diff --git a/src/Pstream/Allwmake b/src/Pstream/Allwmake
index cc3329e384..ec3b07a859 100755
--- a/src/Pstream/Allwmake
+++ b/src/Pstream/Allwmake
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 cd ${0%/*} || exit 1    # run from this directory
 set -x
 
-wmake libso dummy
+makeOption=libso
+[ $# -ge 1 ] && makeOption=$1
+
+wmake $makeOption dummy
 
 case "$WM_MPLIB" in
 *MPI*)
@@ -11,7 +14,7 @@ case "$WM_MPLIB" in
     echo "Note: ignore spurious warnings about missing mpicxx.h headers"
     set -x
     # force compilation into qualified directory
-    WM_OPTIONS=${WM_OPTIONS}$WM_MPLIB  wmake libso mpi
+    WM_OPTIONS=${WM_OPTIONS}$WM_MPLIB  wmake $makeOption mpi
     ;;
 
 #GAMMA)