diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fe26e192..89f204cc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -163,6 +163,12 @@ client_interface_name go-mssqldb
 program_name          sqlcmd
 ```
 
+- The `-q` (initial query) flag can now be combined with `-i` (input files). The initial query runs first, then the input files are processed. This is useful for setting session options before running scripts:
+
+```bash
+sqlcmd -S server -q "SET PARSEONLY ON" -i script.sql
+```
+
 - `sqlcmd` supports shared memory and named pipe transport. Use the appropriate protocol prefix on the server name to force a protocol:
   * `lpc` for shared memory, only for a localhost.                           `sqlcmd -S lpc:.`
   * `np` for named pipes. Or use the UNC named pipe path as the server name: `sqlcmd -S \\myserver\pipe\sql\query`
diff --git a/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go b/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
index ea655b47..e55697ec 100644
--- a/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
+++ b/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ func (a *SQLCmdArguments) Validate(c *cobra.Command) (err error) {
 	}
 	if err == nil {
 		switch {
-		case len(a.InputFile) > 0 && (len(a.Query) > 0 || len(a.InitialQuery) > 0):
-			err = mutuallyExclusiveError("i", `-Q/-q`)
+		case len(a.InputFile) > 0 && len(a.Query) > 0:
+			err = mutuallyExclusiveError("-i", "-Q")
 		case a.UseTrustedConnection && (len(a.UserName) > 0 || len(a.Password) > 0):
 			err = mutuallyExclusiveError("-E", `-U/-P`)
 		case a.UseAad && len(a.AuthenticationMethod) > 0:
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ func setFlags(rootCmd *cobra.Command, args *SQLCmdArguments) {
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&args.Help, "help", "?", false, localizer.Sprintf("-? shows this syntax summary, %s shows modern sqlcmd sub-command help", localizer.HelpFlag))
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVar(&args.TraceFile, "trace-file", "", localizer.Sprintf("Write runtime trace to the specified file. Only for advanced debugging."))
 	var inputfiles []string
-	rootCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&args.InputFile, "input-file", "i", inputfiles, localizer.Sprintf("Identifies one or more files that contain batches of SQL statements. If one or more files do not exist, sqlcmd will exit. Mutually exclusive with %s/%s", localizer.QueryAndExitFlag, localizer.QueryFlag))
+	rootCmd.Flags().StringSliceVarP(&args.InputFile, "input-file", "i", inputfiles, localizer.Sprintf("Identifies one or more files that contain batches of SQL statements. If one or more files do not exist, sqlcmd will exit. Mutually exclusive with %s. Can be combined with %s to run an initial query before the input files", localizer.QueryAndExitFlag, localizer.QueryFlag))
 	rootCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&args.OutputFile, "output-file", "o", "", localizer.Sprintf("Identifies the file that receives output from sqlcmd"))
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&args.Version, "version", "", false, localizer.Sprintf("Print version information and exit"))
 	rootCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&args.TrustServerCertificate, "trust-server-certificate", "C", false, localizer.Sprintf("Implicitly trust the server certificate without validation"))
@@ -890,14 +890,21 @@ func run(vars *sqlcmd.Variables, args *SQLCmdArguments) (int, error) {
 			s.Query = args.Query
 		} else if args.InitialQuery != "" {
 			s.Query = args.InitialQuery
+			if !isInteractive {
+				once = true
+			}
 		}
-		iactive := args.InputFile == nil && args.Query == ""
-		if iactive || s.Query != "" {
+
+		// Run initial query (-q) if provided, even when combined with input files (-i)
+		if s.Query != "" {
 			// If we're not in interactive mode and stdin is redirected,
 			// we want to process all input without requiring GO statements
 			processAll := !isInteractive
 			err = s.Run(once, processAll)
-		} else {
+		}
+
+		// Process input files after initial query (if any)
+		if err == nil && s.Exitcode == 0 && args.InputFile != nil {
 			for f := range args.InputFile {
 				if err = s.IncludeFile(args.InputFile[f], true); err != nil {
 					s.WriteError(s.GetError(), err)
@@ -905,6 +912,10 @@ func run(vars *sqlcmd.Variables, args *SQLCmdArguments) (int, error) {
 					break
 				}
 			}
+		} else if args.InputFile == nil && args.Query == "" && args.InitialQuery == "" {
+			// Interactive mode: no query, no initial query, and no input files
+			processAll := !isInteractive
+			err = s.Run(once, processAll)
 		}
 	}
 	s.SetOutput(nil)
diff --git a/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go b/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
index 511816b2..5cf28c84 100644
--- a/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
+++ b/cmd/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ func TestValidCommandLineToArgsConversion(t *testing.T) {
 		{[]string{"-N", "true", "-J", "/path/to/cert2.pem"}, func(args SQLCmdArguments) bool {
 			return args.EncryptConnection == "true" && args.ServerCertificate == "/path/to/cert2.pem"
 		}},
+		// Test -q and -i can be used together (initial query runs before input files)
+		{[]string{"-q", "SET PARSEONLY ON", "-i", "script.sql"}, func(args SQLCmdArguments) bool {
+			return args.InitialQuery == "SET PARSEONLY ON" && len(args.InputFile) == 1 && args.InputFile[0] == "script.sql"
+		}},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range commands {
@@ -165,7 +169,7 @@ func TestInvalidCommandLine(t *testing.T) {
 	commands := []cmdLineTest{
 		{[]string{"-E", "-U", "someuser"}, "The -E and the -U/-P options are mutually exclusive."},
 		{[]string{"-L", "-q", `"select 1"`}, "The -L parameter can not be used in combination with other parameters."},
-		{[]string{"-i", "foo.sql", "-q", `"select 1"`}, "The i and the -Q/-q options are mutually exclusive."},
+		{[]string{"-i", "foo.sql", "-Q", `"select 1"`}, "The -i and the -Q options are mutually exclusive."},
 		{[]string{"-r", "5"}, "'-r 5': Unexpected argument. Argument value has to be one of [0 1]."},
 		{[]string{"-w", "x"}, "'-w x': value must be greater than 8 and less than 65536."},
 		{[]string{"-y", "111111"}, "'-y 111111': value must be greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 8000."},
@@ -269,6 +273,33 @@ func TestRunInputFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestInitialQueryWithInputFile verifies that -q (initial query) executes before -i (input files)
+func TestInitialQueryWithInputFile(t *testing.T) {
+	o, err := os.CreateTemp("", "sqlcmdmain")
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "os.CreateTemp")
+	defer os.Remove(o.Name())
+	defer o.Close()
+	args = newArguments()
+	// Use -q to change session language, then -i to verify the setting persists
+	// The initial query sets LANGUAGE to German, then the script selects @@LANGUAGE
+	args.InitialQuery = "SET LANGUAGE German"
+	args.InputFile = []string{"testdata/select_init_value.sql"}
+	args.OutputFile = o.Name()
+	setAzureAuthArgIfNeeded(&args)
+	vars := sqlcmd.InitializeVariables(args.useEnvVars())
+	vars.Set(sqlcmd.SQLCMDMAXVARTYPEWIDTH, "0")
+	setVars(vars, &args)
+
+	exitCode, err := run(vars, &args)
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "run")
+	assert.Equal(t, 0, exitCode, "exitCode")
+	bytes, err := os.ReadFile(o.Name())
+	if assert.NoError(t, err, "os.ReadFile") {
+		// Verify that the language set in the initial query is reflected in the script output
+		assert.Contains(t, string(bytes), "Deutsch", "Initial query should execute before input file")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUnicodeOutput(t *testing.T) {
 	o, err := os.CreateTemp("", "sqlcmdmain")
 	assert.NoError(t, err, "os.CreateTemp")
diff --git a/cmd/sqlcmd/testdata/select_init_value.sql b/cmd/sqlcmd/testdata/select_init_value.sql
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..169128e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/sqlcmd/testdata/select_init_value.sql
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+select @@LANGUAGE