diff --git a/backend/app.go b/backend/app.go
index 4c5e9cc..2390eaf 100644
--- a/backend/app.go
+++ b/backend/app.go
@@ -398,6 +398,8 @@ func (a *App) checkFlagsAndSendIPCMsg(cli *ipc.Client) error {
 		return cli.SetVolume(VolumeCLIArg)
 	case SeekToCLIArg >= 0:
 		return cli.SeekSeconds(SeekToCLIArg)
+	case SeekByCLIArg != 0:
+		return cli.SeekBySeconds(SeekByCLIArg)
 	default:
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/backend/cmdlineoptions.go b/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
index 5e189ed..267ed7a 100644
--- a/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
+++ b/backend/cmdlineoptions.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	VolumeCLIArg int     = -1
 	SeekToCLIArg float64 = -1
+	SeekByCLIArg float64 = 0
 
 	FlagPlay      = flag.Bool("play", false, "unpause or begin playback")
 	FlagPause     = flag.Bool("pause", false, "pause playback")
@@ -30,6 +31,11 @@ func init() {
 		SeekToCLIArg = v
 		return err
 	})
+	flag.Func("seek-by", "seeks back or forward by the given number of seconds (negative or positive)", func(s string) error {
+		v, err := strconv.ParseFloat(s, 64)
+		SeekByCLIArg = v
+		return err
+	})
 }
 
 func HaveCommandLineOptions() bool {
diff --git a/backend/ipc/api.go b/backend/ipc/api.go
index fbea445..f7eba39 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/api.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/api.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const (
 	PreviousPath  = "/transport/previous"
 	NextPath      = "/transport/next"
 	TimePosPath   = "/transport/timepos" // ?s=<seconds>
+	SeekByPath    = "/transport/seek-by" // ?s=<+/- seconds>
 	VolumePath    = "/volume"            // ?v=<vol>
 	ShowPath      = "/window/show"
 	QuitPath      = "/window/quit"
@@ -27,3 +28,7 @@ func SetVolumePath(vol int) string {
 func SeekToSecondsPath(secs float64) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?s=%0.2f", TimePosPath, secs)
 }
+
+func SeekBySecondsPath(secs float64) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s?s=%0.2f", SeekByPath, secs)
+}
diff --git a/backend/ipc/client.go b/backend/ipc/client.go
index b342382..755183a 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/client.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/client.go
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ func (c *Client) SeekSeconds(secs float64) error {
 	return c.sendRequest(SeekToSecondsPath(secs))
 }
 
+func (c *Client) SeekBySeconds(secs float64) error {
+	return c.sendRequest(SeekBySecondsPath(secs))
+}
+
 func (c *Client) SetVolume(vol int) error {
 	return c.sendRequest(SetVolumePath(vol))
 }
diff --git a/backend/ipc/server.go b/backend/ipc/server.go
index fc62ed3..fa32ba8 100644
--- a/backend/ipc/server.go
+++ b/backend/ipc/server.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ type PlaybackHandler interface {
 	SeekBackOrPrevious() error
 	SeekNext() error
 	SeekSeconds(float64) error
+	SeekBySeconds(float64) error
 	Volume() int
 	SetVolume(int) error
 }
@@ -71,14 +72,8 @@ func (s *serverImpl) createHandler() http.Handler {
 	m.HandleFunc(StopPath, s.makeSimpleEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.Stop))
 	m.HandleFunc(PreviousPath, s.makeSimpleEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.SeekBackOrPrevious))
 	m.HandleFunc(NextPath, s.makeSimpleEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.SeekNext))
-	m.HandleFunc(TimePosPath, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-		_s := r.URL.Query().Get("s")
-		if secs, err := strconv.ParseFloat(_s, 64); err == nil {
-			s.writeSimpleResponse(w, s.pbHandler.SeekSeconds(secs))
-		} else {
-			s.writeErr(w, err)
-		}
-	})
+	m.HandleFunc(TimePosPath, s.makeFloatEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.SeekSeconds, "s"))
+	m.HandleFunc(SeekByPath, s.makeFloatEndpointHandler(s.pbHandler.SeekBySeconds, "s"))
 	m.HandleFunc(VolumePath, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		v := r.URL.Query().Get("v")
 		if vol, err := strconv.Atoi(v); err == nil {
@@ -96,6 +91,17 @@ func (s *serverImpl) makeSimpleEndpointHandler(f func() error) func(http.Respons
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *serverImpl) makeFloatEndpointHandler(f func(float64) error, queryParam string) func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) {
+	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		v := r.URL.Query().Get(queryParam)
+		if val, err := strconv.ParseFloat(v, 64); err == nil {
+			s.writeSimpleResponse(w, f(val))
+		} else {
+			s.writeErr(w, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *serverImpl) writeSimpleResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, err error) {
 	if err == nil {
 		s.writeOK(w)
diff --git a/backend/mpris.go b/backend/mpris.go
index 440747c..7be7121 100644
--- a/backend/mpris.go
+++ b/backend/mpris.go
@@ -184,8 +184,7 @@ func (m *MPRISHandler) Play() error {
 
 func (m *MPRISHandler) Seek(offset types.Microseconds) error {
 	// MPRIS seek command is relative to current position
-	pos := m.pm.PlayerStatus().TimePos + microsecondsToSeconds(offset)
-	return m.pm.SeekSeconds(pos)
+	return m.pm.SeekBySeconds(microsecondsToSeconds(offset))
 }
 
 func (m *MPRISHandler) SetPosition(trackId string, position types.Microseconds) error {
diff --git a/backend/playbackmanager.go b/backend/playbackmanager.go
index 95005ad..94f8a3b 100644
--- a/backend/playbackmanager.go
+++ b/backend/playbackmanager.go
@@ -284,6 +284,18 @@ func (p *PlaybackManager) SeekSeconds(sec float64) error {
 	return p.engine.SeekSeconds(sec)
 }
 
+// Seek by given relative position in the current track by seconds.
+func (p *PlaybackManager) SeekBySeconds(sec float64) error {
+	status := p.engine.PlayerStatus()
+	target := status.TimePos + sec
+	if target < 0 {
+		target = 0
+	} else if target > status.Duration {
+		target = status.Duration
+	}
+	return p.engine.SeekSeconds(target)
+}
+
 // Seek to a fractional position in the current track [0..1]
 func (p *PlaybackManager) SeekFraction(fraction float64) error {
 	if fraction < 0 {