diff --git a/src/context.cr b/src/context.cr
index a38a96f..d16a676 100644
--- a/src/context.cr
+++ b/src/context.cr
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ class Package::Context
 	getter packaging_backends   = Hash(String, Backend::Packaging).new
 	getter splitter_backends    = Hash(String, Backend::Splitter).new
 
+	# General options, to add to the recipe before reading it.
+	getter options              = Hash(String, String).new
+
 	getter all_phase_names = [
 			"sources-split",
 			"pre-configure", "configure",
@@ -111,9 +114,11 @@ class Package::Context
 				@sources_directory = value.as_s
 			when "working-directory"
 				@working_directory = value.as_s
+
 			when "prefixes"
 				# Prefixes during the build process.
 				@prefixes = value.as_a_or_s
+
 			when "build-cores"
 				# NB of cores used to compile applications.
 				@build_cores = value.as_s.to_i
@@ -136,6 +141,25 @@ class Package::Context
 					end
 				end
 
+			when "options"
+				value.as_a_or_s.each do |option|
+					match  = option.split(':').map(&.strip)
+
+					if match.size != 2
+						STDERR.puts "WARNING: misformed option: #{option}"
+						next
+					end
+
+					key, value = match
+
+					@options[key] = value
+				end
+
+			# (default) user instructions (for testing).
+			when /(?<phase>(pre-)?(configure|build|install)|post-install)/
+				phase = $~["phase"]
+				@user_instructions[phase] = Instructions.new(phase).<<(value.as_s_or_ls)
+
 			when "package-manager"
 				# Targeted package manager (default: package, for BaguetteOS).
 				begin
diff --git a/src/recipe.cr b/src/recipe.cr
index 1d3f5d0..d3d5e1d 100644
--- a/src/recipe.cr
+++ b/src/recipe.cr
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ class Package::Recipe
 	property require_stripping = true
 
 	def initialize(@context, @name, @version)
+		@context.options.each do |k, v|
+			@options[k] = v
+		end
 	end
 
 	def self.new(context, name, version)
@@ -91,6 +94,9 @@ class Package::Recipe
 	end
 
 	def initialize(@context, filename : String)
+		@context.options.each do |k, v|
+			@options[k] = v
+		end
 		specs = SpecParser.parse File.read(filename), {
 			"pkg" => fake_root_directory,
 			"prefix" => prefix