diff --git a/neofetch b/neofetch
index 5f1eb181..3b56ea56 100755
--- a/neofetch
+++ b/neofetch
@@ -660,6 +660,7 @@ image_backend="ascii"
 #
 # Default:  'auto'
 # Values:   'auto', 'ascii', 'wallpaper', '/path/to/img', '/path/to/ascii', '/path/to/dir/'
+#           'command output (neofetch --ascii "$(fortune | cowsay -W 30)")'
 # Flag:     --source
 #
 # NOTE: 'auto' will pick the best image source for whatever image backend is used.
@@ -3416,20 +3417,24 @@ image_backend() {
 }
 
 get_ascii() {
-    if [[ -f "$image_source" && ! "$image_source" =~ (png|jpg|jpeg|jpe|svg|gif) ]]; then
-        ascii_data="$(< "$image_source")"
-    else
-        err "Ascii: Ascii file not found, using distro ascii."
-    fi
+    [[ ! "$image_source" =~ (ascii|auto) ]] &&
+        if [[ -f "$image_source" && ! "$image_source" =~ (png|jpg|jpeg|jpe|svg|gif) ]]; then
+            ascii_data="$(< "$image_source")"
+        else
+            ascii_data="$image_source"
+        fi
 
     # Set locale to get correct padding.
     LC_ALL="$sys_locale"
 
     # Calculate size of ascii file in line length / line count.
     while IFS=$'\n' read -r line; do
-        ((++lines,${#line}>ascii_length)) && ascii_length="${#line}"
+        ((++lines,${#line}>ascii_len)) && ascii_len="${#line}"
     done <<< "${ascii_data//\$\{??\}}"
 
+    # Fallback if file not found.
+    ((lines==1)) && { lines=; ascii_len=; image_source="auto"; get_distro_ascii; get_ascii; return; }
+
     # Colors.
     ascii_data="${ascii_data//\$\{c1\}/$c1}"
     ascii_data="${ascii_data//\$\{c2\}/$c2}"
@@ -3438,7 +3443,7 @@ get_ascii() {
     ascii_data="${ascii_data//\$\{c5\}/$c5}"
     ascii_data="${ascii_data//\$\{c6\}/$c6}"
 
-    ((text_padding=ascii_length+gap))
+    ((text_padding=ascii_len+gap))
     printf '%b\n' "$ascii_data${reset}"
     LC_ALL=C
 }
@@ -4371,8 +4376,12 @@ IMAGE BACKEND:
                                 'sixel', 'tycat', 'w3m'
     --source source             Which image or ascii file to use.
                                 Possible values: 'auto', 'ascii', 'wallpaper', '/path/to/img',
-                                '/path/to/ascii', '/path/to/dir/'
+                                '/path/to/ascii', '/path/to/dir/', 'command output' [ascii]
+
     --ascii source              Shortcut to use 'ascii' backend.
+
+                                NEW: neofetch --ascii \"\$(fortune | cowsay -W 30)\"
+
     --caca source               Shortcut to use 'caca' backend.
     --iterm2 source             Shortcut to use 'iterm2' backend.
     --jp2a source               Shortcut to use 'jp2a' backend.
@@ -4595,7 +4604,6 @@ get_args() {
             "--ascii_distro")
                 image_backend="ascii"
                 ascii_distro="$2"
-                case "$2" in "-"* | "") ascii_distro="$distro" ;; esac
             ;;
 
             "--ascii_bold") ascii_bold="$2" ;;
diff --git a/neofetch.1 b/neofetch.1
index ae57b426..2bf66158 100644
--- a/neofetch.1
+++ b/neofetch.1
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-.\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.47.7.
-.TH NEOFETCH "1" "October 2018" "Neofetch 5.0.1" "User Commands"
+.\" DO NOT MODIFY THIS FILE!  It was generated by help2man 1.47.8.
+.TH NEOFETCH "1" "January 2019" "Neofetch 5.0.1" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 Neofetch \- A fast, highly customizable system info script
 .SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -199,10 +199,12 @@ Possible values: 'ascii', 'caca', 'jp2a', 'iterm2', 'off',
 \fB\-\-source\fR source
 Which image or ascii file to use.
 Possible values: 'auto', 'ascii', 'wallpaper', '/path/to/img',
-\&'/path/to/ascii', '/path/to/dir/'
+\&'/path/to/ascii', '/path/to/dir/', 'command output' [ascii]
 .TP
 \fB\-\-ascii\fR source
 Shortcut to use 'ascii' backend.
+.IP
+NEW: neofetch \fB\-\-ascii\fR "$(fortune | cowsay \fB\-W\fR 30)"
 .TP
 \fB\-\-caca\fR source
 Shortcut to use 'caca' backend.