diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/tests/test_auto_SampleToSurface.py b/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/tests/test_auto_SampleToSurface.py
index fd6440f10f..e479518cf3 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/tests/test_auto_SampleToSurface.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/tests/test_auto_SampleToSurface.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def test_SampleToSurface_inputs():
     ),
     subject_id=dict(),
     subjects_dir=dict(),
-    surf_reg=dict(argstr='--surfreg',
+    surf_reg=dict(argstr='--surfreg %s',
     requires=['target_subject'],
     ),
     surface=dict(argstr='--surf %s',
diff --git a/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/utils.py b/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/utils.py
index a5568ebbcb..97ae831b26 100644
--- a/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/utils.py
+++ b/nipype/interfaces/freesurfer/utils.py
@@ -139,8 +139,9 @@ class SampleToSurfaceInputSpec(FSTraitedSpec):
     subject_id = traits.String(desc="subject id")
     target_subject = traits.String(argstr="--trgsubject %s",
                                    desc="sample to surface of different subject than source")
-    surf_reg = traits.Bool(argstr="--surfreg", requires=["target_subject"],
-                           desc="use surface registration to target subject")
+    surf_reg = traits.Either(traits.Bool, traits.Str(),
+                             argstr="--surfreg %s", requires=["target_subject"],
+                             desc="use surface registration to target subject")
     ico_order = traits.Int(argstr="--icoorder %d", requires=["target_subject"],
                            desc="icosahedron order when target_subject is 'ico'")
 
@@ -238,6 +239,10 @@ def _format_arg(self, name, spec, value):
 
             if value in implicit_filetypes:
                 return ""
+        if name == 'surf_reg':
+            if value is True:
+                return spec.argstr % 'sphere.reg'
+
         return super(SampleToSurface, self)._format_arg(name, spec, value)
 
     def _get_outfilename(self, opt="out_file"):