diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 73cf4d45..ed4ed586 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- `TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION` now also allows action parameters ([#159], [#407])
+
 ## [2.13.0] - 2024-12-25
 
 ### Added
@@ -513,6 +516,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 [#8]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/8
 [#148]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/148
 [#156]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/156
+[#159]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/159
 [#160]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/160
 [#169]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/169
 [#217]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/217
@@ -536,3 +540,4 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.
 [#354]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/354
 [#359]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/359
 [#386]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/386
+[#407]: https://github.com/todotxt/todo.txt-cli/pull/407
diff --git a/tests/t0002-actions.sh b/tests/t0002-actions.sh
index 5cacb068..8022ed8d 100755
--- a/tests/t0002-actions.sh
+++ b/tests/t0002-actions.sh
@@ -16,25 +16,65 @@ echo "TODO: foo"
 EOF
 chmod +x foo
 
+cat > foo2 << 'EOF'
+shift
+IFS=- # Print arguments separated with dashes to recognize the individual arguments.
+printf 'TODO: %s\n' "$*"
+EOF
+chmod +x foo2
+
 test_expect_success 'custom action (default location 1)' '
-    mkdir .todo.actions.d
-    cp foo .todo.actions.d/
+    mkdir -p .todo.actions.d && cp foo .todo.actions.d/
     todo.sh foo > output;
     test_cmp expect output && rm -rf .todo.actions.d
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'custom action (default location 2)' '
-    mkdir -p .todo/actions
-    cp foo .todo/actions/
+    mkdir -p .todo/actions && cp foo .todo/actions/
     todo.sh foo > output;
     test_cmp expect output && rm -rf .todo/actions
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'custom action (env variable)' '
-    mkdir myactions
-    cp foo myactions/
+    mkdir -p myactions && cp foo myactions/
     TODO_ACTIONS_DIR=myactions todo.sh foo > output;
     test_cmp expect output && rm -rf myactions
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'custom action (default action)' '
+    mkdir -p .todo.actions.d && cp foo2 .todo.actions.d/
+    TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION="foo2 foo" todo.sh > output;
+    test_cmp expect output && rm -rf .todo.actions.d
+'
+
+test_todo_session 'default built-in action with multiple arguments' <<EOF
+>>> TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION='add +foo @bar baz' todo.sh
+1 +foo @bar baz
+TODO: 1 added.
+EOF
+
+test_todo_session 'default custom action with multiple arguments' <<EOF
+>>> mkdir -p .todo.actions.d && cp foo2 .todo.actions.d/
+
+>>> TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION='foo2 foo bar baz' todo.sh
+TODO: foo-bar-baz
+EOF
+
+: > todo.txt
+export TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION="add foo\\ bar \\\$HOSTNAME O\\'Really\\? \\\"quoted\\\""
+test_todo_session 'default built-in action with arguments that have special characters' <<EOF
+>>> todo.sh
+1 foo bar \$HOSTNAME O'Really? "quoted"
+TODO: 1 added.
+EOF
+
+: > todo.txt
+export TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION="foo2 foo\\ bar \\\$HOSTNAME O\\'Really\\? \\\"quoted\\\""
+test_todo_session 'default custom action with arguments that have special characters' <<EOF
+>>> mkdir -p .todo.actions.d && cp foo2 .todo.actions.d/
+
+>>> todo.sh
+TODO: foo bar-\$HOSTNAME-O'Really?-"quoted"
+EOF
+
 test_done
diff --git a/todo.cfg b/todo.cfg
index 3ccd2181..8f50e4b8 100644
--- a/todo.cfg
+++ b/todo.cfg
@@ -96,3 +96,8 @@ export REPORT_FILE="$TODO_DIR/report.txt"
 # just before the list output is displayed.
 #
 # export TODOTXT_FINAL_FILTER='cat'
+
+## default actions
+# Set a default action for calling todo.sh without arguments.
+# Also allows for parameters for the action.
+# export TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION=''
diff --git a/todo.sh b/todo.sh
index fa4601a6..6f1163c1 100755
--- a/todo.sh
+++ b/todo.sh
@@ -779,7 +779,13 @@ if [ -n "$OVR_TODOTXT_FINAL_FILTER" ] ; then
   TODOTXT_FINAL_FILTER="$OVR_TODOTXT_FINAL_FILTER"
 fi
 
-ACTION=${1:-$TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION}
+isDefaultAction=
+if [ -n "$1" ]; then
+    ACTION=$1
+else
+    ACTION=$TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION
+    isDefaultAction=t
+fi
 
 [ -z "$ACTION" ]    && usage
 [ -d "$TODO_DIR" ]  || mkdir -p "$TODO_DIR" 2> /dev/null || dieWithHelp "$1" "Fatal Error: $TODO_DIR is not a directory"
@@ -1080,6 +1086,10 @@ elif hasCustomAction "$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR" "$action"
 then
     "$TODO_ACTIONS_DIR/$action" "$@"
     exit $?
+elif [ "$isDefaultAction" ] && [ -n "$TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION" ]; then
+    # Recursive invocation with the contents of the default action parsed as a
+    # command-line.
+    eval "exec \"\${BASH_SOURCE[0]}\" $TODOTXT_DEFAULT_ACTION"
 fi
 
 ## Only run if $action isn't found in .todo.actions.d