diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 0762e81..3585c43 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+* Allow forwarding of select gpg options with commands like
+--gpg-homedir.  run `gem verify --help` to see a list of all options.
+
 * Fail gracefully when rubygems.org doesn't return owner list, for
   example when a gem has never been published to rubygems.org.
 
diff --git a/lib/rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options.rb b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a963f87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+require 'shellwords'
+
+
+module Gem::OpenPGP
+  extend Shellwords
+
+  WHITELISTED_GPG_OPTIONS = {
+    "homedir" => "dir",
+    "verbose" => nil,
+    "default-user" => "user_id",
+    "local-user" => "user_id",
+    "passphrase-fd" => "file_descriptor",
+    "passphrase-file" => "file_name"
+  }
+
+  def self.gpg_options
+    @gpg_options ||= {}
+    @gpg_options
+  end
+  
+  def self.add_gpg_options cmd
+    WHITELISTED_GPG_OPTIONS.each_pair do |flag, arg|
+      mangled_flag = "--gpg-#{flag}"
+      mangled_flag += " #{arg}" if arg.is_a? String
+
+      cmd.add_option(mangled_flag,"Forward option --#{flag} to gpg") do |value, options|
+        value = true if arg.nil? #boolean
+        gpg_options[flag] = value
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def self.get_gpg_options
+    options = []
+    gpg_options.each_pair do |flag, value|
+      new_flag = "--#{flag}"
+      if value.is_a? String
+        new_flag += " " + shellescape(value)
+      end
+      options << new_flag
+    end
+
+    options.join(" ")
+  end
+  
+end
diff --git a/lib/rubygems/openpgp/signing.rb b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/signing.rb
index c15f6a8..aa1f365 100644
--- a/lib/rubygems/openpgp/signing.rb
+++ b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/signing.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def self.detach_sign data, key_id=nil, homedir=nil
     homedir_flag = ""
     homedir_flag = "--homedir #{shellescape(homedir)}" if homedir
 
-    gpg_args = "#{key_flag} #{homedir_flag} --detach-sign --armor"
+    gpg_args = "#{key_flag} #{homedir_flag} #{Gem::OpenPGP.get_gpg_options} --detach-sign --armor"
     gpg_results = GPGStatusParser.run_gpg(gpg_args, data)
     did_gpg_error? gpg_results
 
diff --git a/lib/rubygems/openpgp/verification.rb b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/verification.rb
index 65cc963..912ae12 100644
--- a/lib/rubygems/openpgp/verification.rb
+++ b/lib/rubygems/openpgp/verification.rb
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ def self.verify file_name, data, sig, get_key=false, homedir=nil
     homedir_flags = ""
     homedir_flags = "--homedir #{homedir}" if homedir
 
-    gpg_args = "#{get_key_params} #{homedir_flags} --with-colons --verify #{sig_file.path} #{data_file.path}"
+    gpg_args = "#{get_key_params} #{homedir_flags} #{Gem::OpenPGP.get_gpg_options} --with-colons --verify #{sig_file.path} #{data_file.path}"
     
     status_info = {:file_name => file_name}
     gpg_results = GPGStatusParser.run_gpg(gpg_args) { |message| verify_extract_status_info(message, status_info) }
diff --git a/lib/rubygems_plugin.rb b/lib/rubygems_plugin.rb
index bacf8a6..a974672 100644
--- a/lib/rubygems_plugin.rb
+++ b/lib/rubygems_plugin.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,11 @@
 require 'rubygems/gem_openpgp'
 require 'rubygems/openpgp/sign_plugins'
 require 'rubygems/openpgp/verify_plugins'
+require 'rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options'
+
+# Add gpg forwarding options
+[:sign, :verify, :build, :install].each do |cmd_name|
+  cmd = Gem::CommandManager.instance[cmd_name]
+  Gem::OpenPGP.add_gpg_options(cmd)
+end
 
diff --git a/rubygems-openpgp.gemspec b/rubygems-openpgp.gemspec
index 0f5d810..2662dd0 100644
--- a/rubygems-openpgp.gemspec
+++ b/rubygems-openpgp.gemspec
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
                    "lib/rubygems/openpgp/verify_plugins.rb",
                    "lib/rubygems/openpgp/sign_plugins.rb",
                    "lib/rubygems/openpgp/owner_check.rb",
+                   "lib/rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options.rb",
                    "lib/rubygems/openpgp/openpgpexception.rb"]
   s.test_files  = ["test/test_keymaster.rb",
                    "test/test_rubygems-openpgp.rb",
+                   "test/test_gpg_options.rb",
                    "test/pablo_escobar_seckey.asc",
 		   "test/pablo_escobar_pubkey.asc",
 		   "test/unsigned_hola-0.0.0.gem"]
diff --git a/test/test_gpg_options.rb b/test/test_gpg_options.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b40ed1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_gpg_options.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+require 'test/unit'
+require 'mocha/setup'
+
+require "rubygems/command"
+require 'rubygems/openpgp/gpg_options'
+
+class Gem::Commands::TestCommand < Gem::Command
+end
+
+class GpgOptionsText < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  def setup
+    @test_cmd = Gem::Command.new "test", "summary"
+    Gem::OpenPGP.add_gpg_options(@test_cmd)
+  end
+
+  def teardown
+    Gem::OpenPGP.instance_variable_set(:@gpg_options,{})
+  end
+
+  def test_option_with_argument
+    @test_cmd.handle_options %W[--gpg-homedir /home/foo/alt-dir]
+    assert_equal Gem::OpenPGP.gpg_options["homedir"], "/home/foo/alt-dir"
+  end
+  
+  def test_option_with_argument_build
+    @test_cmd.handle_options %W[--gpg-homedir /home/foo/alt-dir]
+    assert_equal Gem::OpenPGP.get_gpg_options, "--homedir /home/foo/alt-dir"
+  end
+  
+  def test_option
+    @test_cmd.handle_options %W[--gpg-verbose]
+    assert_equal Gem::OpenPGP.gpg_options["verbose"], true
+  end
+  
+  def test_option_build
+    @test_cmd.handle_options %W[--gpg-verbose]
+    assert_equal Gem::OpenPGP.get_gpg_options, "--verbose"
+  end
+  
+  
+end