diff --git a/giticket/giticket.py b/giticket/giticket.py
index 0b82437..9feb27b 100644
--- a/giticket/giticket.py
+++ b/giticket/giticket.py
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@
 conventionalcommit_regex = r'^(?P<type>build|chore|ci|docs|feat|fix|perf|refactor|style|test)(\((?P<scope>.+)\))?: (?P<subject>.+)'
 
 
-def capitalize_first(text):
-    return text[:1].upper() + text[1:] if text else text
+def capitalize(text, capitalize_spaces):
+    return text[:capitalize_spaces].upper() + text[capitalize_spaces:] if text else text
 
 
-def update_commit_message(filename, regex, mode, format_string, conventionalcommits=False, capitalize=False):
+def update_commit_message(filename, regex, mode, format_string, conventionalcommits=False, capitalize_spaces=0):
     with io.open(filename, 'r+') as fd:
         contents = fd.readlines()
         commit_msg = contents[0].rstrip('\r\n')
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@ def update_commit_message(filename, regex, mode, format_string, conventionalcomm
                 else:
                     scope = ', '.join(tickets)
                 subject = match.group('subject')
-                if capitalize:
-                    subject = capitalize_first(subject)
                 format_string = '{type}({scope}): {subject}'
                 new_commit_msg = format_string.format(
                     type=type, scope=scope, subject=subject
@@ -56,8 +54,8 @@ def update_commit_message(filename, regex, mode, format_string, conventionalcomm
                     ticket=tickets[0], tickets=', '.join(tickets),
                     commit_msg=commit_msg
                 )
-                if capitalize:
-                    new_commit_msg = capitalize_first(new_commit_msg)
+                if capitalize_spaces:
+                    new_commit_msg = capitalize(new_commit_msg, capitalize_spaces)
 
             contents[0] = six.text_type(new_commit_msg + "\n")
             fd.seek(0)
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument('filenames', nargs='+')
     parser.add_argument('--conventionalcommits', action='store_true')
-    parser.add_argument('--capitalize', action='store_true')
+    parser.add_argument('--capitalize', nargs='?')
     parser.add_argument('--regex')
     parser.add_argument('--format', nargs='?')
     parser.add_argument('--mode', nargs='?', const=underscore_split_mode,
@@ -99,7 +97,8 @@ def main(argv=None):
         return 1
     regex = args.regex or r'[A-Z]+-\d+'  # noqa
     format_string = args.format or '{ticket} {commit_msg}' # noqa
-    update_commit_message(args.filenames[0], regex, args.mode, format_string, args.conventionalcommits, args.capitalize)
+    capitalize_spaces = args.capitalize or 0
+    update_commit_message(args.filenames[0], regex, args.mode, format_string, args.conventionalcommits, capitalize_spaces)
 
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/tests/test_giticket.py b/tests/test_giticket.py
index dc8dc87..9d404fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_giticket.py
+++ b/tests/test_giticket.py
@@ -144,10 +144,21 @@ def test_update_commit_message_capitalize(mock_branch_name, tmpdir):
     path.write("Test commit message")
     update_commit_message(six.text_type(path), r'[a-zA-Z]+-\d+',
                           'regex_match', '{ticket}: {commit_msg}',
-                          capitalize=True)
+                          capitalize_spaces=1)
     assert path.read() == "Jira-1234: Test commit message\n"
 
 
+@mock.patch(TESTING_MODULE + '.get_branch_name')
+def test_update_commit_message_capitalize_multiple_chars(mock_branch_name, tmpdir):
+    mock_branch_name.return_value = "jira-1234"
+    path = tmpdir.join('file.txt')
+    path.write("Test commit message")
+    update_commit_message(six.text_type(path), r'[a-zA-Z]+-\d+',
+                          'regex_match', '{ticket}: {commit_msg}',
+                          capitalize_spaces=4)
+    assert path.read() == "JIRA-1234: Test commit message\n"
+
+
 @mock.patch(TESTING_MODULE + '.get_branch_name')
 def test_update_commit_message_capitalize_already_uppercase(mock_branch_name, tmpdir):
     mock_branch_name.return_value = "JIRA-1234_new_feature"
@@ -155,7 +166,7 @@ def test_update_commit_message_capitalize_already_uppercase(mock_branch_name, tm
     path.write("Test commit message")
     update_commit_message(six.text_type(path), r'[A-Z]+-\d+',
                           'regex_match', '{ticket}: {commit_msg}',
-                          capitalize=True)
+                          capitalize_spaces=1)
     assert path.read() == "JIRA-1234: Test commit message\n"
 
 
@@ -166,8 +177,8 @@ def test_update_commit_message_capitalize_conventionalcommits(mock_branch_name,
     path.write("feat: add new feature")
     update_commit_message(six.text_type(path), r'[A-Z]+-\d+',
                           'regex_match', '{commit_msg}',
-                          conventionalcommits=True, capitalize=True)
-    assert path.read() == "feat(JIRA-5678): Add new feature\n"
+                          conventionalcommits=True, capitalize_spaces=1)
+    assert path.read() == "feat(JIRA-5678): add new feature\n"
 
 
 @mock.patch(TESTING_MODULE + '.get_branch_name')
@@ -234,7 +245,7 @@ def test_main(mock_update_commit_message, mock_argparse):
     mock_args.format = None
     mock_args.mode = 'underscore_split'
     mock_args.conventionalcommits = True
-    mock_args.capitalize = False
+    mock_args.capitalize = None
     mock_argparse.ArgumentParser.return_value.parse_args.return_value = mock_args
     main()
     mock_update_commit_message.assert_called_once_with('foo.txt', r'[A-Z]+-\d+',