diff -uprN john-1.7.3.1.old/src/options.c john-1.7.3.1/src/options.c
--- john-1.7.3.1.old/src/options.c	2008-07-18 03:21:10.000000000 +0200
+++ john-1.7.3.1/src/options.c	2008-10-18 13:25:21.000000000 +0200
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ struct options_main options;
 
 static struct opt_entry opt_list[] = {
 	{"", FLG_PASSWD, 0, 0, 0, OPT_FMT_ADD_LIST, &options.passwd},
-	{"single", FLG_SINGLE_SET, FLG_CRACKING_CHK},
+	{"single", FLG_SINGLE_SET, FLG_CRACKING_CHK, 0, 0,
+		OPT_FMT_STR_ALLOC, &options.rules},
 	{"wordlist", FLG_WORDLIST_SET, FLG_CRACKING_CHK,
 		0, OPT_REQ_PARAM, OPT_FMT_STR_ALLOC, &options.wordlist},
 	{"stdin", FLG_STDIN_SET, FLG_CRACKING_CHK},
-	{"rules", FLG_RULES, FLG_RULES, FLG_WORDLIST_CHK, FLG_STDIN_CHK},
+	{"rules", FLG_RULES, FLG_RULES, FLG_WORDLIST_CHK, FLG_STDIN_CHK,
+		OPT_FMT_STR_ALLOC, &options.rules},
 	{"incremental", FLG_INC_SET, FLG_CRACKING_CHK,
 		0, 0, OPT_FMT_STR_ALLOC, &options.charset},
 	{"external", FLG_EXTERNAL_SET, FLG_EXTERNAL_CHK,
@@ -83,9 +85,9 @@ static struct opt_entry opt_list[] = {
 "Homepage: http://www.openwall.com/john/\n" \
 "\n" \
 "Usage: %s [OPTIONS] [PASSWORD-FILES]\n" \
-"--single                   \"single crack\" mode\n" \
+"--single[=MODE]            \"single crack\" mode\n" \
 "--wordlist=FILE --stdin    wordlist mode, read words from FILE or stdin\n" \
-"--rules                    enable word mangling rules for wordlist mode\n" \
+"--rules[=MODE]             enable word mangling rules for wordlist mode\n" \
 "--incremental[=MODE]       \"incremental\" mode [using section MODE]\n" \
 "--external=MODE            external mode or word filter\n" \
 "--stdout[=LENGTH]          just output candidate passwords [cut at LENGTH]\n" \
diff -uprN john-1.7.3.1.old/src/options.h john-1.7.3.1/src/options.h
--- john-1.7.3.1.old/src/options.h	2006-01-09 15:34:50.000000000 +0100
+++ john-1.7.3.1/src/options.h	2008-10-18 12:54:57.000000000 +0200
@@ -113,6 +113,9 @@ struct options_main {
 
 /* Maximum plaintext length for stdout mode */
 	int length;
+
+/* Rules section */
+	char *rules;
 };
 
 extern struct options_main options;
diff -uprN john-1.7.3.1.old/src/single.c john-1.7.3.1/src/single.c
--- john-1.7.3.1.old/src/single.c	2006-02-27 05:23:18.000000000 +0100
+++ john-1.7.3.1/src/single.c	2008-10-18 13:26:16.000000000 +0200
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "signals.h"
 #include "loader.h"
 #include "logger.h"
+#include "options.h"
 #include "status.h"
 #include "recovery.h"
 #include "rpp.h"
@@ -87,7 +88,8 @@ static void single_init(void)
 	key_count = single_db->format->params.min_keys_per_crypt;
 	if (key_count < SINGLE_HASH_MIN) key_count = SINGLE_HASH_MIN;
 
-	if (rpp_init(rule_ctx, SUBSECTION_SINGLE)) {
+	if (rpp_init(rule_ctx,
+		options.rules ? options.rules : SUBSECTION_SINGLE)) {
 		log_event("! No \"single crack\" mode rules found");
 		fprintf(stderr, "No \"single crack\" mode rules found in %s\n",
 			cfg_name);
diff -uprN john-1.7.3.1.old/src/wordlist.c john-1.7.3.1/src/wordlist.c
--- john-1.7.3.1.old/src/wordlist.c	2006-02-27 05:20:33.000000000 +0100
+++ john-1.7.3.1/src/wordlist.c	2008-10-18 13:07:27.000000000 +0200
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "signals.h"
 #include "loader.h"
 #include "logger.h"
+#include "options.h"
 #include "status.h"
 #include "recovery.h"
 #include "rpp.h"
@@ -148,7 +149,8 @@ void do_wordlist_crack(struct db_main *d
 	length = db->format->params.plaintext_length;
 
 	if (rules) {
-		if (rpp_init(rule_ctx = &ctx, SUBSECTION_WORDLIST)) {
+		if (rpp_init(rule_ctx = &ctx,
+			options.rules ? options.rules : SUBSECTION_WORDLIST)) {
 			log_event("! No wordlist mode rules found");
 			fprintf(stderr, "No wordlist mode rules found in %s\n",
 				cfg_name);