diff --git a/include/ptycon/ptycon.h b/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
index 78282cf..0add151 100644
--- a/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
+++ b/include/ptycon/ptycon.h
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ struct ptyc_common_ctx {
 	uint64_t			fmtflags;
 	nt_pty *			hpts;
 	nt_pty *			hptm;
+	void *				hroot;
+	const char *			sysroot;
 	char **				catv;
 	char **				eargv;
 };
diff --git a/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c b/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
index 459abe2..dfaa572 100644
--- a/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
+++ b/src/driver/ptyc_driver_ctx.c
@@ -292,6 +292,10 @@ int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 					nunits++;
 					break;
 
+				case TAG_SYSROOT:
+					cctx.sysroot = entry->arg;
+					break;
+
 				case TAG_WAIT:
 					cctx.drvflags |= PTYC_DRIVER_DBG_WAIT;
 					break;
@@ -301,6 +305,14 @@ int ptyc_get_driver_ctx(
 			return ptyc_driver_usage(program,0,options,meta);
 	}
 
+	if (cctx.sysroot && ptyc_open_dir(&cctx.hroot,0,cctx.sysroot,false)) {
+		if (flags & PTYC_DRIVER_VERBOSITY_ERRORS)
+			fprintf(stderr,
+				"%s: error: could not open sysroot directory '%s'",
+				program,cctx.sysroot);
+		return ptyc_get_driver_ctx_fail(meta);
+	}
+
 	if (!(ctx = ptyc_driver_ctx_alloc(meta,&cctx,nunits)))
 		return ptyc_get_driver_ctx_fail(meta);
 
diff --git a/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h b/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
index 67393ff..ee2e5ca 100644
--- a/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/ptycon_driver_impl.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ enum app_tags {
 	TAG_VERSION,
 	TAG_DAEMON,
 	TAG_DEBUG,
+	TAG_SYSROOT,
 	TAG_CAT,
 	TAG_EXEC,
 	TAG_WAIT,
diff --git a/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c b/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
index 814f6c2..b558fff 100644
--- a/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
+++ b/src/skin/ptyc_skin_default.c
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ const struct argv_option ptyc_default_options[] = {
 				ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_ONLY | ARGV_OPTION_HYBRID_SPACE,
 				0,0,"synonym for --exec."},
 
+	{"sysroot",		0,TAG_SYSROOT,ARGV_OPTARG_REQUIRED,0,0,"<dir>",
+				"pass a handle to %s to the spawned child process, "
+				"and set it to be the child's intial root directory."},
+
 	{"daemon",		0,TAG_DAEMON,ARGV_OPTARG_OPTIONAL,0,"default|always|never",0,
 				"create a daemon thread and handle signals sent by the "
 				"application's own controlling terminal. The default is "