diff --git a/include/vere/vere.h b/include/vere/vere.h
index 1e6feaddf..9819c5045 100644
--- a/include/vere/vere.h
+++ b/include/vere/vere.h
@@ -535,6 +535,7 @@
         c3_c*   who_c;                      //  -T, begin with ticket
         c3_c*   tic_c;                      //  -T, ticket value
         c3_c*   pil_c;                      //  -B, bootstrap from
+        c3_c*   arv_c;                      //  -A, initial sync from
         c3_w    kno_w;                      //  -k, kernel version
         c3_w    fuz_w;                      //  -f, fuzz testing
         c3_s    por_s;                      //  -p, ames port
diff --git a/vere/main.c b/vere/main.c
index a72b3abb9..c8a61b1c1 100644
--- a/vere/main.c
+++ b/vere/main.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
   u3_Host.ops_u.rep = c3n;
   u3_Host.ops_u.kno_w = DefaultKernel;
 
-  while ( (ch_i=getopt(argc, argv,"B:I:w:t:f:k:l:n:p:r:LabcdgqvxFMPDXR")) != -1 ) {
+  while ( (ch_i=getopt(argc, argv,"B:A:I:w:t:f:k:l:n:p:r:LabcdgqvxFMPDXR")) != -1 ) {
     switch ( ch_i ) {
       case 'M': {
         u3_Host.ops_u.mem = c3y;
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
         u3_Host.ops_u.pil_c = strdup(optarg);
         break;
       }
+      case 'A': {
+        u3_Host.ops_u.arv_c = strdup(optarg);
+        break;
+      }
       case 'I': {
         u3_Host.ops_u.imp_c = _main_presig(optarg);
         break;
@@ -170,6 +174,20 @@ _main_getopt(c3_i argc, c3_c** argv)
     }
   }
 
+  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.arv_c != 0 && ( u3_Host.ops_u.imp_c == 0 ||
+                                     u3_Host.ops_u.nuu   == c3n ) ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "-A only makes sense when creating a new galaxy");
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
+  if ( u3_Host.ops_u.imp_c != 0 &&
+       u3_Host.ops_u.arv_c == 0 &&
+       u3_Host.ops_u.nuu   == c3y ) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "can't create a new galaxy without specifying "
+                    "the initial sync path with -A\n");
+    return c3n;
+  }
+
   if ( u3_Host.ops_u.rop_s == 0 && u3_Host.ops_u.raf_c != 0 ) {
     fprintf(stderr, "The -r flag requires -l.\n");
     return c3n;
diff --git a/vere/unix.c b/vere/unix.c
index fa4926a3a..2634d0857 100644
--- a/vere/unix.c
+++ b/vere/unix.c
@@ -1010,7 +1010,9 @@ _unix_initial_update_file(c3_c* pax_c)
     return u3_nul;
   }
   else {
-    u3_noun pax = _unix_string_to_path_helper(pax_c + strlen(U3_LIB) + 6); /* XX VERY BAD */
+    u3_noun pax = _unix_string_to_path_helper(pax_c
+                   + strlen(u3_Host.ops_u.arv_c)
+                   + 1); /* XX slightly less VERY BAD than before*/
     u3_noun mim = u3nt(c3__text, u3i_string("plain"), u3_nul);
     u3_noun dat = u3nt(mim, len_ws, u3i_bytes(len_ws, dat_y));
 
@@ -1445,9 +1447,7 @@ u3_unix_ef_move(void)
 void
 u3_unix_ef_initial_into()
 {
-  c3_c* pax_c = _unix_down(U3_LIB, "arvo");
-  u3_noun can = _unix_initial_update_dir(pax_c);
-  free(pax_c);
+  u3_noun can = _unix_initial_update_dir(u3_Host.ops_u.arv_c);
 
   u3v_plan(u3nq(u3_blip, c3__sync, u3k(u3A->sen), u3_nul),
            u3nq(c3__into, u3_nul, c3y, can));