diff --git a/template.sh b/template.sh
index 37ca475..a05dc72 100755
--- a/template.sh
+++ b/template.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/bash -e
 
+file=
+if test -e "${!#}"; then
+    for var in $(sed -n 's,^ *# \+\(-p\|--pwd\) \+\([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_]*\),\2,p' "${!#}"); do
+        export ${var}=$(pwgen 40 1)
+    done
+fi
+
 while test $# -gt 0; do
     case "$1" in
         (-h|--help) if test -e "${!#}"; then
@@ -19,7 +26,11 @@ OPTIONS
 
   -v, --var  name=value  Set environment variable to be used in the template.
 
-  -p, --pwd  name        Generate a random password with the given name.
+  -p, --pwd name         Generate a random password with the given name.
+                         If a password is documented, then it does not
+                         need to be specified. But automated
+                         generation can be overwritten assigning a
+                         value using option -v.
 
 FILE
 
@@ -115,8 +126,8 @@ EOF
                        exit 1
                    fi;;
         (*) if test $# -ne 1 -o ! -e "$1"; then
-                echo "ERROR please specify exactly one template file $*" 1>&2
-                echo " this not a template file: $*" 1>&2
+                echo "ERROR please specify exactly one template file" 1>&2
+                echo " this not one template file: $*" 1>&2
                 echo " see: $0 --help" 1>&2
                 exit 1
             fi