diff --git a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
index 9ab3e1d1bce01f4594b1f0452e1c7c71935b75c2..1482ae752710211bac6dcaab87745d6bbad57d16 100644
--- a/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
+++ b/bin-compiler/src/main.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,13 @@ fn main() {
                 .long("debug")
                 .short('d')
                 .help("enable debug logging")
+        )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("stdlib")
+                .long("stdlib")
+                .short('s')
+                .help("standard library directory (overrides default)")
+                .takes_value(true)
         );
 
     // Retrieve arguments and convert
@@ -59,11 +66,15 @@ fn main() {
 
     let debug_enabled = app.is_present("debug");
 
+    let standard_library_dir = app.value_of("stdlib")
+        .map(|v| v.to_string());
+
     // Add input files to file buffer
     let input_files = input_files.unwrap();
     assert!(input_files.len() > 0); // because arg is required
 
-    let mut builder = rw::ProtocolDescriptionBuilder::new().expect("create protocol description builder");
+    let mut builder = rw::ProtocolDescriptionBuilder::new(standard_library_dir)
+        .expect("create protocol description builder");
     let mut file_buffer = Vec::with_capacity(4096);
 
     for input_file in input_files {
@@ -101,9 +112,17 @@ fn main() {
 
     println!("Success");
 
+    // Start runtime
+    print!("Startup of runtime ... ");
+    let runtime = rw::runtime2::Runtime::new(num_threads, debug_enabled, protocol_description);
+    if let Err(err) = &runtime {
+        println!("FAILED\nbecause:\n{}", err);
+    }
+    println!("Success");
+
     // Make sure there is a nameless module with a main component
     print!("Creating main component ... ");
-    let runtime = rw::runtime2::Runtime::new(num_threads, debug_enabled, protocol_description);
+    let runtime = runtime.unwrap();
     if let Err(err) = runtime.create_component(b"", b"main") {
         use rw::ComponentCreationError as CCE;
         let reason = match err {