diff --git a/src/bin/bat/app.rs b/src/bin/bat/app.rs
index 58f683cd..f462ce8d 100644
--- a/src/bin/bat/app.rs
+++ b/src/bin/bat/app.rs
@@ -291,9 +291,14 @@ impl App {
             use_lessopen: self.matches.get_flag("lessopen"),
             set_terminal_title: self.matches.get_flag("set-terminal-title"),
             squeeze_lines: if self.matches.get_flag("squeeze") {
-                1
+                Some(
+                    self.matches
+                        .get_one::<usize>("squeeze-limit")
+                        .map(|limit| limit.to_owned())
+                        .unwrap_or(1),
+                )
             } else {
-                0
+                None
             },
         })
     }
diff --git a/src/bin/bat/clap_app.rs b/src/bin/bat/clap_app.rs
index 4bcee8d6..0c28ce7d 100644
--- a/src/bin/bat/clap_app.rs
+++ b/src/bin/bat/clap_app.rs
@@ -395,6 +395,13 @@ pub fn build_app(interactive_output: bool) -> Command {
                 .help("Squeeze consecutive empty lines.")
                 .long_help("Squeeze consecutive empty lines into a single empty line.")
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("squeeze-limit")
+                .long("squeeze-limit")
+                .value_parser(|s: &str| s.parse::<usize>().map_err(|_| "Requires a non-negative number".to_owned()))
+                .help("The maximum number of consecutive empty lines.")
+                .long_help("Set the maximum number of consecutive empty lines to be printed.")
+        )
         .arg(
             Arg::new("style")
                 .long("style")
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index ee0d5bc1..0298bb2a 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ pub struct Config<'a> {
     pub set_terminal_title: bool,
 
     /// The maximum number of consecutive empty lines to display
-    pub squeeze_lines: usize,
+    pub squeeze_lines: Option<usize>,
 }
 
 #[cfg(all(feature = "minimal-application", feature = "paging"))]
diff --git a/src/pretty_printer.rs b/src/pretty_printer.rs
index 614f0c91..c6203aa9 100644
--- a/src/pretty_printer.rs
+++ b/src/pretty_printer.rs
@@ -231,8 +231,7 @@ impl<'a> PrettyPrinter<'a> {
     }
 
     /// Specify the maximum number of consecutive empty lines to print.
-    /// If set to `0`, all empty lines will be shown.
-    pub fn squeeze_empty_lines(&mut self, maximum: usize) -> &mut Self {
+    pub fn squeeze_empty_lines(&mut self, maximum: Option<usize>) -> &mut Self {
         self.config.squeeze_lines = maximum;
         self
     }
diff --git a/src/printer.rs b/src/printer.rs
index 636c0800..343f4486 100644
--- a/src/printer.rs
+++ b/src/printer.rs
@@ -580,10 +580,10 @@ impl<'a> Printer for InteractivePrinter<'a> {
         }
 
         // Skip squeezed lines.
-        if self.config.squeeze_lines > 0 {
+        if let Some(squeeze_limit) = self.config.squeeze_lines {
             if line.trim_end_matches(|c| c == '\r' || c == '\n').is_empty() {
                 self.consecutive_empty_lines += 1;
-                if self.consecutive_empty_lines > self.config.squeeze_lines {
+                if self.consecutive_empty_lines > squeeze_limit {
                     return Ok(());
                 }
             } else {