diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderMain.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderMain.java
index d826dfa..96da57c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderMain.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderMain.java
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ package org.cobbzilla.util.main;
 import org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil;
 import org.cobbzilla.util.io.FilesystemWalker;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 
 import static org.cobbzilla.util.io.FileUtil.*;
@@ -15,43 +18,55 @@ public class FileHeaderMain extends BaseMain<FileHeaderOptions> {
     @Override protected void run() throws Exception {
         final FileHeaderOptions opts = getOptions();
         final Map<String, FileHeader> headers = opts.getHeaders();
-        new FilesystemWalker()
-                .withDir(opts.getDir())
-                .withVisitor(file -> {
-                    if (opts.exclude(file)) {
-                        err("excluding: "+abs(file));
-                        return;
-                    }
-                    final String ext = FileUtil.extension(file);
-                    final FileHeader header = headers.get(ext.length() > 0 ? ext.substring(1) : ext);
-                    if (header != null) {
-                        String contents = toStringOrDie(file);
-                        if (contents == null) contents = "";
-                        final String prefix;
-                        if (header.hasPrefix()) {
-                            final Matcher prefixMatcher = header.getPrefixPattern().matcher(contents);
-                            if (!prefixMatcher.find()) {
-                                err("prefix not found ("+header.getPrefix().replace("\n", "\\n")+") in file: "+abs(file));
-                                prefix = "";
-                            } else {
-                                prefix = contents.substring(0, prefixMatcher.start())
-                                        + contents.substring(prefixMatcher.start(), prefixMatcher.end());
-                                contents = contents.substring(prefixMatcher.end());
-                            }
-                        } else {
-                            prefix = "";
-                        }
-                        final Matcher matcher = header.getPattern().matcher(contents);
-                        if (matcher.find()) {
-                            contents = prefix + contents.substring(0, matcher.start())
-                                    + header.getHeader() + "\n" + contents.substring(matcher.end());
-                        } else {
-                            contents = prefix + header.getHeader() + "\n" + contents;
-                        }
-                        out(abs(file));
-                        toFileOrDie(file, contents);
-                    }
-                }).walk();
+        if (opts.isShallow()) {
+            Arrays.stream(Objects.requireNonNull(opts.getDir().listFiles()))
+                    .forEach(file -> processFile(opts, headers, file));
+        } else {
+            new FilesystemWalker()
+                    .withDir(opts.getDir())
+                    .withVisitor(file -> processFile(opts, headers, file))
+                    .walk();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void processFile(FileHeaderOptions opts, Map<String, FileHeader> headers, File file) {
+        if (opts.exclude(file)) {
+            err("excluding: "+abs(file));
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!file.isFile()) {
+            err("skipping non-file: "+abs(file));
+            return;
+        }
+        final String ext = FileUtil.extension(file);
+        final FileHeader header = headers.get(ext.length() > 0 ? ext.substring(1) : ext);
+        if (header != null) {
+            String contents = toStringOrDie(file);
+            if (contents == null) contents = "";
+            final String prefix;
+            if (header.hasPrefix()) {
+                final Matcher prefixMatcher = header.getPrefixPattern().matcher(contents);
+                if (!prefixMatcher.find()) {
+                    err("prefix not found ("+header.getPrefix().replace("\n", "\\n")+") in file: "+abs(file));
+                    prefix = "";
+                } else {
+                    prefix = contents.substring(0, prefixMatcher.start())
+                            + contents.substring(prefixMatcher.start(), prefixMatcher.end());
+                    contents = contents.substring(prefixMatcher.end());
+                }
+            } else {
+                prefix = "";
+            }
+            final Matcher matcher = header.getPattern().matcher(contents);
+            if (matcher.find()) {
+                contents = prefix + contents.substring(0, matcher.start())
+                        + header.getHeader() + "\n" + contents.substring(matcher.end());
+            } else {
+                contents = prefix + header.getHeader() + "\n" + contents;
+            }
+            out(abs(file));
+            toFileOrDie(file, contents);
+        }
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderOptions.java b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderOptions.java
index c552652..b73c91d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/util/main/FileHeaderOptions.java
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ public class FileHeaderOptions extends BaseMainOptions {
     @Option(name=OPT_DIR, aliases=LONGOPT_DIR, usage=USAGE_DIR, required=true)
     @Getter @Setter private File dir;
 
+    public static final String USAGE_SHALLOW = "Do not recurse into subdirectories";
+    public static final String OPT_SHALLOW = "-S";
+    public static final String LONGOPT_SHALLOW = "--shallow";
+    @Option(name=OPT_SHALLOW, aliases=LONGOPT_SHALLOW, usage=USAGE_SHALLOW)
+    @Getter @Setter private boolean shallow = false;
+
     public static final String USAGE_HEADERS_JSON = "JSON file with header info, or - to read from stdin";
     public static final String OPT_HEADERS_JSON = "-H";
     public static final String LONGOPT_HEADERS_JSON = "--headers";