diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 386da6a..8353f77 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -120,7 +120,13 @@ Adjust these values accordingly.
 ## Step 4
 
     middleman build [--clean]
-    middleman deploy [--clean]
+    middleman deploy [--clean --build-before]
+
+To run `middleman build` before `middleman deploy`, add:
+
+    deploy.build_before = true
+
+Default is `false`.
 
 ## NOTES
 
diff --git a/lib/middleman-deploy/commands.rb b/lib/middleman-deploy/commands.rb
index b5f4bbe..0cd9afa 100644
--- a/lib/middleman-deploy/commands.rb
+++ b/lib/middleman-deploy/commands.rb
@@ -27,8 +27,17 @@ module Middleman
       :type => :boolean,
       :aliases => "-c",
       :desc => "Remove orphaned files or directories on the remote host"
+      method_option "build_before",
+      :type => :boolean,
+      :aliases => "-b",
+      :desc => "Run `middleman build` before the deploy step"
       def deploy
-        Middleman::Cli::Build.new.build if self.deploy_options.force_build
+        if options.has_key? "build_before"
+          build_before = options.build_before
+        else
+          build_before = self.deploy_options.build_before
+        end
+        Middleman::Cli::Build.new.build if build_before
         send("deploy_#{self.deploy_options.method}")
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/middleman-deploy/extension.rb b/lib/middleman-deploy/extension.rb
index ba7699d..3e13e09 100644
--- a/lib/middleman-deploy/extension.rb
+++ b/lib/middleman-deploy/extension.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ require "middleman-core"
 module Middleman
   module Deploy
 
-    class Options < Struct.new(:whatisthis, :method, :host, :port, :user, :password, :path, :clean, :remote, :branch, :force_build); end
+    class Options < Struct.new(:whatisthis, :method, :host, :port, :user, :password, :path, :clean, :remote, :branch, :build_before); end
 
     class << self
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ module Middleman
         options.remote ||= "origin"
         options.branch ||= "gh-pages"
 
-        options.force_build ||= false
+        options.build_before ||= false
 
         @@options = options