diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index edee1e9..21b4121 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+## Upcoming - TBD
+
+### Features
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* Support a single item in the startup commands in the config. (bug #176)
+
+
 ## 1.10.1 - 2024-3-23
 
 ### Bug Fixes
diff --git a/litecli/liteclirc b/litecli/liteclirc
index 924b585..1184278 100644
--- a/litecli/liteclirc
+++ b/litecli/liteclirc
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ output.even-row = ""
 
 # Startup commands
 # litecli commands or sqlite commands to be executed on startup.
-# some of them will require you to have a database attached. 
+# some of them will require you to have a database attached.
 # they will be executed in the same order as they appear in the list.
 [startup_commands]
-#commands = ".tables", "pragma foreign_keys = ON;"
\ No newline at end of file
+#commands = ".tables", "pragma foreign_keys = ON;"
diff --git a/litecli/main.py b/litecli/main.py
index 268ede2..35638bd 100644
--- a/litecli/main.py
+++ b/litecli/main.py
@@ -588,7 +588,11 @@ def one_iteration(text=None):
         def startup_commands():
             if self.startup_commands:
                 if "commands" in self.startup_commands:
-                    for command in self.startup_commands["commands"]:
+                    if isinstance(self.startup_commands["commands"], str):
+                        commands = [self.startup_commands["commands"]]
+                    else:
+                        commands = self.startup_commands["commands"]
+                    for command in commands:
                         try:
                             res = sqlexecute.run(command)
                         except Exception as e: