diff --git a/mkinstalldirs b/mkinstalldirs
index 051cb9242..b81c84089 100755
--- a/mkinstalldirs
+++ b/mkinstalldirs
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@
 # Make directory hierarchy. 
 # Written by Noah Friedman <friedman@prep.ai.mit.edu>
 # Public domain.
+# Modified by Adam Fedor, Nicola Pero
+
+if test "$1"="-c"; then
+  CHOWN_TO="$2"
+  shift 2
+else
+  CHOWN_TO=""
+fi
 
 defaultIFS=' 	
 '
@@ -34,7 +42,12 @@ for file in ${1+"$@"} ; do
 
      if test ! -d "${pathcomp}"; then
         echo "$MKDIR $pathcomp" 1>&2
-        $MKDIR "${pathcomp}" || errstatus=$?
+	if test ! -z "${CHOWN_TO}"; then
+          echo "chown $CHOWN_TO $pathcomp" 1>&2
+          ($MKDIR "${pathcomp}"; chown $CHOWN_TO "${pathcomp}") || errstatus=$?
+	else
+          $MKDIR "${pathcomp}" || errstatus=$?
+	fi;
      fi
 
      pathcomp="${pathcomp}/"