diff --git a/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Common.hs b/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Common.hs
index 2d8abd2..8fd50c9 100644
--- a/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Common.hs
+++ b/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Common.hs
@@ -89,6 +89,18 @@ toolVersionArgument criteria tool =
   mv _          = "VERSION|TAG"
 
 
+toolVersionOption :: Maybe ListCriteria -> Maybe Tool -> Parser ToolVersion
+toolVersionOption criteria tool =
+  option (eitherReader toolVersionEither)
+    (  sh tool
+    <> completer (tagCompleter (fromMaybe GHC tool) [])
+    <> foldMap (completer . versionCompleter criteria) tool)
+ where
+  sh (Just GHC) = long "ghc" <> metavar "GHC_VERSION|TAG"
+  sh (Just HLS) = long "hls" <> metavar "HLS_VERSION|TAG"
+  sh _          = long "version" <> metavar "VERSION|TAG"
+
+
 versionParser :: Parser GHCTargetVersion
 versionParser = option
   (eitherReader tVersionEither)
@@ -246,18 +258,6 @@ criteriaParser s' | t == T.pack "installed" = Right ListInstalled
   where t = T.toLower (T.pack s')
 
 
-toolVersionParser :: Parser ToolVersion
-toolVersionParser = verP' <|> toolP
- where
-  verP' = ToolVersion <$> versionParser
-  toolP =
-    ToolTag
-      <$> option
-            (eitherReader tagEither)
-            (short 't' <> long "tag" <> metavar "TAG" <> help "The target tag")
-
-
-
 
 keepOnParser :: String -> Either String KeepDirs
 keepOnParser s' | t == T.pack "always" = Right Always
diff --git a/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Compile.hs b/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Compile.hs
index fa89c1b..65fee42 100644
--- a/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Compile.hs
+++ b/app/ghcup/GHCup/OptParse/Compile.hs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ data HLSCompileOptions = HLSCompileOptions
   , cabalProjectLocal :: Maybe FilePath
   , patchDir     :: Maybe FilePath
   , targetGHCs   :: [ToolVersion]
+  , cabalArgs    :: [Text]
   }
 
 
@@ -148,7 +149,10 @@ Examples:
   These need to be available in PATH prior to compilation.
 
 Examples:
-  ghcup compile hls -v 1.4.0 -j 12 8.10.5 8.10.7 9.0.1|]
+  # compile 1.4.0 for ghc 8.10.5 and 8.10.7
+  ghcup compile hls -v 1.4.0 -j 12 --ghc 8.10.5 --ghc 8.10.7
+  # compile from master for ghc 8.10.7, linking everything dynamically
+  ghcup compile hls -g master -j 12 --ghc 8.10.7 -- --ghc-options='-dynamic'|]
 
 
 ghcCompileOpts :: Parser GHCCompileOptions
@@ -315,7 +319,8 @@ hlsCompileOpts =
               "Absolute path to patch directory (applies all .patch and .diff files in order using -p1)"
             )
           )
-    <*> some (toolVersionArgument Nothing (Just GHC))
+    <*> some (toolVersionOption Nothing (Just GHC))
+    <*> many (argument str (metavar "CABAL_ARGS" <> help "Additional arguments to cabal install, prefix with '-- ' (longopts)"))
 
 
 
@@ -431,6 +436,7 @@ compile compileCommand settings runAppState runLogger = do
                     cabalProject
                     cabalProjectLocal
                     patchDir
+                    cabalArgs
         GHCupInfo { _ghcupDownloads = dls } <- lift getGHCupInfo
         let vi = getVersionInfo targetVer HLS dls
         when setCompile $ void $ liftE $
diff --git a/lib/GHCup.hs b/lib/GHCup.hs
index 8881029..f5715dc 100644
--- a/lib/GHCup.hs
+++ b/lib/GHCup.hs
@@ -753,6 +753,7 @@ compileHLS :: ( MonadMask m
            -> Maybe FilePath
            -> Maybe FilePath
            -> Maybe FilePath
+           -> [Text]                   -- ^ additional args to cabal install
            -> Excepts '[ NoDownload
                        , GPGError
                        , DownloadFailed
@@ -763,11 +764,12 @@ compileHLS :: ( MonadMask m
                        , BuildFailed
                        , NotInstalled
                        ] m Version
-compileHLS targetHLS ghcs jobs ov isolateDir cabalProject cabalProjectLocal patchdir = do
+compileHLS targetHLS ghcs jobs ov isolateDir cabalProject cabalProjectLocal patchdir cabalArgs = do
   PlatformRequest { .. } <- lift getPlatformReq
   GHCupInfo { _ghcupDownloads = dls } <- lift getGHCupInfo
   Dirs { .. } <- lift getDirs
 
+
   (workdir, tver) <- case targetHLS of
     -- unpack from version tarball
     Left tver -> do
@@ -867,7 +869,8 @@ compileHLS targetHLS ghcs jobs ov isolateDir cabalProject cabalProjectLocal patc
                                , "--disable-tests"
                                , "--installdir=" <> ghcInstallDir
                                , "--project-file=" <> cp
-                               , "exe:haskell-language-server"
+                               ] ++ fmap T.unpack cabalArgs ++ [
+                                 "exe:haskell-language-server"
                                , "exe:haskell-language-server-wrapper"]
                              )
           (Just workdir) "cabal" Nothing