diff --git a/Lib/octave/octruntime.swg b/Lib/octave/octruntime.swg
index e19b781c2..48da0cf48 100644
--- a/Lib/octave/octruntime.swg
+++ b/Lib/octave/octruntime.swg
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 %insert(runtime) %{
+#include <iostream>
 #include <octave/oct.h>
 #include <octave/parse.h>
 #include <octave/ov-fcn-handle.h>
@@ -20,6 +21,45 @@ DEFUN_DLD (SWIG_name,args,nargout,SWIG_name_d) {
   static bool already_init=false;
   if (already_init)
     return octave_value_list();
+
+  // parse command line
+  const char* usage="usage: " SWIG_name_d " [-global|-noglobal] [-globals <name>]";
+  bool global_load=SWIG_global_load;
+  std::string global_name=SWIG_global_name;
+  for (int j=0;j<args.length();++j)
+    if (args(j).is_string()) {
+      if (args(j).string_value()=="-help") {
+        std::cout << usage << std::endl;
+        return octave_value_list();
+      } else if (args(j).string_value()=="-global") {
+        global_load = true;
+      } else if (args(j).string_value()=="-noglobal") {
+        global_load = false;
+      } else if (args(j).string_value()=="-globals") {
+        if (j+1<args.length()&&args(j+1).is_string()) {
+          global_name = args(j+1).string_value();
+          ++j;
+        } else {
+          std::cerr << "error: " SWIG_name_d ": option '-globals' requires an argument." << std::endl;
+          std::cerr << usage << std::endl;
+          return octave_value_list();
+        }
+      } else {
+        std::cerr << "error: " SWIG_name_d ": unrecognised argument '" << args(j).string_value() << "'." << std::endl;
+        std::cerr << usage << std::endl;
+        return octave_value_list();
+      }
+    } else {
+      std::cerr << "error: " SWIG_name_d ": unrecognised non-string argument." << std::endl;
+      std::cerr << usage << std::endl;
+      return octave_value_list();
+    }
+
+  if (!valid_identifier(global_name)) {
+    std::cerr << "error: " SWIG_name_d ": '" << global_name << "' is not a valid Octave identifier." << std::endl;
+    return octave_value_list();
+  }
+
   already_init=true;
 
   octave_swig_ref::register_type();
@@ -32,20 +72,13 @@ DEFUN_DLD (SWIG_name,args,nargout,SWIG_name_d) {
   install_builtin_function(swig_this,"swig_this",std::string());
   install_builtin_function(swig_subclass,"subclass",std::string());
 
-  bool global_option=true; // * swig cli option should control this default
-  for (int j=0;j<args.length();++j)
-    if (args(j).is_string()&&args(j).string_value()=="noglobal")
-      global_option=true;
-    else if (args(j).is_string()&&args(j).string_value()=="noglobal")
-      global_option=false;
-
   octave_swig_type* cvar_ns=new octave_swig_type;
   for (int j=0;swig_globals[j].name;++j)
     if (swig_globals[j].get_method)
       cvar_ns->assign(swig_globals[j].name,&swig_globals[j]);
 
   octave_swig_type* module_ns=new octave_swig_type(0, 0, 0, true);
-  module_ns->assign("cvar",Swig::swig_value_ref(cvar_ns));
+  module_ns->assign(global_name,Swig::swig_value_ref(cvar_ns));
   for (int j=0;swig_globals[j].name;++j)
     if (swig_globals[j].method)
       module_ns->assign(swig_globals[j].name,&swig_globals[j]);
@@ -68,7 +101,7 @@ DEFUN_DLD (SWIG_name,args,nargout,SWIG_name_d) {
   // the incref is necessary so install_global doesn't destroy module_ns,
   // as it would if it installed something with the same name as the module.
   module_ns->incref();
-  if (global_option)
+  if (global_load)
     module_ns->install_global();
   module_ns->decref();
 
diff --git a/Source/Modules/octave.cxx b/Source/Modules/octave.cxx
index ab53340fe..dcd690844 100644
--- a/Source/Modules/octave.cxx
+++ b/Source/Modules/octave.cxx
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@ char cvsroot_octave_cxx[] = "$Id$";
 
 #include "swigmod.h"
 
+static bool    global_load = true;
+static String *global_name = 0;
+
 static const char *usage = (char *) "\
 Octave Options (available with -octave)\n\
-     [no additional options]\n\
+     -global         - Load all symbols into the global namespace [default]\n\
+     -globals <name> - Set <name> used to access C global variables [default: 'cvar']\n\
+     -noglobal       - Do not load all symbols into the global namespace\n\
 \n";
 
 
@@ -64,11 +69,29 @@ public:
     for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
       if (argv[i]) {
 	if (strcmp(argv[i], "-help") == 0) {
-	  fputs(usage, stdout);
-	}
+	  fputs(usage, stderr);
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-global") == 0) {
+          global_load = true;
+          Swig_mark_arg(i);
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-noglobal") == 0) {
+          global_load = false;
+          Swig_mark_arg(i);
+	} else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-globals") == 0) {
+	  if (argv[i + 1]) {
+	    global_name = NewString(argv[i + 1]);
+	    Swig_mark_arg(i);
+	    Swig_mark_arg(i + 1);
+	    i++;
+	  } else {
+	    Swig_arg_error();
+	  }
+        }            
       }
     }
 
+    if (!global_name)
+      global_name = NewString("cvar");
+
     SWIG_library_directory("octave");
     Preprocessor_define("SWIGOCTAVE 1", 0);
     SWIG_config_file("octave.swg");
@@ -131,6 +154,10 @@ public:
     Printf(f_runtime, "#define SWIG_name_d      \"%s\"\n", module);
     Printf(f_runtime, "#define SWIG_name        %s\n", module);
 
+    Printf(f_runtime, "\n");
+    Printf(f_runtime, "#define SWIG_global_load      %s\n", global_load ? "true" : "false");
+    Printf(f_runtime, "#define SWIG_global_name      \"%s\"\n", global_name);
+
     if (directorsEnabled()) {
       Printf(f_runtime, "#define SWIG_DIRECTORS\n");
       Swig_banner(f_directors_h);