diff --git a/channels/management/commands/runworker.py b/channels/management/commands/runworker.py
index e5fa5ff..43af56a 100644
--- a/channels/management/commands/runworker.py
+++ b/channels/management/commands/runworker.py
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ from channels.worker import Worker
 
 class Command(BaseCommand):
 
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        super(Command, self).add_arguments(parser)
+        parser.add_argument('--alias', action='store', dest='alias', default=DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER,
+            help='Channel layer alias to use, if not the default.')
+
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         # Get the backend to use
         self.verbosity = options.get("verbosity", 1)
         self.logger = setup_logger('django.channels', self.verbosity)
-        self.channel_layer = channel_layers[DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER]
+        self.channel_layer = channel_layers[options.get("alias", DEFAULT_CHANNEL_LAYER)]
         # Check that handler isn't inmemory
         if self.channel_layer.local_only():
             raise CommandError(