diff --git a/etc/build.usage b/etc/build.usage
index 8cba04f..7a41377 100644
--- a/etc/build.usage
+++ b/etc/build.usage
@@ -1,16 +1,16 @@
-usage: ./build.sh [-a nt32|nt64] [-A] [-b debug|release] [-C dir[,..]] [-d] [-D kind[,..]]
-                  [-F ipv4|ipv6|offline] [-h] [-P [jobs]] [-r [*]ALL|LAST|name[,..][:step,..]]
-                  [-R] [-v[v[v[v]]]] [<group>[ ..]]
+usage: ./build.sh [-a nt32|nt64] [-b debug|release] [-C dir[,..]] [-D kind[,..]]
+                  [-F ipv4|ipv6|offline] [-h] [-P [jobs]] [-r ALL|LAST|name[,..][:step,..]]
+                  [-R] [-v[v[v[v]]]] [--as-needed] [--debug-minipix] [<group>[ ..]]
         -a nt32|nt64      Selects 32-bit or 64-bit architecture; defaults to nt64.
-        -A                Don't build unless the midipix_build repository has received new commits.
         -b debug|release  Selects debug or release build; defaults to debug.
         -C dir[,..]       Clean build directory (build,) ${PREFIX} before processing build
                           scripts (prefix,) source directory (src,) and/or destination directory
                           (dest) after successful package builds.
-        -d                Don't strip(1) minipix binaries to facilitate debugging minipix.
         -D kind[,..]      Produce minimal midipix distribution directory (minipix,) package
-                          tarballs (pkg,) RPM binary packages (rpm,) and/or deployable distribution
-                          ZIP archive (zipdist.)
+                          tarballs (pkg,) RPM binary packages (rpm,) compressed and optionally
+                          signed binary and source tarballs containing ${PREFIX} sans ${BUILD_WORKDIR}
+                          (t{bz2,gz,xz},) and/or deployable distribution ZIP archive (zipdist.)
+                          {t{bz2,gz,xz},zipdist} imply minipix.
         -F ipv4|ipv6|offline
                           Force IPv4 (ipv4) or IPv6 (ipv6) when downloading package archives
                           and/or Git repositories or don't download either at all (offline.)
@@ -20,12 +20,10 @@ usage: ./build.sh [-a nt32|nt64] [-A] [-b debug|release] [-C dir[,..]] [-d] [-D 
                           processors on the host system.
                           If -R is not specified and at least one (1) package fails to build,
                           all remaining package builds will be forcibly aborted for convenience.
-        -r [*]ALL[:step,..]|LAST|name[,..][:step,..]
+        -r ALL[:step,..]|LAST|name[,..][:step,..]
                           Restart all packages/the specified comma-separated package(s)
                           completely or at optionally specified comma-separated step(s)
                           or restart the last failed package and resume build.
-                          Prepend w/ `*' to automatically include dependencies.
-
                           Currently defined steps are:
                           fetch_wget, fetch_git, fetch_extract,
                           configure_patch_pre, configure_autotools, configure_patch,
@@ -35,6 +33,8 @@ usage: ./build.sh [-a nt32|nt64] [-A] [-b debug|release] [-C dir[,..]] [-d] [-D 
         -R                Ignore build failures, skip printing package logs, and continue
                           building (relaxed mode.)
         -v[v[v[v]]]       Be verbose; -vv: always print package logs; -vvv: set xtrace during package builds; -vvvv: logs fileops.
+        --as-needed       Don't build unless the midipix_build repository has received new commits.
+        --debug-minipix   Don't strip(1) minipix binaries to facilitate debugging minipix.
         <group>[ ..]      One of: host_deps, host_deps_rpm, host_toolchain, host_tools, minipix,
                           native_packages, native_runtime, native_toolchain, and/or native_tools.
 
diff --git a/subr/build_args.subr b/subr/build_args.subr
index 3576181..0837326 100644
--- a/subr/build_args.subr
+++ b/subr/build_args.subr
@@ -2,24 +2,57 @@
 # set -o noglob is assumed.
 #
 
+BUILD_ARGS_SPEC="
+	ARCH:arg:-a:
+	ARG_AS_NEEDED:--as-needed:
+	ARG_CLEAN_BUILDS:arg:-C:
+	ARG_DEBUG_MINIPIX:--debug-minipix:
+	ARG_DIST:arg:-D:
+	ARG_FETCH_FORCE:-F:
+	ARG_PARALLEL:optarg:-P:auto
+	ARG_RELAXED:-R:
+	ARG_RESTART:arg:-r:
+	ARG_VERBOSE:selfarg:-v:
+	ARG_VERBOSE:selfarg:-vv:
+	ARG_VERBOSE:selfarg:-vvv:
+	ARG_VERBOSE:selfarg:-vvvv:
+	BUILD:arg:-b:";
+
 build_args() {
-	local _opt="";
-	while getopts a:Ab:C:dD:FhPr:Rv _opt; do
-	case "${_opt}" in
-	a)	ARCH="${OPTARG}"; ;;
-	A)	ARG_AS_NEEDED=1; ;;
-	b)	BUILD="${OPTARG}"; ;;	
-	C)	ARG_CLEAN_BUILDS="${OPTARG}"; ;;
-	d)	ARG_DEBUG_MINIPIX=1; ;;
-	D)	ARG_DIST="${OPTARG}"; ;;
-	F)	ARG_FETCH_FORCE=1; ;;
-	h)	cat etc/build.usage; exit 0; ;;
-	P)	ARG_PARALLEL="${OPTARG:-auto}"; ;;
-	r)	ARG_RESTART="${OPTARG}"; ;;
-	R)	ARG_RELAXED=1; ;;
-	v)	: $((ARG_VERBOSE+=1)); ;;
-	*)	cat etc/build.usage; exit 1; ;;
-	esac; done; shift $((${OPTIND}-1));
+	local _spec="${BUILD_ARGS_SPEC}" _spec_arg="" _found="";
+	while [ ${#} -gt 0 ]; do
+		if [ "${1#-}" = "${1}" ]; then
+			break;
+		fi;
+		for _spec_arg in ${_spec}; do
+			case "${_spec_arg}" in
+			*:${1}:*)
+				case "${_spec_arg#*:}" in
+				arg:*)
+					ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${_spec_arg%%:*}" "${2}"; shift; ;;
+				optarg:*)
+					if [ -n "${2}" ]\
+					&& [ "x${2#-}" = "x${2}" ]; then
+						ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${_spec_arg%%:*}" "${2}";
+						shift;
+					else
+						ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${_spec_arg%%:*}"	\
+							"${_spec_arg##*:}";
+					fi; ;;
+				selfarg:*)
+					ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${_spec_arg%%:*}" "${1}"; ;;
+				*)
+					ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${_spec_arg%%:*}" 1; ;;
+				esac; _found=1; break; ;;
+			*)	_found=0; ;;
+			esac;
+		done;
+		if [ "${_found:-0}" -eq 0 ]; then
+			exec cat etc/build.usage;
+		else
+			shift;
+		fi;
+	done;
 	if ex_rtl_lmatch "${ARG_DIST}" , zipdist\
 	&& ! ex_rtl_lmatch "${ARG_DIST}" , minipix; then
 		ARG_DIST="${ARG_DIST:+${ARG_DIST},}minipix";
@@ -40,6 +73,12 @@ build_args() {
 		ARG_RESTART="$(echo "${ARG_RESTART}" | sed "s/,/ /g")";
 		;;
 	esac;
+	case "${ARG_VERBOSE}" in
+	-v)	ARG_VERBOSE=1; ;;
+	-vv)	ARG_VERBOSE=2; ;;
+	-vvv)	ARG_VERBOSE=3; ;;
+	-vvvv)	ARG_VERBOSE=4; ;;
+	esac;
 	while [ ${#} -gt 0 ]; do
 	case "${1}" in
 	*=*)	ex_rtl_set_var_unsafe "${1%%=*}" "${1#*=}"; ;;