diff --git a/Cakefile b/Cakefile
index 0cdd0d19..ce81a3c4 100644
--- a/Cakefile
+++ b/Cakefile
@@ -7,12 +7,16 @@ run: (args) ->
   proc.addListener 'error', (err) -> if err then puts err
 
 
-task 'install', 'install CoffeeScript into /usr/local', ->
+option '-p', '--prefix', 'set the installation prefix for `cake install`'
+
+task 'install', 'install CoffeeScript into /usr/local (or --prefix)', (options) ->
+  base: options.prefix or '/usr/local'
+  lib:  base + '/lib/coffee-script'
   exec([
-    'mkdir -p /usr/local/lib/coffee-script'
-    'cp -rf bin lib LICENSE README package.json src vendor /usr/local/lib/coffee-script'
-    'ln -sf /usr/local/lib/coffee-script/lib/bin/coffee /usr/local/bin/coffee'
-    'ln -sf /usr/local/lib/coffee-script/lib/bin/cake /usr/local/bin/cake'
+    'mkdir -p ' + lib
+    'cp -rf bin lib LICENSE README package.json src vendor ' + lib
+    'ln -sf ' + lib + '/lib/bin/coffee ' + base + '/bin/coffee'
+    'ln -sf ' + lib + '/lib/bin/cake ' + base + '/bin/cake'
   ].join(' && '))
 
 
diff --git a/lib/cake.js b/lib/cake.js
index 79d78fcd..9f67eb56 100755
--- a/lib/cake.js
+++ b/lib/cake.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (function(){
-  var coffee, fs, no_such_task, path, print_tasks, tasks;
+  var coffee, fs, no_such_task, oparse, options, optparse, path, print_tasks, switches, tasks;
   var __hasProp = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
   // `cake` is a simplified version of Make (Rake, Jake) for CoffeeScript.
   // You define tasks with names and descriptions in a Cakefile, and can call them
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@
   fs = require('fs');
   path = require('path');
   coffee = require('coffee-script');
+  optparse = require('optparse');
   tasks = {};
+  options = {};
+  switches = [];
+  oparse = null;
   // Mixin the top-level Cake functions for Cakefiles to use.
   process.mixin({
     // Define a task with a name, a description, and the action itself.
@@ -18,12 +22,16 @@
         action: action
       };
     },
+    // Define an option that the Cakefile accepts.
+    option: function option(letter, flag, description) {
+      return switches.push([letter, flag, description]);
+    },
     // Invoke another task in the Cakefile.
     invoke: function invoke(name) {
       if (!(tasks[name])) {
         no_such_task(name);
       }
-      return tasks[name].action();
+      return tasks[name].action(options);
     }
   });
   // Running `cake` runs the tasks you pass asynchronously (node-style), or
@@ -38,10 +46,12 @@
       return fs.readFile('Cakefile', function(err, source) {
         var _a, _b, _c, arg;
         eval(coffee.compile(source));
+        oparse = new optparse.OptionParser(switches);
         if (!(args.length)) {
           return print_tasks();
         }
-        _a = []; _b = args;
+        options = oparse.parse(args);
+        _a = []; _b = options.arguments;
         for (_c = 0; _c < _b.length; _c++) {
           arg = _b[_c];
           _a.push(invoke(arg));
@@ -52,23 +62,24 @@
   };
   // Display the list of Cake tasks.
   print_tasks = function print_tasks() {
-    var _a, _b, _c, _d, _e, _f, _g, i, name, spaces, task;
-    _a = []; _b = tasks;
-    for (name in _b) { if (__hasProp.call(_b, name)) {
-      task = _b[name];
-      _a.push((function() {
-        spaces = 20 - name.length;
-        spaces = spaces > 0 ? (function() {
-          _c = []; _f = 0; _g = spaces;
-          for (_e = 0, i=_f; (_f <= _g ? i <= _g : i >= _g); (_f <= _g ? i += 1 : i -= 1), _e++) {
-            _c.push(' ');
-          }
-          return _c;
-        }).call(this).join('') : '';
-        return puts("cake " + name + spaces + ' # ' + task.description);
-      }).call(this));
+    var _a, _b, _c, _d, _e, _f, i, name, spaces, task;
+    puts('');
+    _a = tasks;
+    for (name in _a) { if (__hasProp.call(_a, name)) {
+      task = _a[name];
+      spaces = 20 - name.length;
+      spaces = spaces > 0 ? (function() {
+        _b = []; _e = 0; _f = spaces;
+        for (_d = 0, i=_e; (_e <= _f ? i <= _f : i >= _f); (_e <= _f ? i += 1 : i -= 1), _d++) {
+          _b.push(' ');
+        }
+        return _b;
+      }).call(this).join('') : '';
+      puts("cake " + name + spaces + ' # ' + task.description);
     }}
-    return _a;
+    if (switches.length) {
+      return puts('\n' + oparse.help() + '\n');
+    }
   };
   // Print an error and exit when attempting to all an undefined task.
   no_such_task = function no_such_task(task) {
diff --git a/lib/optparse.js b/lib/optparse.js
index 95b8a0bf..afdb665e 100755
--- a/lib/optparse.js
+++ b/lib/optparse.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   //   [short-flag (optional), long-flag, description]
   // And an optional banner for the usage help.
   op = (exports.OptionParser = function OptionParser(rules, banner) {
-    this.banner = banner || 'Usage: [Options]';
+    this.banner = banner;
     this.rules = build_rules(rules);
     return this;
   });
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@
   // Return the help text for this OptionParser, for --help and such.
   op.prototype.help = function help() {
     var _a, _b, _c, _d, _e, _f, _g, i, let_part, lines, rule, spaces;
-    lines = [this.banner, '', 'Available options:'];
+    lines = ['Available options:'];
+    if (this.banner) {
+      lines.unshift(this.banner + '\n');
+    }
     _a = this.rules;
     for (_b = 0; _b < _a.length; _b++) {
       rule = _a[_b];
diff --git a/src/cake.coffee b/src/cake.coffee
index 8dd8beb0..f65a6782 100644
--- a/src/cake.coffee
+++ b/src/cake.coffee
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@
 fs:       require 'fs'
 path:     require 'path'
 coffee:   require 'coffee-script'
+optparse: require 'optparse'
 
 tasks: {}
+options: {}
+switches: []
+oparse: null
 
 # Mixin the top-level Cake functions for Cakefiles to use.
 process.mixin {
@@ -15,10 +19,15 @@ process.mixin {
   task: (name, description, action) ->
     tasks[name]: {name: name, description: description, action: action}
 
+  # Define an option that the Cakefile accepts.
+  option: (letter, flag, description) ->
+    switches.push [letter, flag, description]
+
   # Invoke another task in the Cakefile.
   invoke: (name) ->
     no_such_task name unless tasks[name]
-    tasks[name].action()
+    tasks[name].action(options)
+
 }
 
 # Running `cake` runs the tasks you pass asynchronously (node-style), or
@@ -29,15 +38,19 @@ exports.run: ->
     args: process.ARGV[2...process.ARGV.length]
     fs.readFile 'Cakefile', (err, source) ->
       eval coffee.compile source
+      oparse: new optparse.OptionParser switches
       return print_tasks() unless args.length
-      invoke arg for arg in args
+      options: oparse.parse(args)
+      invoke arg for arg in options.arguments
 
 # Display the list of Cake tasks.
 print_tasks: ->
+  puts ''
   for name, task of tasks
     spaces: 20 - name.length
     spaces: if spaces > 0 then (' ' for i in [0..spaces]).join('') else ''
     puts "cake " + name + spaces + ' # ' + task.description
+  puts '\n' + oparse.help() + '\n' if switches.length
 
 # Print an error and exit when attempting to all an undefined task.
 no_such_task: (task) ->
diff --git a/src/optparse.coffee b/src/optparse.coffee
index 099a3bcf..b38a902e 100644
--- a/src/optparse.coffee
+++ b/src/optparse.coffee
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #   [short-flag (optional), long-flag, description]
 # And an optional banner for the usage help.
 op: exports.OptionParser: (rules, banner) ->
-  @banner:  banner or 'Usage: [Options]'
+  @banner:  banner
   @rules:   build_rules(rules)
   this
 
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ op::parse: (args) ->
 
 # Return the help text for this OptionParser, for --help and such.
 op::help: ->
-  lines: [@banner, '', 'Available options:']
+  lines: ['Available options:']
+  lines.unshift @banner + '\n' if @banner
   for rule in @rules
     spaces:   15 - rule.flag.length
     spaces:   if spaces > 0 then (' ' for i in [0..spaces]).join('') else ''