diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e7c0809..9a78d4c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@ if you copy it without the .sh extension:
 
 Basic command line syntax:
 
-    $ sudo sh /path/to/virtualhost.sh [create | delete] [domain] [optional host_dir]
+    $ sudo sh /path/to/virtualhost.sh [create | delete] [domain] [optional host_dir] [optional host_alias]
 
 With script installed on /usr/local/bin
 
-    $ sudo virtualhost [create | delete] [domain] [optional host_dir]
+    $ sudo virtualhost [create | delete] [domain] [optional host_dir] [optional host_alias]
 
 
 ### Examples ###
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ to create a new virtual host with custom directory name:
 
     $ sudo virtualhost create anothersite.dev my_dir
 
+to create a new virtual host with a www alias (but no custom directory name):
+
+    $ sudo virtualhost create anothersite.dev '' www.anothersite.dev
+
+to create a new virtual host with custom directory name and a www alias:
+
+    $ sudo virtualhost create anothersite.dev my_dir www.anothersite.dev
+
 to delete a virtual host
 
     $ sudo virtualhost delete mysite.dev
diff --git a/virtualhost-nginx.sh b/virtualhost-nginx.sh
index 1e6484f..0712ae6 100644
--- a/virtualhost-nginx.sh
+++ b/virtualhost-nginx.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ TEXTDOMAIN=virtualhost
 action=$1
 domain=$2
 rootDir=$3
+serverAlias=$4
 owner=$(who am i | awk '{print $1}')
 sitesEnable='/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/'
 sitesAvailable='/etc/nginx/sites-available/'
@@ -37,7 +38,12 @@ if [[ "$rootDir" =~ ^/ ]]; then
 	userDir=''
 fi
 
-rootDir=$userDir$rootDir
+### add an optional server alias, for example www.host.it
+if [ "$serverAlias" != "" ]; then
+	optionalAlias=' '$serverAlias
+else
+        optionalAlias=''
+fi
 
 if [ "$action" == 'create' ]
 	then
@@ -68,7 +74,7 @@ if [ "$action" == 'create' ]
 			listen   80;
 			root $userDir$rootDir;
 			index index.php index.html index.htm;
-			server_name $domain;
+			server_name $domain$optionalAlias;
 
 			# serve static files directly
 			location ~* \.(jpg|jpeg|gif|css|png|js|ico|html)$ {
diff --git a/virtualhost.sh b/virtualhost.sh
index 2bff5fa..441b098 100755
--- a/virtualhost.sh
+++ b/virtualhost.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ TEXTDOMAIN=virtualhost
 action=$1
 domain=$2
 rootDir=$3
+serverAlias=$4
+
 owner=$(who am i | awk '{print $1}')
 email='webmaster@localhost'
 sitesEnable='/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/'
@@ -43,6 +45,13 @@ fi
 
 rootDir=$userDir$rootDir
 
+### add an optional server alias, for example www.host.it
+if [ "$serverAlias" != "" ]; then
+	optionalAlias='ServerAlias '$serverAlias
+else
+        optionalAlias=''
+fi
+
 if [ "$action" == 'create' ]
 	then
 		### check if domain already exists
@@ -72,7 +81,7 @@ if [ "$action" == 'create' ]
 		<VirtualHost *:80>
 			ServerAdmin $email
 			ServerName $domain
-			ServerAlias $domain
+			$optionalAlias
 			DocumentRoot $rootDir
 			<Directory />
 				AllowOverride All