diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8f5af87992..d96b435753 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,3 +34,5 @@ _UpgradeReport_Files/
 ipch/
 *.sdf
 *.opensdf
+
+/options.gypi
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index de002e39b2..d1b27e5b5c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,21 +1,86 @@
-#! /bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/env python
 
-# v8 doesn't like ccache
-if [ ! -z "`echo $CC | grep ccache`" ]; then
-  echo "Error: V8 doesn't like cache. Please set your CC env var to 'gcc'"
-  echo "  (ba)sh: export CC=gcc"
-  exit 1
-fi
+import optparse
+import os
+import json
 
-CUR_DIR=$PWD
+root_dir = os.path.dirname(__file__)
 
-#possible relative path
-WORKINGDIR=`dirname $0`
-cd "$WORKINGDIR"
-#abs path
-WORKINGDIR=`pwd`
-cd "$CUR_DIR"
+# parse our options
+parser = optparse.OptionParser()
 
-"${WORKINGDIR}/tools/waf-light" --jobs=1 configure $*
+parser.add_option("--debug", action="store_true", dest="debug",
+    default=False, help="Also build debug build")
+
+parser.add_option("--prefix", action="store", dest="prefix",
+    help="Select the install prefix (defaults to /usr/local)")
+
+# TODO options to support for backwards compatibility
+#
+#  --without-snapshot
+#    Build without snapshotting V8 libraries. You might want to set this for
+#    cross-compiling.  [Default: False]
+#
+#  --without-ssl
+#    Build without SSL
+#
+#  --shared-v8
+#    Link to a shared V8 DLL instead of static linking
+#
+#  --shared-v8-includes=SHARED_V8_INCLUDES
+#    Directory containing V8 header files
+#
+#  --shared-v8-libpath=SHARED_V8_LIBPATH
+#    A directory to search for the shared V8 DLL
+#
+#  --shared-v8-libname=SHARED_V8_LIBNAME
+#    Alternative lib name to link to (default: 'v8')
+#
+#  --openssl-includes=OPENSSL_INCLUDES
+#    A directory to search for the OpenSSL includes
+#
+#  --openssl-libpath=OPENSSL_LIBPATH
+#    A directory to search for the OpenSSL libraries
+#
+#  --no-ssl2
+#    Disable OpenSSL v2
+#
+#  --gdb
+#    add gdb support
+#
+#  --shared-cares
+#    Link to a shared C-Ares DLL instead of static linking
+#
+#  --shared-cares-includes=SHARED_CARES_INCLUDES
+#    Directory containing C-Ares header files
+#
+#  --shared-cares-libpath=SHARED_CARES_LIBPATH
+#    A directory to search for the shared C-Ares DLL
+#
+#  --with-dtrace
+#    Build with DTrace (experimental)
+#
+#  --dest-cpu=DEST_CPU
+#    CPU architecture to build for. Valid values are: arm, ia32, x64
+
+
+(options, args) = parser.parse_args()
+
+print "configure options:", options
+
+output = {
+  'variables': {
+    'node_debug': 'true' if options.debug else 'false',
+    'node_prefix': options.prefix if options.prefix else ''
+  }
+}
+
+fn = os.path.join(root_dir, 'options.gypi')
+print "creating ", fn
+
+f = open(fn, 'w+')
+f.write("# Do not edit. Generated by the configure script.\n")
+json.dump(output, f, indent=2, skipkeys=True)
+f.write("\n")
+f.close()
 
-exit $?
diff --git a/tools/gyp_node b/tools/gyp_node
index 6bd640cfae..81afc664f4 100755
--- a/tools/gyp_node
+++ b/tools/gyp_node
@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ def run_gyp(args):
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   args = sys.argv[1:]
   args.append(os.path.join(script_dir, 'all.gyp'))
+
+  options_fn = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(node_root, 'options.gypi'))
+  if os.path.exists(options_fn):
+    args.extend(['-I', options_fn])
+
   args.append('--depth=' + node_root)
 
   if sys.platform != 'win32':
@@ -36,4 +41,5 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
   args.append('-Dcomponent=static_library')
   args.append('-Dlibrary=static_library')
   gyp_args = list(args)
+  print gyp_args
   run_gyp(gyp_args)