diff --git a/src/rpmostree-builtin-rebase.c b/src/rpmostree-builtin-rebase.c
index 302ab601..4227e023 100644
--- a/src/rpmostree-builtin-rebase.c
+++ b/src/rpmostree-builtin-rebase.c
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@
 
 #include "libgsystem.h"
 
+static char *opt_sysroot = "/";
+static char *opt_osname;
+
 static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
+  { "sysroot", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_sysroot, "Use system root SYSROOT (default: /)", "SYSROOT" },
+  { "os", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_osname, "Operate on provided OSNAME", "OSNAME" },
   { NULL }
 };
 
@@ -51,6 +56,7 @@ rpmostree_builtin_rebase (int             argc,
   gs_free char *new_ref = NULL;
   gs_free char *new_refspec = NULL;
   gs_free char *new_revision = NULL;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *sysroot_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object GFile *deployment_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object GFile *deployment_origin_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeDeployment *merge_deployment = NULL;
@@ -77,11 +83,12 @@ rpmostree_builtin_rebase (int             argc,
 
   new_provided_refspec = argv[1];
 
-  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new_default ();
+  sysroot_path = g_file_new_for_path (opt_sysroot);
+  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new (sysroot_path);
   if (!ostree_sysroot_load (sysroot, cancellable, error))
     goto out;
 
-  upgrader = ostree_sysroot_upgrader_new_for_os (sysroot, NULL,
+  upgrader = ostree_sysroot_upgrader_new_for_os (sysroot, opt_osname,
                                                  cancellable, error);
   if (!upgrader)
     goto out;
diff --git a/src/rpmostree-builtin-rollback.c b/src/rpmostree-builtin-rollback.c
index 49fc6964..7dc7144f 100644
--- a/src/rpmostree-builtin-rollback.c
+++ b/src/rpmostree-builtin-rollback.c
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
 
 #include "libgsystem.h"
 
+static char *opt_sysroot = "/";
 static gboolean opt_reboot;
 
 static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
+  { "sysroot", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_sysroot, "Use system root SYSROOT (default: /)", "SYSROOT" },
   { "reboot", 'r', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_reboot, "Initiate a reboot after rollback is prepared", NULL },
   { NULL }
 };
@@ -43,6 +45,7 @@ rpmostree_builtin_rollback (int             argc,
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
   GOptionContext *context = g_option_context_new ("- Revert to the previously booted tree");
+  gs_unref_object GFile *sysroot_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeSysroot *sysroot = NULL;
   gs_free char *origin_description = NULL;
   gs_unref_ptrarray GPtrArray *deployments = NULL;
@@ -58,7 +61,8 @@ rpmostree_builtin_rollback (int             argc,
   if (!g_option_context_parse (context, &argc, &argv, error))
     goto out;
 
-  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new_default ();
+  sysroot_path = g_file_new_for_path (opt_sysroot);
+  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new (sysroot_path);
   if (!ostree_sysroot_load (sysroot, cancellable, error))
     goto out;
 
diff --git a/src/rpmostree-builtin-status.c b/src/rpmostree-builtin-status.c
index 7aaaa776..68bdd245 100644
--- a/src/rpmostree-builtin-status.c
+++ b/src/rpmostree-builtin-status.c
@@ -28,9 +28,11 @@
 
 #include "libgsystem.h"
 
+static char *opt_sysroot = "/";
 static gboolean opt_pretty;
 
 static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
+  { "sysroot", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_sysroot, "Use system root SYSROOT (default: /)", "SYSROOT" },
   { "pretty", 'p', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_pretty, "Display status in formatted rows", NULL },
   { NULL }
 };
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ rpmostree_builtin_status (int             argc,
                           GError        **error)
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
+  gs_unref_object GFile *sysroot_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeSysroot *sysroot = NULL;
   gs_unref_ptrarray GPtrArray *deployments = NULL;  // list of all depoyments
   OstreeDeployment *booted_deployment = NULL;   // current booted deployment
@@ -68,7 +71,8 @@ rpmostree_builtin_status (int             argc,
   if (!g_option_context_parse (context, &argc, &argv, error))
     goto out;
 
-  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new_default ();
+  sysroot_path = g_file_new_for_path (opt_sysroot);
+  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new (sysroot_path);
   if (!ostree_sysroot_load (sysroot, cancellable, error))
     goto out;
 
diff --git a/src/rpmostree-builtin-upgrade.c b/src/rpmostree-builtin-upgrade.c
index 31ae64e3..a409a660 100644
--- a/src/rpmostree-builtin-upgrade.c
+++ b/src/rpmostree-builtin-upgrade.c
@@ -29,10 +29,14 @@
 
 #include "libgsystem.h"
 
+static char *opt_sysroot = "/";
+static char *opt_osname;
 static gboolean opt_reboot;
 static gboolean opt_allow_downgrade;
 
 static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
+  { "sysroot", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_sysroot, "Use system root SYSROOT (default: /)", "SYSROOT" },
+  { "os", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_STRING, &opt_osname, "Operate on provided OSNAME", "OSNAME" },
   { "reboot", 'r', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_reboot, "Initiate a reboot after an upgrade is prepared", NULL },
   { "allow-downgrade", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &opt_allow_downgrade, "Permit deployment of chronologically older trees", NULL },
   { NULL }
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ rpmostree_builtin_upgrade (int             argc,
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
   GOptionContext *context = g_option_context_new ("- Perform a system upgrade");
+  gs_unref_object GFile *sysroot_path = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeSysroot *sysroot = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeSysrootUpgrader *upgrader = NULL;
   gs_unref_object OstreeAsyncProgress *progress = NULL;
@@ -59,11 +64,13 @@ rpmostree_builtin_upgrade (int             argc,
   if (!g_option_context_parse (context, &argc, &argv, error))
     goto out;
 
-  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new_default ();
+  sysroot_path = g_file_new_for_path (opt_sysroot);
+  sysroot = ostree_sysroot_new (sysroot_path);
   if (!ostree_sysroot_load (sysroot, cancellable, error))
     goto out;
 
-  upgrader = ostree_sysroot_upgrader_new (sysroot, cancellable, error);
+  upgrader = ostree_sysroot_upgrader_new_for_os (sysroot, opt_osname,
+                                                 cancellable, error);
   if (!upgrader)
     goto out;