diff --git a/labelme/app.py b/labelme/app.py
index 53ebcb432..add21b123 100644
--- a/labelme/app.py
+++ b/labelme/app.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow, WindowMixin):
     FIT_WINDOW, FIT_WIDTH, MANUAL_ZOOM = 0, 1, 2
 
     def __init__(self, filename=None, output=None, store_data=True,
-                 labels=None):
+                 labels=None, sort_labels=True):
         super(MainWindow, self).__init__()
         self.setWindowTitle(__appname__)
 
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ def __init__(self, filename=None, output=None, store_data=True,
         self.screencast = "screencast.ogv"
 
         # Main widgets and related state.
-        self.labelDialog = LabelDialog(parent=self, labels=labels)
+        self.labelDialog = LabelDialog(parent=self, labels=labels,
+                                       sort_labels=sort_labels)
 
         self.labelList = QListWidget()
         self.itemsToShapes = []
@@ -963,8 +964,10 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('filename', nargs='?', help='image or label filename')
     parser.add_argument('--output', '-O', '-o', help='output label name')
     parser.add_argument('--nodata', dest='store_data', action='store_false',
-                        help='Stop storing image data to JSON file.')
-    parser.add_argument('--labels', help='Camma separated list of labels')
+                        help='stop storing image data to JSON file')
+    parser.add_argument('--labels', help='comma separated list of labels')
+    parser.add_argument('--nosortlabels', dest='sort_labels',
+                        action='store_false', help='stop sorting labels')
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     if args.labels is not None:
@@ -973,7 +976,13 @@ def main():
     app = QApplication(sys.argv)
     app.setApplicationName(__appname__)
     app.setWindowIcon(newIcon("app"))
-    win = MainWindow(args.filename, args.output, args.store_data, args.labels)
+    win = MainWindow(
+        filename=args.filename,
+        output=args.output,
+        store_data=args.store_data,
+        labels=args.labels,
+        sort_labels=args.sort_labels,
+    )
     win.show()
     win.raise_()
     sys.exit(app.exec_())
diff --git a/labelme/labelDialog.py b/labelme/labelDialog.py
index a47987bf8..228a38a39 100644
--- a/labelme/labelDialog.py
+++ b/labelme/labelDialog.py
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
 
 class LabelDialog(QDialog):
 
-    def __init__(self, text="Enter object label", parent=None, labels=None):
+    def __init__(self, text="Enter object label", parent=None, labels=None,
+                 sort_labels=True):
         super(LabelDialog, self).__init__(parent)
         self.edit = QLineEdit()
         self.edit.setPlaceholderText(text)
@@ -53,8 +54,13 @@ def __init__(self, text="Enter object label", parent=None, labels=None):
         layout.addWidget(bb)
         # label_list
         self.labelList = QListWidget()
+        self._sort_labels = sort_labels
         if labels:
             self.labelList.addItems(labels)
+        if self._sort_labels:
+            self.labelList.sortItems()
+        else:
+            self.labelList.setDragDropMode(QAbstractItemView.InternalMove)
         self.labelList.currentItemChanged.connect(self.labelSelected)
         layout.addWidget(self.labelList)
         self.setLayout(layout)
@@ -63,7 +69,8 @@ def addLabelHistory(self, label):
         if self.labelList.findItems(label, Qt.MatchExactly):
             return
         self.labelList.addItem(label)
-        self.labelList.sortItems()
+        if self._sort_labels:
+            self.labelList.sortItems()
 
     def labelSelected(self, item):
         self.edit.setText(item.text())