diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 138b7e6..c4445d7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -230,6 +230,17 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(CLASSPATH_INSTALL_DIR, "$with_classpath_install_dir",
 
 AC_SUBST(with_classpath_install_dir)
 
+AC_ARG_WITH([extra-classpath],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-extra-classpath=PATH],
+                    [Extra JARs to add to the bootstrap classpath])],
+    [EXTRA_CLASSPATH="$with_extra_classpath"],
+    [EXTRA_CLASSPATH=""])
+
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([EXTRA_CLASSPATH], ["$EXTRA_CLASSPATH"],
+    [Extra JARs to add to the bootstrap classpath])
+
+AC_SUBST([EXTRA_CLASSPATH])
+
 if test "$prefix" = "NONE"; then
     install_dir=$ac_default_prefix
 else
diff --git a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/class.c b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/class.c
index 3661c64..6a12735 100644
--- a/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/class.c
+++ b/src/classlib/gnuclasspath/class.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ Class *classlibBootPackagesArrayClass() {
 #define CLASSPATH_CLASSES CLASSPATH_INSTALL_DIR"/share/classpath"
 #endif
 
-#define DFLT_BCP JAMVM_CLASSES":"CLASSPATH_CLASSES
+#define DFLT_BCP JAMVM_CLASSES":"CLASSPATH_CLASSES":"EXTRA_CLASSPATH
 
 char *classlibBootClassPathOpt(InitArgs *args) {
     char *vm_path = args->bootpath_v != NULL ? args->bootpath_v