diff --git a/bin/hjson b/bin/hjson
index 25ed3ac..1f07cce 100644
--- a/bin/hjson
+++ b/bin/hjson
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ if (args["-help"] || args["?"] || args.h) {
   console.error("  -sl         output the opening brace on the same line");
   console.error("  -quote      quote all strings");
   console.error("  -quote=all  quote keys as well");
+  console.error("  -ml         use multiline format for multiline strings");
   console.error("  -js         output in JavaScript/JSON compatible format");
   console.error("              can be used with -rt and // comments");
   console.error("  -rt         round trip comments");
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ function convert(text) {
       quotes: args.quote,
       separator: args.js,
       keepWsc: args.rt,
+      multiline: args.ml ? "force" : "std",
       colors: !args.nocol && process.stdout.isTTY,
       dsf: dsf,
     });
diff --git a/lib/hjson-stringify.js b/lib/hjson-stringify.js
index 6d800af..4cfb935 100644
--- a/lib/hjson-stringify.js
+++ b/lib/hjson-stringify.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ module.exports = function(data, opt) {
     bracesSameLine = opt.bracesSameLine;
     quoteKeys = opt.quotes === 'all' || opt.quotes === 'keys';
     quoteStrings = opt.quotes === 'all' || opt.quotes === 'strings' || opt.separator === true;
-    if (quoteStrings || opt.multiline == 'off') multiline = 0;
+    if ((quoteStrings && opt.multiline !== 'force') || opt.multiline == 'off') multiline = 0;
     else multiline = opt.multiline == 'no-tabs' ? 2 : 1;
     separator = opt.separator === true ? token.com[0] : '';
     dsfDef = opt.dsf;
diff --git a/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.hjson b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.hjson
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5bcc669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.hjson
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  unquoted_string: "an unquoted normal string"
+  ml_string:
+    '''
+    this is
+    a multiline
+    string
+    '''
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.json b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..989d7b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_result.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "unquoted_string": "an unquoted normal string",
+  "ml_string": "this is\na multiline\nstring"
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_test.hjson b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_test.hjson
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec93b50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_test.hjson
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+{
+  unquoted_string: an unquoted normal string
+  ml_string:
+  '''
+  this is
+  a multiline
+  string
+  '''
+}
diff --git a/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_testmeta.hjson b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_testmeta.hjson
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d01d2cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/assets/extra/force_ml_string_testmeta.hjson
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{ 
+  options: {
+    multiline: force
+    quotes: strings
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/assets/testlist.txt b/test/assets/testlist.txt
index eae48cf..502f943 100644
--- a/test/assets/testlist.txt
+++ b/test/assets/testlist.txt
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ stringify/quotes_always_test.hjson
 stringify/quotes_keys_test.hjson
 stringify/quotes_strings_ml_test.json
 stringify/quotes_strings_test.hjson
+extra/force_ml_string_test.hjson
 extra/notabs_test.json
 extra/root_test.hjson
 extra/separator_test.json
\ No newline at end of file