diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 519d30c791..efa9b61c0c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # CHANGELOG
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Feature
+
+- new retry argument to execute previous commit again
+
 ## v1.5.1
 
 ### Fix
diff --git a/commitizen/cli.py b/commitizen/cli.py
index c4ae2d2b16..11e933000e 100644
--- a/commitizen/cli.py
+++ b/commitizen/cli.py
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@
                 "name": ["commit", "c"],
                 "help": "create new commit",
                 "func": commands.Commit,
+                "arguments": [
+                    {
+                        "name": ["--retry"],
+                        "action": "store_true",
+                        "help": "retry last commit",
+                    },
+                ]
             },
             {
                 "name": "example",
diff --git a/commitizen/commands/commit.py b/commitizen/commands/commit.py
index 182980e102..d05c6651cd 100644
--- a/commitizen/commands/commit.py
+++ b/commitizen/commands/commit.py
@@ -1,30 +1,56 @@
+import contextlib
+import os
 import questionary
+import tempfile
+
 from commitizen import factory, out, git
 
 
 NO_ANSWERS = 5
 COMMIT_ERROR = 6
+NO_COMMIT_BACKUP = 7
 
 
 class Commit:
     """Show prompt for the user to create a guided commit."""
 
-    def __init__(self, config: dict, *args):
+    def __init__(self, config: dict, arguments: dict):
         self.config: dict = config
         self.cz = factory.commiter_factory(self.config)
+        self.arguments = arguments
+        self.temp_file: str = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), "cz.commit.backup")
 
     def __call__(self):
-        cz = self.cz
-        questions = cz.questions()
-        answers = questionary.prompt(questions)
-        if not answers:
-            raise SystemExit(NO_ANSWERS)
-        m = cz.message(answers)
+        retry: bool = self.arguments.get("retry")
+
+        if retry:
+            # Check the commit backup file exists
+            if not os.path.isfile(self.temp_file):
+                out.error("No commit backup found")
+                raise SystemExit(NO_COMMIT_BACKUP)
+
+            # Read commit message from backup
+            with open(self.temp_file, "r") as f:
+                m = f.read().strip()
+        else:
+            # Prompt user for the commit message
+            cz = self.cz
+            questions = cz.questions()
+            answers = questionary.prompt(questions)
+            if not answers:
+                raise SystemExit(NO_ANSWERS)
+            m = cz.message(answers)
+
         out.info(f"\n{m}\n")
         c = git.commit(m)
 
         if c.err:
             out.error(c.err)
+
+            # Create commit backup
+            with open(self.temp_file, "w") as f:
+                f.write(m)
+
             raise SystemExit(COMMIT_ERROR)
 
         if "nothing added" in c.out or "no changes added to commit" in c.out:
@@ -32,5 +58,7 @@ def __call__(self):
         elif c.err:
             out.error(c.err)
         else:
+            with contextlib.suppress(FileNotFoundError):
+                os.remove(self.temp_file)
             out.write(c.out)
             out.success("Commit successful!")
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 9cfd3653c8..03e7c4e51b 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ def test_sysexit_no_argv():
 
 def test_ls(mocker, capsys):
     testargs = ["cz", "-n", "cz_jira", "ls"]
-    mocker.patch.object(sys, 'argv', testargs)
+    mocker.patch.object(sys, "argv", testargs)
     cli.main()
     out, err = capsys.readouterr()
 
@@ -21,5 +21,5 @@ def test_ls(mocker, capsys):
 def test_version(mocker):
     testargs = ["cz", "--version"]
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
-        mocker.patch.object(sys, 'argv', testargs)
-        cli.main()
\ No newline at end of file
+        mocker.patch.object(sys, "argv", testargs)
+        cli.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_commands.py b/tests/test_commands.py
index 9ef0fe1421..bc3c1041c3 100644
--- a/tests/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_commands.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-# import pytest
+import os
+import pytest
 from unittest import mock
+
 from commitizen import defaults, commands, cmd
 
 config = {"name": defaults.name}
@@ -20,8 +22,53 @@ def test_commit(mocker):
     commit_mock.return_value = cmd.Command("success", "", "", "")
     success_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.out.success")
 
-    commands.Commit(config)()
+    commands.Commit(config, {})()
+    success_mock.assert_called_once()
+
+
+def test_commit_retry_fails_no_backup(mocker):
+    commit_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.git.commit")
+    commit_mock.return_value = cmd.Command("success", "", "", "")
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        commands.Commit(config, {"retry": True})()
+
+
+def test_commit_retry_works(mocker):
+    prompt_mock = mocker.patch("questionary.prompt")
+    prompt_mock.return_value = {
+        "prefix": "feat",
+        "subject": "user created",
+        "scope": "",
+        "is_breaking_change": False,
+        "body": "closes #21",
+        "footer": "",
+    }
+
+    commit_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.git.commit")
+    commit_mock.return_value = cmd.Command("", "error", "", "")
+    error_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.out.error")
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit):
+        commit_cmd = commands.Commit(config, {})
+        temp_file = commit_cmd.temp_file
+        commit_cmd()
+
+    prompt_mock.assert_called_once()
+    error_mock.assert_called_once()
+    assert os.path.isfile(temp_file)
+
+    # Previous commit failed, so retry should pick up the backup commit
+    # commit_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.git.commit")
+    commit_mock.return_value = cmd.Command("success", "", "", "")
+    success_mock = mocker.patch("commitizen.out.success")
+
+    commands.Commit(config, {"retry": True})()
+
+    commit_mock.assert_called_with("feat: user created\n\ncloses #21")
+    prompt_mock.assert_called_once()
     success_mock.assert_called_once()
+    assert not os.path.isfile(temp_file)
 
 
 def test_example():