diff --git a/changelogs/Spyder-6.md b/changelogs/Spyder-6.md
index b244e9c8e74..e6fd6ac3efc 100644
--- a/changelogs/Spyder-6.md
+++ b/changelogs/Spyder-6.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # History of changes for Spyder 6
 
+## Version 6.0.4 (Unreleased)
+
+### API changes
+
+* Add `give_focus` kwarg to the `create_client_for_kernel` method of the
+  IPython console plugin.
+
 ## Version 6.0.3 (2024/12/10)
 
 ### Important fixes
diff --git a/spyder/api/_version.py b/spyder/api/_version.py
index 9f0658846e2..80205c98f49 100644
--- a/spyder/api/_version.py
+++ b/spyder/api/_version.py
@@ -22,5 +22,5 @@
    updated.
 """
 
-VERSION_INFO = (1, 2, 0)
+VERSION_INFO = (1, 3, 0)
 __version__ = '.'.join(map(str, VERSION_INFO))
diff --git a/spyder/app/cli_options.py b/spyder/app/cli_options.py
index 9dee61ab853..aa1cb2feefb 100644
--- a/spyder/app/cli_options.py
+++ b/spyder/app/cli_options.py
@@ -157,6 +157,16 @@ def get_options(argv=None):
         default=None,
         help="Choose a configuration directory to use for Spyder."
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--connect-to-kernel',
+        type=str,
+        dest="connection_file",
+        default=None,
+        help=(
+            "Connect to an existing kernel whose info is available in a "
+            "kernel-*.json file"
+        )
+    )
 
     parser.add_argument('files', nargs='*')
     options = parser.parse_args(argv)
diff --git a/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/plugin.py b/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/plugin.py
index cd7374b3789..d63e7281c68 100644
--- a/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/plugin.py
+++ b/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/plugin.py
@@ -559,7 +559,19 @@ def on_close(self, cancelable=False):
         return self.get_widget().close_all_clients()
 
     def on_mainwindow_visible(self):
-        self.create_new_client(give_focus=False)
+        """
+        Connect to an existing kernel if a `kernel-*.json` file is given via 
+        command line options. Otherwise create a new client.
+        """
+        cli_options = self.get_command_line_options()
+        connection_file = cli_options.connection_file
+        if connection_file is not None:
+            self.create_client_for_kernel(
+                self.get_widget().find_connection_file(connection_file),
+                give_focus=False,
+            )
+        else:
+            self.create_new_client(give_focus=False)
 
     # ---- Private methods
     # -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -715,6 +727,7 @@ def create_client_for_kernel(
         sshkey=None,
         password=None,
         server_id=None,
+        give_focus=False,
         can_close=True,
     ):
         """
@@ -736,6 +749,9 @@ def create_client_for_kernel(
             running.
         server_id: str, optional
             The remote server id to which this client is connected to.
+        give_focus : bool, optional
+            True if the new client should gain the window
+            focus, False otherwise. The default is True.
         can_close: bool, optional
             Whether the client can be closed. This is useful to prevent closing
             the client that will be connected to a remote kernel before the
@@ -747,7 +763,13 @@ def create_client_for_kernel(
             The created client.
         """
         return self.get_widget().create_client_for_kernel(
-            connection_file, hostname, sshkey, password, server_id, can_close
+            connection_file,
+            hostname,
+            sshkey,
+            password,
+            server_id,
+            give_focus,
+            can_close,
         )
 
     def get_client_for_file(self, filename):
diff --git a/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/widgets/main_widget.py b/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/widgets/main_widget.py
index 5fd06d36a78..974eaf454b4 100644
--- a/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/widgets/main_widget.py
+++ b/spyder/plugins/ipythonconsole/widgets/main_widget.py
@@ -1726,7 +1726,8 @@ def create_new_client(self, give_focus=True, filename='', special=None,
         return client
 
     def create_client_for_kernel(self, connection_file, hostname, sshkey,
-                                 password, server_id=None, can_close=True):
+                                 password, server_id=None, give_focus=False,
+                                 can_close=True):
         """Create a client connected to an existing kernel."""
         given_name = None
         master_client = None
@@ -1772,6 +1773,7 @@ def create_client_for_kernel(self, connection_file, hostname, sshkey,
             additional_options=self.additional_options(),
             handlers=self.registered_spyder_kernel_handlers,
             server_id=server_id,
+            give_focus=give_focus,
             can_close=can_close,
         )