diff --git a/app/scrcpy.1 b/app/scrcpy.1
index 35abd0d1..802dab5e 100644
--- a/app/scrcpy.1
+++ b/app/scrcpy.1
@@ -498,6 +498,10 @@ Default is "lalt,lsuper" (left-Alt or left-Super).
 .BI "\-\-start\-app " name
 Start an Android app, by its exact package name.
 
+Add a '+' prefix to force-stop before starting the app:
+
+    scrcpy --new-display --start-app=+org.mozilla.firefox
+
 .TP
 .B \-t, \-\-show\-touches
 Enable "show touches" on start, restore the initial value on exit.
diff --git a/app/src/cli.c b/app/src/cli.c
index ba272393..d715a385 100644
--- a/app/src/cli.c
+++ b/app/src/cli.c
@@ -811,7 +811,9 @@ static const struct sc_option options[] = {
         .longopt_id = OPT_START_APP,
         .longopt = "start-app",
         .argdesc = "name",
-        .text = "Start an Android app, by its exact package name.",
+        .text = "Start an Android app, by its exact package name.\n"
+                "Add a '+' prefix to force-stop before starting the app:\n"
+                "    scrcpy --new-display --start-app=+org.mozilla.firefox",
     },
     {
         .shortopt = 't',
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/control/Controller.java b/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/control/Controller.java
index ccdb85e1..b3ab34c3 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/control/Controller.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/control/Controller.java
@@ -594,6 +594,11 @@ public class Controller implements AsyncProcessor, VirtualDisplayListener {
     }
 
     private void startApp(String name) {
+        boolean forceStopBeforeStart = name.startsWith("+");
+        if (forceStopBeforeStart) {
+            name = name.substring(1);
+        }
+
         DeviceApp app = Device.findByPackageName(name);
         if (app == null) {
             Ln.w("No app found for package \"" + name + "\"");
@@ -607,7 +612,7 @@ public class Controller implements AsyncProcessor, VirtualDisplayListener {
         }
 
         Ln.i("Starting app \"" + app.getName() + "\" [" + app.getPackageName() + "] on display " + startAppDisplayId + "...");
-        Device.startApp(app.getPackageName(), startAppDisplayId);
+        Device.startApp(app.getPackageName(), startAppDisplayId, forceStopBeforeStart);
     }
 
     private int getStartAppDisplayId() {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/device/Device.java b/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/device/Device.java
index 496865e4..f51a433e 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/device/Device.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/com/genymobile/scrcpy/device/Device.java
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ public final class Device {
         return null;
     }
 
-    public static void startApp(String packageName, int displayId) {
+    public static void startApp(String packageName, int displayId, boolean forceStop) {
         PackageManager pm = FakeContext.get().getPackageManager();
 
         Intent launchIntent = getLaunchIntent(pm, packageName);
@@ -283,6 +283,9 @@ public final class Device {
         }
 
         ActivityManager am = ServiceManager.getActivityManager();
+        if (forceStop) {
+            am.forceStopPackage(packageName);
+        }
         am.startActivity(launchIntent, options);
     }
 }