diff --git a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
index d152fa3c4..146614028 100644
--- a/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/cli/cmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ bool CmdLineParser::ParseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
             }
             // experimental --project
             else if (std::strncmp(argv[i], "--project=", 10) == 0) {
-                _settings.project(argv[i]+10);
+                _settings->importProject(argv[i]+10);
             }
 
             // Report progress
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ bool CmdLineParser::ParseFromArgs(int argc, const char* const argv[])
     }
 
     // Print error only if we have "real" command and expect files
-    if (!_exitAfterPrint && _pathnames.empty()) {
+    if (!_exitAfterPrint && _pathnames.empty() && _settings->fileSettings.empty()) {
         PrintMessage("cppcheck: No C or C++ source files found.");
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/cli/cppcheckexecutor.cpp b/cli/cppcheckexecutor.cpp
index 3867bcf50..9334a1d0e 100644
--- a/cli/cppcheckexecutor.cpp
+++ b/cli/cppcheckexecutor.cpp
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ bool CppCheckExecutor::parseFromArgs(CppCheck *cppcheck, int argc, const char* c
             FileLister::recursiveAddFiles(_files, Path::toNativeSeparators(*iter), _settings->library.markupExtensions(), matcher);
     }
 
-    if (_files.empty()) {
+    if (_files.empty() && settings.fileSettings.empty()) {
         std::cout << "cppcheck: error: could not find or open any of the paths given." << std::endl;
         if (!ignored.empty())
             std::cout << "cppcheck: Maybe all paths were ignored?" << std::endl;
diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index 5901f49d8..53486dc83 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 #include "preprocessor.h"       // Preprocessor
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "tinyxml2.h"
+#include "path.h"
+#include "tokenlist.h"
 
 #include <fstream>
 #include <set>
@@ -321,3 +323,58 @@ bool Settings::platformFile(const std::string &filename)
 
     return true;
 }
+
+void Settings::importProject(const std::string &filename) {
+    std::ifstream fin(filename);
+    if (!fin.is_open())
+        return;
+    if (filename == "compile_commands.json") {
+        importCompileCommands(fin);
+    }
+}
+
+void Settings::importCompileCommands(std::istream &istr) {
+    std::map<std::string, std::string> values;
+
+    TokenList tokenList(this);
+    tokenList.createTokens(istr);
+    for (const Token *tok = tokenList.front(); tok; tok = tok->next()) {
+      if (Token::Match(tok, "%str% : %str% [,}]")) {
+        std::string key = tok->str();
+        std::string value = tok->strAt(2);
+        values[key.substr(1, key.size() - 2U)] = value.substr(1, value.size() - 2U);
+      }
+
+      else if (tok->str() == "}") {
+            if (!values["file"].empty() && !values["command"].empty()) {
+                struct FileSettings fs;
+                fs.filename = Path::fromNativeSeparators(values["file"]);
+                std::string command = values["command"];
+                std::string::size_type pos = 0;
+                while (std::string::npos != (pos = command.find(" ",pos))) {
+                    pos++;
+                    if (pos >= command.size())
+                        break;
+                    if (command[pos] != '/' && command[pos] != '-')
+                        continue;
+                    pos++;
+                    if (pos >= command.size())
+                      break;
+                    char F = command[pos++];
+                    std::string fval;
+                    while (pos < command.size() && command[pos] != ' ')
+                        fval += command[pos++];
+                    if (F=='D')
+                        fs.defines += fval + ";";
+                    else if (F=='U')
+                        fs.undefs += fval + ";";
+                    else if (F=='I')
+                        fs.includes += fval + ";";
+                }
+                fileSettings.push_back(fs);
+            }
+            values.clear();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/lib/settings.h b/lib/settings.h
index a406dff0b..dd6b43c7f 100644
--- a/lib/settings.h
+++ b/lib/settings.h
@@ -322,6 +322,19 @@ public:
         }
         return false;
     }
+
+    /** File settings */
+    struct FileSettings {
+        std::string filename;
+        std::string defines;
+        std::string undefs;
+        std::string includes;
+    };
+    std::list<FileSettings> fileSettings;
+
+    void importProject(const std::string &filename);
+private:
+    void importCompileCommands(std::istream &istr);
 };
 
 /// @}