diff --git a/src/GF/Compile.hs b/src/GF/Compile.hs
index 59357f783..67e1d218c 100644
--- a/src/GF/Compile.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Compile.hs
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ compileModule opts1 env file = do
   let opts = addOptions opts0 opts1
   let fdir = dropFileName file
   let ps0 = flag optLibraryPath opts
-  ps1 <- ioeIO $ extendPathEnv $ fdir : ps0
+  ps1 <- ioeIO $ extendPathEnv opts $ fdir : ps0
   let ps2 = ps1 ++ map (fdir </>) ps0
   ps <- ioeIO $ fmap nub $ mapM canonicalizePath ps2
   ioeIO $ putIfVerb opts $ "module search path:" +++ show ps ----
diff --git a/src/GF/Infra/Option.hs b/src/GF/Infra/Option.hs
index a26237f3f..b312dbd66 100644
--- a/src/GF/Infra/Option.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Infra/Option.hs
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ data Flags = Flags {
       optLexicalCats     :: Set String,
       optOutputFile      :: Maybe FilePath,
       optOutputDir       :: Maybe FilePath,
+      optGFLibPath       :: Maybe FilePath,
       optRecomp          :: Recomp,
       optPrinter         :: [Printer],
       optProb            :: Bool,
@@ -245,6 +246,7 @@ defaultFlags = Flags {
       optLexicalCats     = Set.empty,
       optOutputFile      = Nothing,
       optOutputDir       = Nothing,
+      optGFLibPath       = Nothing,
       optRecomp          = RecompIfNewer,
       optPrinter         = [],
       optProb            = False,
@@ -307,7 +309,9 @@ optDescr =
      Option ['o'] ["output-file"] (ReqArg outFile "FILE") 
            "Save output in FILE (default is out.X, where X depends on output format.",
      Option ['D'] ["output-dir"] (ReqArg outDir "DIR") 
-           "Save output files (other than .gfc files) in DIR.",
+           "Save output files (other than .gfo files) in DIR.",
+     Option [] ["gf-lib-path"] (ReqArg gfLibPath "DIR") 
+           "Overides the value of GF_LIB_PATH.",
      Option [] ["src","force-recomp"] (NoArg (recomp AlwaysRecomp)) 
                  "Always recompile from source.",
      Option [] ["gfo","recomp-if-newer"] (NoArg (recomp RecompIfNewer)) 
@@ -383,6 +387,7 @@ optDescr =
        lexicalCat  x = set $ \o -> o { optLexicalCats = foldr Set.insert (optLexicalCats o) (splitBy (==',') x) }
        outFile     x = set $ \o -> o { optOutputFile = Just x }
        outDir      x = set $ \o -> o { optOutputDir = Just x }
+       gfLibPath   x = set $ \o -> o { optGFLibPath = Just x }
        recomp      x = set $ \o -> o { optRecomp = x }
        printer     x = set $ \o -> o { optPrinter = x : optPrinter o }
        prob        x = set $ \o -> o { optProb = x }
diff --git a/src/GF/Infra/UseIO.hs b/src/GF/Infra/UseIO.hs
index 550554459..ea1ebf53d 100644
--- a/src/GF/Infra/UseIO.hs
+++ b/src/GF/Infra/UseIO.hs
@@ -56,18 +56,20 @@ type FullPath = String
 gfLibraryPath    = "GF_LIB_PATH"
 gfGrammarPathVar = "GF_GRAMMAR_PATH"
 
-getLibraryPath :: IO FilePath
-getLibraryPath =
-  catch
-    (getEnv gfLibraryPath)
-    (\ex -> getDataDir >>= \path -> return (path </> "lib"))
+getLibraryPath :: Options -> IO FilePath
+getLibraryPath opts =
+  case flag optGFLibPath opts of
+    Just path -> return path
+    Nothing   -> catch
+                   (getEnv gfLibraryPath)
+                   (\ex -> getDataDir >>= \path -> return (path </> "lib"))
 
 -- | extends the search path with the
 -- 'gfLibraryPath' and 'gfGrammarPathVar'
 -- environment variables. Returns only existing paths.
-extendPathEnv :: [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]
-extendPathEnv ps = do
-  b <- getLibraryPath                             -- e.g. GF_LIB_PATH
+extendPathEnv :: Options -> [FilePath] -> IO [FilePath]
+extendPathEnv opts ps = do
+  b <- getLibraryPath opts                         -- e.g. GF_LIB_PATH
   s <- catch (getEnv gfGrammarPathVar) (const (return ""))     -- e.g. GF_GRAMMAR_PATH
   let ss = ps ++ splitSearchPath s
   liftM concat $ mapM allSubdirs $ ss ++ [b </> s | s <- ss ++ ["prelude"]]