diff --git a/core/emperor.c b/core/emperor.c
index 0a69dd34..abbccf71 100644
--- a/core/emperor.c
+++ b/core/emperor.c
@@ -1598,6 +1598,14 @@ static void uwsgi_emperor_spawn_vassal(struct uwsgi_instance *n_ui) {
 		func(n_ui->name, n_ui->uid, n_ui->gid);
 	}
 
+	char *force_chdir = vassal_attr_get(n_ui, uwsgi.emperor_chdir_attr);
+	if (force_chdir) {
+		if (chdir(force_chdir)) {
+			uwsgi_error("--emperor-chdir-attr/chdir()");
+			exit(UWSGI_EXILE_CODE);
+		}
+	}
+
 	// start !!!
 	if (execvp(vassal_argv[0], vassal_argv)) {
 		uwsgi_error("execvp()");
diff --git a/core/uwsgi.c b/core/uwsgi.c
index 5842b1d6..ecf04c6a 100644
--- a/core/uwsgi.c
+++ b/core/uwsgi.c
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@ static struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_base_options[] = {
 	{"emperor-collect-attribute", required_argument, 0, "collect the specified vassal attribute from imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.emperor_collect_attributes, 0},
 	{"emperor-collect-attr", required_argument, 0, "collect the specified vassal attribute from imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.emperor_collect_attributes, 0},
 	{"emperor-fork-server-attr", required_argument, 0, "set teh vassal's attribute to get when checking for fork-server", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.emperor_fork_server_attr, 0},
-	{"emperor-wrapper-attr", required_argument, 0, "set teh vassal's attribute to get when checking for fork-wrapper", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.emperor_wrapper_attr, 0},
+	{"emperor-wrapper-attr", required_argument, 0, "set the vassal's attribute to get when checking for fork-wrapper", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.emperor_wrapper_attr, 0},
+	{"emperor-chdir-attr", required_argument, 0, "set the vassal's attribute to get when checking for chdir", uwsgi_opt_set_str, &uwsgi.emperor_chdir_attr, 0},
 	{"imperial-monitor-list", no_argument, 0, "list enabled imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.imperial_monitor_list, 0},
 	{"imperial-monitors-list", no_argument, 0, "list enabled imperial monitors", uwsgi_opt_true, &uwsgi.imperial_monitor_list, 0},
 	{"vassals-inherit", required_argument, 0, "add config templates to vassals config (uses --inherit)", uwsgi_opt_add_string_list, &uwsgi.vassals_templates, 0},
diff --git a/plugins/python/python_plugin.c b/plugins/python/python_plugin.c
index f3e7c073..e82ac552 100644
--- a/plugins/python/python_plugin.c
+++ b/plugins/python/python_plugin.c
@@ -63,6 +63,29 @@ void uwsgi_opt_pyver(char *opt, char *foo, void *bar) {
 	exit(0);
 }
 
+int uwsgi_python_init(void);
+void uwsgi_python_preinit_apps(void);
+static void uwsgi_early_python(char *opt, char *foo, void *bar) {
+	static int early_initialized = 0;
+	if (early_initialized) return;
+	early_initialized = 1;
+	uwsgi_python_init();
+	uwsgi_python_preinit_apps();
+}
+
+
+static void uwsgi_early_python_import(char *opt, char *module, void *bar) {
+	uwsgi_early_python(opt, NULL, NULL);
+	if (strchr(module, '/') || uwsgi_endswith(module, ".py")) {
+        	uwsgi_pyimport_by_filename(uwsgi_pythonize(module), module);
+        }
+        else {
+        	if (PyImport_ImportModule(module) == NULL) {
+                	PyErr_Print();
+                }
+	}
+}
+
 
 void uwsgi_opt_ini_paste(char *opt, char *value, void *foobar) {
 
@@ -170,6 +193,10 @@ struct uwsgi_option uwsgi_python_options[] = {
 
 	{"py-call-osafterfork", no_argument, 0, "enable child processes running cpython to trap OS signals", uwsgi_opt_true, &up.call_osafterfork, 0},
 
+	{"early-python", no_argument, 0, "load the python VM as soon as possible (useful for the fork server)", uwsgi_early_python, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_IMMEDIATE},
+	{"early-pyimport", required_argument, 0, "import a python module in the early phase", uwsgi_early_python_import, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_IMMEDIATE},
+	{"early-python-import", required_argument, 0, "import a python module in the early phase", uwsgi_early_python_import, NULL, UWSGI_OPT_IMMEDIATE},
+
 	{0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
 };
 
@@ -1037,6 +1064,10 @@ void uwsgi_python_destroy_env_holy(struct wsgi_request *wsgi_req) {
 
 // this hook will be executed by master (or worker1 when master is not requested, so COW is in place)
 void uwsgi_python_preinit_apps() {
+	struct uwsgi_string_list *upli = up.shared_import_list;
+
+	if (up.pre_initialized) goto ready;
+	up.pre_initialized = 1;
 
 	init_pyargv();
 
@@ -1068,8 +1099,9 @@ void uwsgi_python_preinit_apps() {
 
         init_uwsgi_vars();
 
+ready:
+
 	// load shared imports
-	struct uwsgi_string_list *upli = up.shared_import_list;
 	while(upli) {
 		if (strchr(upli->value, '/') || uwsgi_endswith(upli->value, ".py")) {
 			uwsgi_pyimport_by_filename(uwsgi_pythonize(upli->value), upli->value);
diff --git a/plugins/python/uwsgi_python.h b/plugins/python/uwsgi_python.h
index a2cc6e69..e33c14a7 100644
--- a/plugins/python/uwsgi_python.h
+++ b/plugins/python/uwsgi_python.h
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ struct uwsgi_python {
 	struct uwsgi_string_list *sharedarea;
 
 	int call_osafterfork;
+	int pre_initialized;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/uwsgi.h b/uwsgi.h
index d3c35cac..b8d26f76 100644
--- a/uwsgi.h
+++ b/uwsgi.h
@@ -2736,6 +2736,7 @@ struct uwsgi_server {
 	int emperor_subreaper;
         struct uwsgi_string_list *hook_as_on_demand_vassal;
 	uint64_t max_requests_delta;
+	char *emperor_chdir_attr;
 };
 
 struct uwsgi_rpc {