions();
         parseJavaScriptOptions();
@@ -240,6 +248,12 @@ public final class TeaVMRunner {
         }
     }
 
+    private void parsePreserveClassOptions() {
+        if (commandLine.hasOption("preserve-class")) {
+            tool.getClassesToPreserve().addAll(Arrays.asList(commandLine.getOptionValues("preserve-class")));
+        }
+    }
+
     private void parseOptimizationOption() {
         if (commandLine.hasOption("O")) {
             int level;