diff --git a/configure b/configure
index aae84af9c9..d33e202102 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ check_gcc="yes"
 softmmu="yes"
 user="no"
 build_docs="no"
+uname_release=""
 
 # OS specific
 targetos=`uname -s`
@@ -237,6 +238,8 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --enable-user) user="yes"
   ;;
+  --enable-uname-release=*) uname_release="$optarg"
+  ;;
   esac
 done
 
@@ -284,6 +287,7 @@ echo "  --enable-user            enable all linux usermode emulation targets"
 echo "  --disable-user           disable all linux usermode emulation targets"
 echo "  --fmod-lib               path to FMOD library"
 echo "  --fmod-inc               path to FMOD includes"
+echo "  --enable-uname-release=R Return R for uname -r in usermode emulation"
 echo ""
 echo "NOTE: The object files are build at the place where configure is launched"
 exit 1
@@ -553,6 +557,8 @@ fi
 echo "FMOD support      $fmod $fmod_support"
 echo "kqemu support     $kqemu"
 echo "Documentation     $build_docs"
+[ ! -z "$uname_release" ] && \
+echo "uname -r          $uname_release"
 
 if test $sdl_too_old = "yes"; then
 echo "-> Your SDL version is too old - please upgrade to have SDL support"
@@ -711,6 +717,8 @@ if [ "$bsd" = "yes" ] ; then
   echo "#define _BSD 1" >> $config_h
 fi
 
+echo "#define CONFIG_UNAME_RELEASE \"$uname_release\"" >> $config_h
+
 for target in $target_list; do
 target_dir="$target"
 config_mak=$target_dir/config.mak
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index 78f45a5f9f..23e9e85b10 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #endif
 
 static const char *interp_prefix = CONFIG_QEMU_PREFIX;
+const char *qemu_uname_release = CONFIG_UNAME_RELEASE;
 
 #if defined(__i386__) && !defined(CONFIG_STATIC)
 /* Force usage of an ELF interpreter even if it is an ELF shared
@@ -1514,6 +1515,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
             }
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "g")) {
             gdbstub_port = atoi(argv[optind++]);
+	} else if (!strcmp(r, "r")) {
+	    qemu_uname_release = argv[optind++];
         } else 
 #ifdef USE_CODE_COPY
         if (!strcmp(r, "no-code-copy")) {
diff --git a/linux-user/qemu.h b/linux-user/qemu.h
index a797c512bb..7c7bcf34e6 100644
--- a/linux-user/qemu.h
+++ b/linux-user/qemu.h
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ typedef struct TaskState {
 } __attribute__((aligned(16))) TaskState;
 
 extern TaskState *first_task_state;
+extern const char *qemu_uname_release;
 
 int elf_exec(const char * filename, char ** argv, char ** envp, 
              struct target_pt_regs * regs, struct image_info *infop);
diff --git a/linux-user/syscall.c b/linux-user/syscall.c
index 7da469aa89..4afc6d888c 100644
--- a/linux-user/syscall.c
+++ b/linux-user/syscall.c
@@ -2861,6 +2861,9 @@ long do_syscall(void *cpu_env, int num, long arg1, long arg2, long arg3,
                 /* Overrite the native machine name with whatever is being
                    emulated. */
                 strcpy (buf->machine, UNAME_MACHINE);
+                /* Allow the user to override the reported release.  */
+                if (qemu_uname_release && *qemu_uname_release)
+                  strcpy (buf->release, qemu_uname_release);
             }
             unlock_user_struct(buf, arg1, 1);
         }