diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index f6f9f6eb..e70b8469 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -37,11 +37,10 @@ repos:
       uv run python -m statemachine.contrib.diagram
       tests.examples.traffic_light_machine.TrafficLightMachine
       docs/images/readme_trafficlightmachine.png
+      --events cycle cycle cycle
     language: system
     pass_filenames: false
-    files: >-
-      (statemachine/contrib/diagram/
-      |tests/examples/traffic_light_machine\.py)
+    files: (statemachine/contrib/diagram/|tests/examples/traffic_light_machine\.py)
   - id: pytest
     name: Pytest
     entry: uv run pytest -n auto --cov-fail-under=100
diff --git a/docs/diagram.md b/docs/diagram.md
index d607e339..6b09b1ba 100644
--- a/docs/diagram.md
+++ b/docs/diagram.md
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ The output format is inferred from the file extension:
 python -m statemachine.contrib.diagram tests.examples.traffic_light_machine.TrafficLightMachine diagram.png
 ```
 
+To highlight the current state, use `--events` to instantiate the machine and
+send events before rendering:
+
+```bash
+python -m statemachine.contrib.diagram tests.examples.traffic_light_machine.TrafficLightMachine diagram.png --events cycle cycle cycle
+```
+
 
 ## Sphinx directive
 
diff --git a/docs/images/readme_trafficlightmachine.png b/docs/images/readme_trafficlightmachine.png
index 6519080d..5685ec10 100644
Binary files a/docs/images/readme_trafficlightmachine.png and b/docs/images/readme_trafficlightmachine.png differ
diff --git a/docs/releases/3.1.0.md b/docs/releases/3.1.0.md
index 77c702b2..34c6a3f5 100644
--- a/docs/releases/3.1.0.md
+++ b/docs/releases/3.1.0.md
@@ -49,6 +49,13 @@ machine instance concurrently. This is now documented in the
 [#592](https://github.com/fgmacedo/python-statemachine/pull/592).
 
 
+### Diagram CLI `--events` option
+
+The `python -m statemachine.contrib.diagram` command now accepts `--events` to
+instantiate the machine and send events before rendering, highlighting the
+current active state — matching the Sphinx directive's `:events:` option.
+See {ref}`diagram:Command line` for details.
+
 ### Bugfixes in 3.1.0
 
 - Fixes silent misuse of `Event()` with multiple positional arguments. Passing more than one
diff --git a/statemachine/contrib/diagram/__init__.py b/statemachine/contrib/diagram/__init__.py
index 51e7bc78..a2e31a71 100644
--- a/statemachine/contrib/diagram/__init__.py
+++ b/statemachine/contrib/diagram/__init__.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def import_sm(qualname):
     return smclass
 
 
-def write_image(qualname, out):
+def write_image(qualname, out, events=None):
     """
     Given a `qualname`, that is the fully qualified dotted path to a StateMachine
     classes, imports the class and generates a dot graph using the `pydot` lib.
@@ -143,10 +143,20 @@ def write_image(qualname, out):
     open/create and truncate such file and write on it a representation of
     the graph defined by the statemachine, in the format specified by
     the extension contained in the out path (out.ext).
+
+    If `events` is provided, the machine is instantiated and each event is sent
+    before rendering, so the diagram highlights the current active state.
     """
     smclass = import_sm(qualname)
 
-    graph = DotGraphMachine(smclass).get_graph()
+    if events:
+        machine = smclass()
+        for event_name in events:
+            machine.send(event_name)
+    else:
+        machine = smclass
+
+    graph = DotGraphMachine(machine).get_graph()
     out_extension = out.rsplit(".", 1)[1]
     graph.write(out, format=out_extension)
 
@@ -165,6 +175,11 @@ def main(argv=None):
         "out",
         help="File to generate the image using extension as the output format.",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--events",
+        nargs="+",
+        help="Instantiate the machine and send these events before rendering.",
+    )
 
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
-    write_image(qualname=args.class_path, out=args.out)
+    write_image(qualname=args.class_path, out=args.out, events=args.events)
diff --git a/tests/test_contrib_diagram.py b/tests/test_contrib_diagram.py
index 159d4a50..3d3a8152 100644
--- a/tests/test_contrib_diagram.py
+++ b/tests/test_contrib_diagram.py
@@ -136,6 +136,24 @@ def test_generate_complain_about_bad_sm_path(self, capsys, tmp_path):
                 ]
             )
 
+    def test_generate_image_with_events(self, tmp_path):
+        """CLI --events instantiates the machine and sends events before rendering."""
+        out = tmp_path / "sm.png"
+
+        main(
+            [
+                "tests.examples.traffic_light_machine.TrafficLightMachine",
+                str(out),
+                "--events",
+                "cycle",
+                "cycle",
+                "cycle",
+            ]
+        )
+
+        assert out.exists()
+        assert out.stat().st_size > 0
+
     def test_generate_complain_about_module_without_sm(self, tmp_path):
         out = tmp_path / "sm.svg"