diff --git a/bin/xt-install-image b/bin/xt-install-image
index 775904c..e307a19 100755
--- a/bin/xt-install-image
+++ b/bin/xt-install-image
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ Install the distribution specified by the B<--dist> argument using the debootstr
  --
  http://www.steve.org.uk/
 
- $Id: xt-install-image,v 1.34 2006-08-27 21:31:30 steve Exp $
+ $Id: xt-install-image,v 1.35 2006-09-10 20:51:55 steve Exp $
 
 =cut
 
@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ my %CONFIG;
 my $RELEASE = '2.5';
 
 
+
+#
+#  Read the global configuration file.
+#
+readConfigurationFile( "/etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf" );
+
+
 #
 #  Parse the command line arguments.
 #
@@ -144,9 +151,27 @@ if ( $CONFIG{'copy'} )
     }
 
     #
-    #  Run a command to copy an installed system into the new root.
+    #  Find the copy command from the configuration file,
+    # with a suitable default if one isn't found.
     #
-    runCommand( "/bin/cp -a $CONFIG{'copy'}/* $CONFIG{'location'}" );
+    my $cmd = $CONFIG{'copy-cmd'} ;
+    if ( !defined( $cmd ) )
+    {
+        print "Falling back to default copy command\n";
+        $cmd = '/bin/cp -a $src/* $dest';   # Note: single quotes.
+    }
+
+    #
+    #  Expand the source and the destination.
+    #
+    $cmd =~ s/\$src/$CONFIG{'copy'}/g;
+    $cmd =~ s/\$dest/$CONFIG{'location'}/g;
+
+    #
+    #  Run the copy command.
+    #
+    runCommand( $cmd );
+
 }
 elsif ( $CONFIG{'tar'} )
 {
@@ -159,10 +184,26 @@ elsif ( $CONFIG{'tar'} )
         exit 1;
     }
 
+    #
+    #  Find the copy command from the configuration file,
+    # with a suitable default if one isn't found.
+    #
+    my $cmd = $CONFIG{'tar-cmd'} ;
+    if ( !defined( $cmd ) )
+    {
+        print "Falling back to default tar command\n";
+        $cmd = '/bin/tar --numeric-owner -xvf $src';  # Note: single quotes.
+    }
+
+    #
+    #  Expand the tarfile.
+    #
+    $cmd =~ s/\$src/$CONFIG{'tar'}/g;
+
     #
     #  Run a command to copy an installed system into the new root.
     #
-    runCommand( "cd $CONFIG{'location'} && tar -xvf $CONFIG{'tar'}" );
+    runCommand( "cd $CONFIG{'location'} && $cmd" );
 }
 elsif ( $CONFIG{'debootstrap'} )
 {
@@ -228,6 +269,69 @@ exit 0;
 
 
 
+=begin doc
+
+  read the global configuration file /etc/xen-tools/xen-tools.conf
+
+=end doc
+
+=cut
+
+sub readConfigurationFile
+{
+    my ($file) = ( @_ );
+
+    # Don't read the file if it doesn't exist.
+    return if ( ! -e $file );
+
+
+    my $line = "";
+
+    open( FILE, "<", $file ) or die "Cannot read file '$file' - $!";
+
+    while (defined($line = <FILE>) )
+    {
+        chomp $line;
+        if ($line =~ s/\\$//)
+        {
+            $line .= <FILE>;
+            redo unless eof(FILE);
+        }
+
+        # Skip lines beginning with comments
+        next if ( $line =~ /^([ \t]*)\#/ );
+
+        # Skip blank lines
+        next if ( length( $line ) < 1 );
+
+        # Strip trailing comments.
+        if ( $line =~ /(.*)\#(.*)/ )
+        {
+            $line = $1;
+        }
+
+        # Find variable settings
+        if ( $line =~ /([^=]+)=([^\n]+)/ )
+        {
+            my $key = $1;
+            my $val = $2;
+
+            # Strip leading and trailing whitespace.
+            $key =~ s/^\s+//;
+            $key =~ s/\s+$//;
+            $val =~ s/^\s+//;
+            $val =~ s/\s+$//;
+
+            # Store value.
+            $CONFIG{ $key } = $val;
+        }
+    }
+
+    close( FILE );
+}
+
+
+
 =begin doc
 
   Parse the command line arguments this script was given.
@@ -275,7 +379,7 @@ sub parseCommandLineArguments
 
     if ( $VERSION )
     {
-        my $REVISION      = '$Revision: 1.34 $';
+        my $REVISION      = '$Revision: 1.35 $';
         if ( $REVISION =~ /1.([0-9.]+) / )
         {
             $REVISION = $1;
diff --git a/etc/xen-tools.conf b/etc/xen-tools.conf
index a7523a8..a7ec93a 100644
--- a/etc/xen-tools.conf
+++ b/etc/xen-tools.conf
@@ -66,6 +66,25 @@
 # tar = /path/to/img.tar
 #
 
+#
+##
+#  Command definitions.
+##
+#
+# The "debootstrap" and "rpmstrap" commands are hardwired, but if you
+# wish to alter the commands invoked when using the "--copy" + "--tar"
+# options you can adjust these two settings:
+#
+# --copy:
+# copy-cmd = /bin/cp -a $src/* $dest
+#
+# --tar:
+# tar-cmd  = /bin/tar --numeric-owner -xvf $src
+#
+#
+
+
+
 #
 ##
 #  Disk and Sizing options.