diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d47239e..0c4bb89 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ The following keys apply to library source code (before processing) and generate
 
 ```search``` = search string providing context for following prepend/append/replace directives
 
+```execute``` = execute a command on a file and store the output of the command as the new file contents. Ex: execute = "cat $file | grep 'static inline'"
+
 ```prepend``` = string value to prepend into file at beginning or before search
 
 ```append``` = string value to append into file at the end or after search
diff --git a/nimgen.nim b/nimgen.nim
index d804657..cff48e3 100644
--- a/nimgen.nim
+++ b/nimgen.nim
@@ -228,6 +228,12 @@ proc prepend(file: string, data: string, search="") =
       if idx != -1:
         content = content[0..<idx] & data & content[idx..<content.len()]
 
+proc execute(file: string, command: string) =
+  withFile(file):
+    let cmd = command % ["file", file]
+    let commandResult = execProc(cmd)
+    content = commandResult
+
 proc append(file: string, data: string, search="") =
   withFile(file):
     if search == "":
@@ -587,7 +593,7 @@ proc runFile(file: string, cfgin: OrderedTableRef) =
       if action == "create":
         createDir(file.splitPath().head)
         writeFile(file, cfg[act])
-      elif action in @["prepend", "append", "replace", "comment", "rename", "compile", "dynlib", "pragma"] and sfile != "":
+      elif action in @["prepend", "append", "replace", "comment", "rename", "compile", "dynlib", "pragma", "execute"] and sfile != "":
         if action == "prepend":
           if srch != "":
             prepend(sfile, cfg[act], cfg[srch])
@@ -612,6 +618,8 @@ proc runFile(file: string, cfgin: OrderedTableRef) =
           c2nimConfig.dynlib.add(cfg[act])
         elif action == "pragma":
           c2nimConfig.pragma.add(cfg[act])
+        elif action == "execute":
+          execute(sfile, cfg[act])
         srch = ""
       elif action == "search":
         srch = act