--- a/mkoctfile.in
+++ b/mkoctfile.in
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
 defs=
 ldflags=
 dbg=:
+pass_on_options=
 strip=false
 no_oct_file_strip_on_this_platform=%NO_OCT_FILE_STRIP%
 link=true
@@ -160,6 +161,8 @@
 
   -v, --verbose           Echo commands as they are executed.
 
+  -W                      Pass flags though the compiler like -Wl,-rpath=...
+
   FILE                    Compile or link FILE.  Recognized file types are:
 
                             .c    C source
@@ -217,6 +220,9 @@
     --link-stand-alone)
       link_stand_alone=true
     ;;
+    -W*)
+      pass_on_options="$pass_on_options $1"
+    ;;
     *)
       echo "mkoctfile: unrecognized argument $1" 1>&2
       exit 1
@@ -300,7 +306,7 @@
     if [ -n "$F77" ]; then
       o=$b.o
       objfiles="$objfiles $o"
-      cmd="$F77 -c $FPICFLAG $ALL_FFLAGS $f -o $o"
+      cmd="$F77 -c $FPICFLAG $ALL_FFLAGS $pass_on_options $f -o $o"
       $dbg $cmd
       eval $cmd
     elif [ -n "$F2C" ]; then
@@ -321,7 +327,7 @@
       b=`echo $f | $SED 's,\.c$,,'`
       o=$b.o
       objfiles="$objfiles $o"
-      cmd="$CC -c $CPPFLAGS $CPICFLAG $ALL_CFLAGS $incflags $defs $f -o $o"
+      cmd="$CC -c $CPPFLAGS $CPICFLAG $ALL_CFLAGS $pass_on_options $incflags $defs $f -o $o"
       $dbg $cmd
       eval $cmd
     else
@@ -346,7 +352,7 @@
       esac
       o=$b.o
       objfiles="$objfiles $o"
-      cmd="$CXX -c $CPPFLAGS $CXXPICFLAG $ALL_CXXFLAGS $incflags $defs $f -o $o"
+      cmd="$CXX -c $CPPFLAGS $CXXPICFLAG $ALL_CXXFLAGS $pass_on_options $incflags $defs $f -o $o"
       $dbg $cmd
       eval $cmd
     else
@@ -375,7 +381,7 @@
 if $link; then
   if $link_stand_alone; then
     if [ -n "$LD_CXX" ]; then
-      cmd="$LD_CXX $CPPFLAGS $ALL_CXXFLAGS $RDYNAMIC_FLAG $ALL_LDFLAGS $output_option $objfiles $ldflags $LFLAGS $RLD_FLAG $OCTAVE_LIBS $BLAS_LIBS $FFTW_LIBS $LIBREADLINE $LIBS $FLIBS"
+      cmd="$LD_CXX $CPPFLAGS $ALL_CXXFLAGS $RDYNAMIC_FLAG $ALL_LDFLAGS $pass_on_options $output_option $objfiles $ldflags $LFLAGS $RLD_FLAG $OCTAVE_LIBS $BLAS_LIBS $FFTW_LIBS $LIBREADLINE $LIBS $FLIBS"
       $dbg $cmd
       eval $cmd
     else
@@ -384,7 +390,7 @@
     fi
   else
     LINK_DEPS="$LFLAGS $OCTAVE_LIBS $LDFLAGS $BLAS_LIBS $FFTW_LIBS $LIBS $FLIBS"
-    cmd="$DL_LD $DL_LDFLAGS -o $octfile $objfiles $ldflags $LINK_DEPS"
+    cmd="$DL_LD $DL_LDFLAGS $pass_on_options -o $octfile $objfiles $ldflags $LINK_DEPS"
     $dbg $cmd
     eval $cmd
   fi