diff --git a/StandAlone/StandAlone.cpp b/StandAlone/StandAlone.cpp
index 8452a68..fc5913e 100644
--- a/StandAlone/StandAlone.cpp
+++ b/StandAlone/StandAlone.cpp
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@
 const char* sourceEntryPointName = nullptr;
 const char* shaderStageName = nullptr;
 const char* variableName = nullptr;
+bool HlslEnable16BitTypes = false;
 std::vector<std::string> IncludeDirectoryList;
 int ClientInputSemanticsVersion = 100;   // maps to, say, #define VULKAN 100
 int VulkanClientVersion = 100;           // would map to, say, Vulkan 1.0
@@ -450,6 +451,8 @@
                                lowerword == "hlsl-iomapper" ||
                                lowerword == "hlsl-iomapping") {
                         Options |= EOptionHlslIoMapping;
+                    } else if (lowerword == "hlsl-enable-16bit-types") {
+                        HlslEnable16BitTypes = true;
                     } else if (lowerword == "invert-y" ||  // synonyms
                                lowerword == "iy") {
                         Options |= EOptionInvertY;
@@ -513,7 +516,7 @@
                                 setOpenGlSpv();
                                 OpenGLClientVersion = 450;
                             } else
-                                Error("--target-env expected vulkan1.0 or opengl");
+                                Error("--target-env expected vulkan1.0, opengl, or hlsl-16bit-types");
                         }
                         bumpArg();
                     } else if (lowerword == "variable-name" || // synonyms
@@ -701,6 +704,8 @@
         messages = (EShMessages)(messages | EShMsgHlslOffsets);
     if (Options & EOptionDebug)
         messages = (EShMessages)(messages | EShMsgDebugInfo);
+    if (HlslEnable16BitTypes)
+        messages = (EShMessages)(messages | EShMsgHlslEnable16BitTypes);
 }
 
 //
@@ -1334,6 +1339,7 @@
            "  --hlsl-offsets                       Allow block offsets to follow HLSL rules\n"
            "                                       Works independently of source language\n"
            "  --hlsl-iomap                         Perform IO mapping in HLSL register space\n"
+           "  --hlsl-enable-16bit-types            Allow use of 16-bit types in SPIR-V for HLSL\n"
            "  --invert-y | --iy                    invert position.Y output in vertex shader\n"
            "  --keep-uncalled                      don't eliminate uncalled functions\n"
            "  --ku                                 synonym for --keep-uncalled\n"