diff --git a/supervisor/options.py b/supervisor/options.py
index 7b53cc760..3565243bf 100644
--- a/supervisor/options.py
+++ b/supervisor/options.py
@@ -932,6 +932,19 @@ def get(section, opt, *args, **kwargs):
         serverurl = get(section, 'serverurl', None)
         if serverurl and serverurl.strip().upper() == 'AUTO':
             serverurl = None
+        runningregex = get(section, 'runningregex', None)
+        if runningregex:
+            try:
+                runningregex = re.compile(r'.*'+ runningregex)
+            except Exception as e:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"program section {section} has invalid runningregex value. Error {e}")
+            if "/dev/" in get(section, 'stdout_logfile'):
+                self.warnings.warn(
+                    '\033[93m runningregex is only supported for logfiles.'
+                    'It does not work with /dev/null or /dev/fd/1.'
+                    'Startsecs are used instead \033[0m')
+                runningregex = None
 
         # find uid from "user" option
         user = get(section, 'user', None)
@@ -1057,7 +1070,9 @@ def get(section, opt, *args, **kwargs):
                 exitcodes=exitcodes,
                 redirect_stderr=redirect_stderr,
                 environment=environment,
-                serverurl=serverurl)
+                serverurl=serverurl,
+                runningregex=runningregex
+            )
 
             programs.append(pconfig)
 
@@ -1875,7 +1890,7 @@ class ProcessConfig(Config):
         'stderr_events_enabled', 'stderr_syslog',
         'stopsignal', 'stopwaitsecs', 'stopasgroup', 'killasgroup',
         'exitcodes', 'redirect_stderr' ]
-    optional_param_names = [ 'environment', 'serverurl' ]
+    optional_param_names = [ 'environment', 'serverurl', 'runningregex' ]
 
     def __init__(self, options, **params):
         self.options = options
diff --git a/supervisor/process.py b/supervisor/process.py
index d6f60f3e2..96181d356 100644
--- a/supervisor/process.py
+++ b/supervisor/process.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import shlex
 import time
 import traceback
+import re
 
 from supervisor.compat import maxint
 from supervisor.compat import as_bytes
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@
 from supervisor.options import decode_wait_status
 from supervisor.options import signame
 from supervisor.options import ProcessException, BadCommand
+from supervisor.options import readFile
 
 from supervisor.dispatchers import EventListenerStates
 
@@ -194,6 +196,17 @@ def spawn(self):
 
         Return the process id.  If the fork() call fails, return None.
         """
+        # if runningregex is used, set the log_offset correctly
+        if self.config.runningregex is not None:
+            try:
+                logfile = getattr(self.config, 'stdout_logfile')
+                with open(logfile, 'rb') as f:
+                    log_file_length = len(f.read())
+                self.log_offset = log_file_length
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                self.log_offset = 0
+
+
         options = self.config.options
         processname = as_string(self.config.name)
 
@@ -679,7 +692,7 @@ def transition(self):
 
         processname = as_string(self.config.name)
         if state == ProcessStates.STARTING:
-            if now - self.laststart > self.config.startsecs:
+            if now - self.laststart > self.config.startsecs and not self.config.runningregex:
                 # STARTING -> RUNNING if the proc has started
                 # successfully and it has stayed up for at least
                 # proc.config.startsecs,
@@ -692,6 +705,33 @@ def transition(self):
                     '> than %s seconds (startsecs)' % self.config.startsecs)
                 logger.info('success: %s %s' % (processname, msg))
 
+            if self.config.runningregex:
+                logfile = getattr(self.config, 'stdout_logfile')
+                try:
+                    logfile_as_str =  as_string(readFile(logfile, self.log_offset, 0))
+                    
+                    # delete ascii escape sequence and newlines with regular expression
+                    ansi_escape = re.compile(r'(\x9B|\x1B\[)[0-?]*[ -\/]*[@-~]|\n')
+                    logfile_as_str = ansi_escape.sub('', logfile_as_str)
+
+                    # STARTING -> RUNNING if the process has started
+                    # successfully and the runningregex is met
+                    if self.config.runningregex.match(logfile_as_str):
+                        self.delay = 0
+                        self.backoff = 0
+                        self._assertInState(ProcessStates.STARTING)
+                        self.change_state(ProcessStates.RUNNING)
+                        msg = ('entered RUNNING state, found runningregex in stdout')
+                        logger.info('success: %s %s' % (processname, msg))
+                except ValueError:
+                    with open(logfile, 'w') as file:
+                        file.write("")
+                    logger.warn(
+                        'logfile {} did not exists. Created new logfile, '
+                        'runnngregex match will be checked again next '
+                        'iteration.'.format(logfile))
+
+
         if state == ProcessStates.BACKOFF:
             if self.backoff > self.config.startretries:
                 # BACKOFF -> FATAL if the proc has exceeded its number