diff --git a/contrib/dist/linux/README b/contrib/dist/linux/README
index 045b3734b7f..f9a3aa8841c 100644
--- a/contrib/dist/linux/README
+++ b/contrib/dist/linux/README
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ Please, do NOT set the same settings with parameters and config vars.
    file from the tarball specified on the command line. By default,
    the script will look for the specfile in the current directory.
 
+-R directory
+   Specifies the top level RPM build direcotry.
+
 -h
    Prints script usage information.
 
diff --git a/contrib/dist/linux/buildrpm.sh b/contrib/dist/linux/buildrpm.sh
index 84a9045b39c..3b609ee574c 100755
--- a/contrib/dist/linux/buildrpm.sh
+++ b/contrib/dist/linux/buildrpm.sh
@@ -58,6 +58,9 @@
 #    file from the tarball specified on the command line. By default,
 #    the script will look for the specfile in the current directory.
 #
+# -R directory
+#    Specifies the top level RPM build direcotry.
+#
 # -h
 #    Prints script usage information.
 #
@@ -107,7 +110,7 @@ orig_param="$@"
 #
 # usage information
 #
-usage="Usage: $0 [-b][-o][-m][-d][-u][-s][-h] [-n name][-f lf_location][-t tm_location] tarball
+usage="Usage: $0 [-b][-o][-m][-d][-u][-s][-h] [-n name][-f lf_location][-t tm_location][-R directory] tarball
 
   -b
              build all-in-one binary RPM only (required for all other flags to work)
@@ -146,6 +149,9 @@ usage="Usage: $0 [-b][-o][-m][-d][-u][-s][-h] [-n name][-f lf_location][-t tm_lo
   -r parameter
              add custom RPM build parameter
 
+  -R directory
+             Specifies the top level RPM build direcotry.
+
   -h         print this message and exit
 
   tarball    path to Open MPI source tarball
@@ -155,8 +161,9 @@ usage="Usage: $0 [-b][-o][-m][-d][-u][-s][-h] [-n name][-f lf_location][-t tm_lo
 # parse args
 #
 libfabric_path=""
+rpmtopdir=
 
-while getopts bn:omif:t:dc:r:sh flag; do
+while getopts bn:omif:t:dc:r:sR:h flag; do
     case "$flag" in
       b) build_srpm="no"
          build_single="yes"
@@ -180,6 +187,8 @@ while getopts bn:omif:t:dc:r:sh flag; do
          ;;
       r) configure_options="$rpmbuild_options $OPTARG"
          ;;
+      R) rpmtopdir="$OPTARG"
+         ;;
       s) unpack_spec="1"
          ;;
       h) echo "$usage" 1>&2
@@ -267,25 +276,30 @@ fi
 # Find where the top RPM-building directory is
 #
 
-rpmtopdir=
-file=~/.rpmmacros
-if test -r $file; then
-    rpmtopdir=${rpmtopdir:-"`grep %_topdir $file | awk '{ print $2 }'`"}
+# if the user did not specify an $rpmtopdir, check for an .rpmmacros file.
+if test "$rpmtopdir" == ""; then
+    file=~/.rpmmacros
+    if test -r $file; then
+        rpmtopdir=${rpmtopdir:-"`grep %_topdir $file | awk '{ print $2 }'`"}
+    fi
 fi
+
+# If needed, initialize the $rpmtopdir directory. If no $rpmtopdir was
+# specified, try various system-level defaults.
 if test "$rpmtopdir" != ""; then
-	rpmbuild_options="$rpmbuild_options --define '_topdir $rpmtopdir'"
+    rpmbuild_options="$rpmbuild_options --define '_topdir $rpmtopdir'"
     if test ! -d "$rpmtopdir"; then
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/BUILD"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i386"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i586"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i686"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/noarch"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/athlon"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SOURCES"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SPECS"
-	mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SRPMS"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/BUILD"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i386"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i586"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/i686"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/noarch"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/RPMS/athlon"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SOURCES"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SPECS"
+        mkdir -p "$rpmtopdir/SRPMS"
     fi
     need_root=0
 elif test -d /usr/src/RPM; then