diff --git a/bin/stow.in b/bin/stow.in
index 4faa451..c3c2a7b 100755
--- a/bin/stow.in
+++ b/bin/stow.in
@@ -206,6 +206,12 @@ changing.
 Disable folding of newly stowed directories when stowing, and
 refolding of newly foldable directories when unstowing.
 
+=item --absolute
+
+=item -a
+
+Use absolute paths
+
 =item --ignore=REGEX
 
 Ignore files ending in this Perl regex.
@@ -574,7 +580,7 @@ sub parse_options {
         \%options,
         'verbose|v:+', 'help|h', 'simulate|n|no',
         'version|V', 'compat|p', 'dir|d=s', 'target|t=s',
-        'adopt', 'no-folding', 'dotfiles',
+        'adopt', 'no-folding', 'dotfiles', 'absolute|a',
 
         # clean and pre-compile any regex's at parse time
         'ignore=s' =>
@@ -814,6 +820,11 @@ OPTIONS:
     -D, --delete          Unstow the package names that follow this option
     -R, --restow          Restow (like stow -D followed by stow -S)
 
+    -a, --absolute        Use absolute paths
+    --dotfiles            Convert filenames starting with `dot-' to `.'
+
+    --no-folding          Disable folding of newly stowed directories when stowing, 
+                          and refolding of newly foldable directories when unstowing.
     --ignore=REGEX        Ignore files ending in this Perl regex
     --defer=REGEX         Don't stow files beginning with this Perl regex
                           if the file is already stowed to another package
diff --git a/lib/Stow.pm.in b/lib/Stow.pm.in
index 77f67b3..3a36f45 100755
--- a/lib/Stow.pm.in
+++ b/lib/Stow.pm.in
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ our %DEFAULT_OPTIONS = (
     dotfiles     => 0,
     adopt        => 0,
     'no-folding' => 0,
+    absolute     => 0,
     ignore       => [],
     override     => [],
     defer        => [],
@@ -119,6 +120,8 @@ See the documentation for the F<stow> CLI front-end for information on these.
 
 =item * no-folding
 
+=item * absolute
+
 =item * ignore
 
 =item * override
@@ -202,10 +205,15 @@ sub set_stow_dir {
 
     my $stow_dir = canon_path($self->{dir});
     my $target = canon_path($self->{target});
-    $self->{stow_path} = File::Spec->abs2rel($stow_dir, $target);
+    $self->{stow_path} = $self->{absolute} ? $stow_dir :
+	File::Spec->abs2rel($stow_dir, $target);
 
     debug(2, "stow dir is $stow_dir");
-    debug(2, "stow dir path relative to target $target is $self->{stow_path}");
+    if (!$self->{absolute}) {
+	debug(2, "stow dir path relative to target $target is $self->{stow_path}");
+    } else {
+	debug(2, "stow dir path for target $target is $self->{stow_path}");
+    }
 }
 
 sub init_state {
@@ -437,7 +445,7 @@ sub stow_node {
     debug(4, "  => $source");
 
     # Don't try to stow absolute symlinks (they can't be unstowed)
-    if (-l $source) {
+    if ((not $self->{absolute}) && -l $source) {
         my $second_source = $self->read_a_link($source);
         if ($second_source =~ m{\A/}) {
             $self->conflict(
@@ -450,6 +458,10 @@ sub stow_node {
         }
     }
 
+    if ($self->{absolute}) {
+	debug(3, "Absolute symlinks cannot be unstowed, proceeding due to command-line option");
+    }
+
     # Does the target already exist?
     if ($self->is_a_link($target)) {
         # Where is the link pointing?
@@ -815,7 +827,7 @@ sub unstow_node {
             error("Could not read link: $target");
         }
 
-        if ($existing_source =~ m{\A/}) {
+        if (not $self->{absolute} and $existing_source =~ m{\A/}) {
             warn "Ignoring an absolute symlink: $target => $existing_source\n";
             return; # XXX #
         }