diff --git a/hash.go b/hash.go
index 252e5eb..df35ca9 100644
--- a/hash.go
+++ b/hash.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (r results) Less(i, j int) bool { return r[i].f < r[j].f }
 type hashr func() hash.Hash
 
 // hsh figures out which hash algo to use, and distributes the work of hashing
-func hsh(files []string, verbose bool) chan result {
+func hsh(files []string, verbose, recursive bool) chan result {
 	var h hashr
 	switch *algo {
 	case "sha1", "1":
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ func hsh(files []string, verbose bool) chan result {
 
 	jobs := make(chan checksum)
 	go func() {
+		// if recursive then we gotta take every file that's a directory and
+		// recurse them babies
 		for _, name := range files {
 			jobs <- checksum{filename: name}
 		}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index e256ac0..eba3a46 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 var algo = flag.String("a", "sha256", "algorithm to use")
 var mode = flag.Bool("c", false, "check")
+var recursive = flag.Bool("r", false, "recursive")
 var ngo = flag.Int("n", runtime.NumCPU(), "number of goroutines")
 var verbose = flag.Bool("v", false, "vebose")
 
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	case false:
 		ec := 0
-		for res := range hsh(files, *verbose) {
+		for res := range hsh(files, *verbose, *recursive) {
 			if res.err != nil {
 				ec++
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "%v\n", res.err)