--- ctags/entry.c
+++ ctags/entry.c
@@ -550,8 +550,15 @@ extern void beginEtagsFile (void)
 extern void endEtagsFile (const char *const name)
 {
 	const char *line;
+	const char *file = name;
+	size_t buildRootLen = Option.buildRoot ? strlen (Option.buildRoot) : 0;
 
-	fprintf (TagFile.fp, "\f\n%s,%ld\n", name, (long) TagFile.etags.byteCount);
+	if (Option.buildRoot &&
+	    strncmp (file, Option.buildRoot, buildRootLen) == 0 &&
+	    isPathSeparator (name[buildRootLen]))
+		file += buildRootLen;
+
+	fprintf (TagFile.fp, "\f\n%s,%ld\n", file, (long) TagFile.etags.byteCount);
 	if (TagFile.etags.fp != NULL)
 	{
 		rewind (TagFile.etags.fp);
@@ -834,14 +841,21 @@ extern void makeTagEntry (const tagEntryInfo *const tag)
 
 extern void initTagEntry (tagEntryInfo *const e, const char *const name)
 {
+	const char *file = getSourceFileTagPath ();
+	size_t buildRootLen = Option.buildRoot ? strlen (Option.buildRoot) : 0;
+
 	Assert (File.source.name != NULL);
 	memset (e, 0, sizeof (tagEntryInfo));

 	e->lineNumberEntry = (boolean) (Option.locate == EX_LINENUM);
 	e->lineNumber      = getSourceLineNumber ();
 	e->language        = getSourceLanguageName ();
 	e->filePosition    = getInputFilePosition ();
-	e->sourceFileName  = getSourceFileTagPath ();
+	if (Option.buildRoot &&
+	    strncmp (file, Option.buildRoot, buildRootLen) == 0 &&
+	    isPathSeparator (file[buildRootLen]))
+		file += buildRootLen;
+	e->sourceFileName  = file;
 	e->name            = name;
 }
 
--- ctags/options.c
+++ ctags/options.c
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ optionValues Option = {
 	FALSE,      /* --tag-relative */
 	FALSE,      /* --totals */
 	FALSE,      /* --line-directives */
+	NULL,       /* --buildroot */
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	0, 0        /* -D, -b */
 #endif
@@ -270,6 +271,8 @@ static optionDescription LongOptionDescription [] = {
  {0,"       Should paths be relative to location of tag file [no; yes when -e]?"},
  {1,"  --totals=[yes|no]"},
  {1,"       Print statistics about source and tag files [no]."},
+ {1,"  --buildroot=path"},
+ {1,"       Base directory to strip from file names."},
  {1,"  --verbose=[yes|no]"},
  {1,"       Enable verbose messages describing actions on each source file."},
  {1,"  --version"},
@@ -866,6 +869,15 @@ static void processFieldsOption (
 	}
 }
 
+static void processBuildrootOption (
+	const char *const option, const char *const parameter)
+{
+	freeString (&Option.buildRoot);
+	if (! isAbsolutePath(parameter))
+		error (FATAL, "Value for \"%s\" must be absolute path",option);
+	Option.buildRoot = stringCopy (parameter);
+}
+
 static void processFilterTerminatorOption (
 		const char *const option __unused__, const char *const parameter)
 {
@@ -1370,6 +1382,7 @@ static void processVersionOption (
  */
 
 static parametricOption ParametricOptions [] = {
+	{ "buildroot",              processBuildrootOption,         TRUE    },
 	{ "etags-include",          processEtagsInclude,            FALSE   },
 	{ "exclude",                processExcludeOption,           FALSE   },
 	{ "excmd",                  processExcmdOption,             FALSE   },
@@ -1818,6 +1831,7 @@ extern void freeOptionResources (void)
 	freeString (&Option.tagFileName);
 	freeString (&Option.fileList);
 	freeString (&Option.filterTerminator);
+	freeString (&Option.buildRoot);
 
 	freeList (&Excluded);
 	freeList (&Option.ignore);
--- ctags/options.h
+++ ctags/options.h
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ typedef struct sOptionValues {
 	boolean tagRelative;    /* --tag-relative file paths relative to tag file */
 	boolean printTotals;    /* --totals  print cumulative statistics */
 	boolean lineDirectives; /* --linedirectives  process #line directives */
+	char *buildRoot;        /* --buildroot  file prefix */
 #ifdef DEBUG
 	long debugLevel;        /* -D  debugging output */
 	unsigned long breakLine;/* -b  source line at which to call lineBreak() */
--- ctags/routines.c
+++ ctags/routines.c
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ extern int fsetpos (FILE *stream, fpos_t const *pos)
  *  Pathname manipulation (O/S dependent!!!)
  */
 
-static boolean isPathSeparator (const int c)
+extern boolean isPathSeparator (const int c)
 {
 	boolean result;
 #if defined (MSDOS_STYLE_PATH) || defined (VMS)
--- ctags/routines.h
+++ ctags/routines.h
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ extern boolean isSameFile (const char *const name1, const char *const name2);
 extern int fgetpos  (FILE *stream, fpos_t *pos);
 extern int fsetpos  (FILE *stream, fpos_t *pos);
 #endif
+extern boolean isPathSeparator (const int c);
 extern const char *baseFilename (const char *const filePath);
 extern const char *fileExtension (const char *const fileName);
 extern boolean isAbsolutePath (const char *const path);