diff --git a/doc/userguide/rules/payload-keywords.rst b/doc/userguide/rules/payload-keywords.rst
index e2e4d42a6b..1e71540254 100644
--- a/doc/userguide/rules/payload-keywords.rst
+++ b/doc/userguide/rules/payload-keywords.rst
@@ -126,6 +126,24 @@ Example:
 
 .. image:: payload-keywords/content4.png
 
+startswith
+----------
+
+The ``startswith`` keyword is similar to ``depth``. It takes no arguments
+and must follow a ``content`` keyword. It modifies the ``content`` to match
+exactly at the start of a buffer.
+
+Example::
+
+    content:"GET|20|"; startswith;
+
+``startswith`` is a short hand notation for::
+
+    content:"GET|20|"; depth:4; offset:0;
+
+``startswith`` cannot be mixed with ``depth``, ``offset``, ``within`` or
+``distance`` for the same pattern.
+
 offset
 ------
 
diff --git a/src/detect-content.h b/src/detect-content.h
index 7335d279cc..3bcf7c83bf 100644
--- a/src/detect-content.h
+++ b/src/detect-content.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 
 #define DETECT_CONTENT_WITHIN_NEXT      BIT_U32(17)
 #define DETECT_CONTENT_DISTANCE_NEXT    BIT_U32(18)
+#define DETECT_CONTENT_STARTS_WITH      BIT_U32(19)
 /** a relative match to this content is next, used in matching phase */
 #define DETECT_CONTENT_RELATIVE_NEXT    (DETECT_CONTENT_WITHIN_NEXT|DETECT_CONTENT_DISTANCE_NEXT)
 
diff --git a/src/detect-depth.c b/src/detect-depth.c
index 3c8af60462..0e7b4007a6 100644
--- a/src/detect-depth.c
+++ b/src/detect-depth.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 #include "util-debug.h"
 
 static int DetectDepthSetup (DetectEngineCtx *, Signature *, const char *);
+static int DetectStartsWithSetup (DetectEngineCtx *, Signature *, const char *);
 
 void DetectDepthRegister (void)
 {
@@ -52,6 +53,12 @@ void DetectDepthRegister (void)
     sigmatch_table[DETECT_DEPTH].Setup = DetectDepthSetup;
     sigmatch_table[DETECT_DEPTH].Free  = NULL;
     sigmatch_table[DETECT_DEPTH].RegisterTests = NULL;
+
+    sigmatch_table[DETECT_STARTS_WITH].name = "startswith";
+    sigmatch_table[DETECT_STARTS_WITH].desc = "pattern must be at the start of a buffer (same as 'depth:<pattern len>';)";
+    sigmatch_table[DETECT_STARTS_WITH].url = DOC_URL DOC_VERSION "/rules/payload-keywords.html#startswith";
+    sigmatch_table[DETECT_STARTS_WITH].Setup = DetectStartsWithSetup;
+    sigmatch_table[DETECT_STARTS_WITH].flags |= SIGMATCH_NOOPT;
 }
 
 static int DetectDepthSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *depthstr)
@@ -128,3 +135,56 @@ static int DetectDepthSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *
  end:
     return ret;
 }
+
+static int DetectStartsWithSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *unused)
+{
+    SigMatch *pm = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    /* retrieve the sm to apply the depth against */
+    pm = DetectGetLastSMFromLists(s, DETECT_CONTENT, -1);
+    if (pm == NULL) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_DEPTH_MISSING_CONTENT, "startswith needs a "
+                   "preceding content option");
+        goto end;
+    }
+
+    /* verify other conditions. */
+    DetectContentData *cd = (DetectContentData *)pm->ctx;
+
+    if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_DEPTH) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't use multiple "
+                "depth/startswith settings for the same content");
+        goto end;
+    }
+    if ((cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_WITHIN) || (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_DISTANCE)) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't use a relative "
+                   "keyword like within/distance with a absolute "
+                   "relative keyword like depth/offset for the same "
+                   "content.");
+        goto end;
+    }
+    if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_NEGATED && cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_FAST_PATTERN) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't have a relative "
+                   "negated keyword set along with a fast_pattern");
+        goto end;
+    }
+    if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_FAST_PATTERN_ONLY) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't have a relative "
+                   "keyword set along with a fast_pattern:only;");
+        goto end;
+    }
+    if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_OFFSET) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't mix offset "
+                   "with startswith");
+        goto end;
+    }
+
+    cd->depth = cd->content_len;
+    cd->flags |= DETECT_CONTENT_DEPTH;
+    cd->flags |= DETECT_CONTENT_STARTS_WITH;
+
+    ret = 0;
+ end:
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/detect-engine-register.h b/src/detect-engine-register.h
index 09f88cc4b1..4b6310d3cd 100644
--- a/src/detect-engine-register.h
+++ b/src/detect-engine-register.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ enum {
     DETECT_URICONTENT,
     DETECT_PCRE,
     DETECT_DEPTH,
+    DETECT_STARTS_WITH,
     DETECT_DISTANCE,
     DETECT_WITHIN,
     DETECT_OFFSET,
diff --git a/src/detect-offset.c b/src/detect-offset.c
index 31a835adf0..bed23a2d1b 100644
--- a/src/detect-offset.c
+++ b/src/detect-offset.c
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ int DetectOffsetSetup (DetectEngineCtx *de_ctx, Signature *s, const char *offset
     /* verify other conditions */
     DetectContentData *cd = (DetectContentData *)pm->ctx;
 
+    if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_STARTS_WITH) {
+        SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't use offset with startswith");
+        goto end;
+    }
     if (cd->flags & DETECT_CONTENT_OFFSET) {
         SCLogError(SC_ERR_INVALID_SIGNATURE, "can't use multiple offsets for the same content. ");
         goto end;
diff --git a/src/tests/detect-engine-content-inspection.c b/src/tests/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
index bc14abe62a..214c5c3fa8 100644
--- a/src/tests/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
+++ b/src/tests/detect-engine-content-inspection.c
@@ -225,6 +225,16 @@ static int DetectEngineContentInspectionTest10(void) {
     TEST_FOOTER;
 }
 
+static int DetectEngineContentInspectionTest11(void) {
+    TEST_HEADER;
+    TEST_RUN("ab", 2, "content:\"a\"; startswith; content:\"b\";", true, 2);
+    TEST_RUN("ab", 2, "content:\"a\"; startswith; content:\"b\"; within:1; distance:0;", true, 2);
+    TEST_RUN("ab", 2, "content:\"ab\"; startswith;", true, 1);
+    TEST_RUN("ab", 2, "content:\"a\"; startswith;", true, 1);
+    TEST_RUN("ab", 2, "content:\"b\"; startswith;", false, 1);
+    TEST_FOOTER;
+}
+
 void DetectEngineContentInspectionRegisterTests(void)
 {
     UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineContentInspectionTest01",
@@ -247,6 +257,8 @@ void DetectEngineContentInspectionRegisterTests(void)
                    DetectEngineContentInspectionTest09);
     UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineContentInspectionTest10",
                    DetectEngineContentInspectionTest10);
+    UtRegisterTest("DetectEngineContentInspectionTest11 startswith",
+                   DetectEngineContentInspectionTest11);
 }
 
 #undef TEST_HEADER