diff --git a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
index dd4d403e5..9917c989c 100644
--- a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
@@ -269,20 +269,6 @@ bool fgInitConfig ( int argc, char **argv ) {
     // These will override anything specified in a config file
     fgParseOptions(argc, argv);
 
-    // read in the top level aircraft definition file
-    SGPath apath( globals->get_fg_root() );
-    apath.append( "Aircraft" );
-    apath.append( fgGetString("/sim/aircraft") );
-    apath.concat( "-set.xml" );
-    try {
-	readProperties(apath.str(), globals->get_props());
-    } catch (const sg_exception &e) {
-	string message = "Error loading aircraft file: ";
-	message += e.getFormattedMessage();
-	SG_LOG(SG_INPUT, SG_ALERT, message);
-	exit(2);
-    }
-
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Main/options.cxx b/src/Main/options.cxx
index 1546462c2..d640ffe2e 100644
--- a/src/Main/options.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/options.cxx
@@ -903,7 +903,20 @@ parse_option (const string& arg)
 	  exit(2);
 	}
     } else if ( arg.find( "--aircraft=" ) == 0 ) {
-	fgSetString("/sim/aircraft", arg.substr(11));
+        // read in the top level aircraft definition file
+        SGPath apath( globals->get_fg_root() );
+        apath.append( "Aircraft" );
+        apath.append( arg.substr(11) );
+        apath.concat( "-set.xml" );
+        try {
+            SGPropertyNode *sim = fgGetNode("/sim");
+            readProperties( apath.str(), sim );
+        } catch (const sg_exception &e) {
+            string message = "Error loading aircraft file: ";
+            message += e.getFormattedMessage();
+            SG_LOG(SG_INPUT, SG_ALERT, message);
+            exit(2);
+        }
     } else {
 	SG_LOG( SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT, "Unknown option '" << arg << "'" );
 	return FG_OPTIONS_ERROR;