diff --git a/cpdfcommand.ml b/cpdfcommand.ml
index 90072d8..ade6ba9 100644
--- a/cpdfcommand.ml
+++ b/cpdfcommand.ml
@@ -2867,6 +2867,7 @@ let specs =
    ("-text", Arg.String Cpdfdrawcontrol.addtext, " Draw text");
    ("-stext", Arg.String Cpdfdrawcontrol.addspecialtext, " Draw text with %specials");
    ("-para", Arg.String Cpdfdrawcontrol.addpara, " Add a paragraph of text");
+   ("-paras", Arg.String Cpdfdrawcontrol.addparas, " Add paragraphs of text, splitting on newlines");
    ("-leading", Arg.Float (fun f -> Cpdfdrawcontrol.addop (Cpdfdraw.Leading f)), " Set leading");
    ("-charspace", Arg.Float (fun f -> Cpdfdrawcontrol.addop (Cpdfdraw.CharSpace f)), " Set character spacing");
    ("-wordspace", Arg.Float (fun f -> Cpdfdrawcontrol.addop (Cpdfdraw.WordSpace f)), " Set word space");
diff --git a/cpdfdraw.ml b/cpdfdraw.ml
index 6d7ecd0..369fa8d 100644
--- a/cpdfdraw.ml
+++ b/cpdfdraw.ml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ type drawops =
   | TextSection of drawops list
   | Text of string
   | SpecialText of string
-  | Para of justification * float * string
+  | Para of justification * float * string list
   | Newline
   | Leading of float
   | CharSpace of float
@@ -428,6 +428,7 @@ let rec ops_of_drawop struct_tree dryrun pdf endpage filename bates batespad num
       if dryrun then iter (fun c -> Hashtbl.replace (res ()).current_fontpack_codepoints c ()) (Pdftext.codepoints_of_utf8 s);
         fst (runs_of_utf8 s)
   | Para (j, w, s) ->
+      let s = hd s in (* FIXME *)
       if dryrun then iter (fun c -> Hashtbl.replace (res ()).current_fontpack_codepoints c ()) (Pdftext.codepoints_of_utf8 s);
       format_paragraph j w s
   | Leading f -> [Pdfops.Op_TL f]
diff --git a/cpdfdraw.mli b/cpdfdraw.mli
index 4e8b156..981ce93 100644
--- a/cpdfdraw.mli
+++ b/cpdfdraw.mli
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ type drawops =
   | TextSection of drawops list
   | Text of string
   | SpecialText of string
-  | Para of justification * float * string
+  | Para of justification * float * string list
   | Newline
   | Leading of float
   | CharSpace of float
diff --git a/cpdfdrawcontrol.ml b/cpdfdrawcontrol.ml
index b22ac5d..f935999 100644
--- a/cpdfdrawcontrol.ml
+++ b/cpdfdrawcontrol.ml
@@ -350,20 +350,34 @@ let addspecialtext s =
     addop (Cpdfdraw.SpecialText s)
 
 (* "L200pt=....." *)
+let jws s =
+  let j, rest =
+    match explode s with
+    | 'L'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Left, t)
+    | 'R'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Right, t)
+    | 'C'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Centre, t)
+    | _ -> error "Unknown justification specification"
+  in
+  let w, s =
+      match String.split_on_char '=' (implode rest) with
+      | [w; s] -> (Cpdfcoord.parse_single_number (Pdf.empty ()) w, s)
+      | _ -> error "addjpeg: bad file specification"
+  in
+    j, w, s
+
 let addpara s =
-  begin match !drawops with _::_::_ -> () | _ -> error "-stext must be in a -bt / -et section" end;
-    add_default_fontpack (!getfontname ());
-    addop (Cpdfdraw.Font (!getfontname (), !getfontsize ()));
-    let j, rest =
-      match explode s with
-      | 'L'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Left, t)
-      | 'R'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Right, t)
-      | 'C'::t -> (Cpdfdraw.Centre, t)
-      | _ -> error "Unknown justification specification"
-    in
-    let w, s =
-        match String.split_on_char '=' (implode rest) with
-        | [w; s] -> (Cpdfcoord.parse_single_number (Pdf.empty ()) w, s)
-        | _ -> error "addjpeg: bad file specification"
-    in
-      addop (Cpdfdraw.Para (j, w, s))
+  begin match !drawops with _::_::_ -> () | _ -> error "-para must be in a -bt / -et section" end;
+  add_default_fontpack (!getfontname ());
+  addop (Cpdfdraw.Font (!getfontname (), !getfontsize ()));
+  let j, w, s = jws s in
+    addop (Cpdfdraw.Para (j, w, [s]))
+
+let split_on_newline s = [s]
+
+let addparas s =
+  begin match !drawops with _::_::_ -> () | _ -> error "-paras must be in a -bt / -et section" end;
+  add_default_fontpack (!getfontname ());
+  addop (Cpdfdraw.Font (!getfontname (), !getfontsize ()));
+  let j, w, s = jws s in
+  let splits = split_on_newline s in
+    addop (Cpdfdraw.Para (j, w, splits))
diff --git a/cpdfdrawcontrol.mli b/cpdfdrawcontrol.mli
index e0036e0..f546f55 100644
--- a/cpdfdrawcontrol.mli
+++ b/cpdfdrawcontrol.mli
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ val add_default_fontpack : string -> unit
 val addtext : string -> unit
 val addspecialtext : string -> unit
 val addpara : string -> unit
+val addparas : string -> unit
 
 (** This the beginnings of separation between cpdfcommand and cpdfdraw when
     drawing, for use in cpdflib. It is presently undocumented. *)