diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d95ca37..b913166 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@
 * The number of directory components to be removed while
   un-taring can now be configured in the YAML configuration
   file. If not specified, 1 is used as default. (issue #252)
+* Arguments to CMake/autotools can now be append to the default
+  arguments with the 'configure_args+' key in the YAML
+  configuration file. Patch-files can be appended with the
+  'patch_file+' key and doc-files with 'docfiles+'.
+  (issue #257)
 
 ## Version 1.1.18
 ### modulecmd
diff --git a/Pmodules/modbuild.in b/Pmodules/modbuild.in
index b348596..85031d3 100755
--- a/Pmodules/modbuild.in
+++ b/Pmodules/modbuild.in
@@ -633,12 +633,15 @@ declare -A Yaml_default_config=(
 	["compile_in_sourcetree"]='no'  # !!str
 	["configure_with"]='auto'	# !!str
 	["configure_args"]=''           # !!seq of strings
+	["configure_args+"]=''          # !!seq of strings
 	["default_variant"]=''          # !!str
 	["docfiles"]=''			# !!seq of strings
+	["docfiles+"]=''		# !!seq of strings
 	["group"]='Tools'		# !!str
 	["group_deps"]=''		# !!map
 	["overlay"]='base'		# !!str
 	["patch_files"]=''		# !!seq
+	["patch_files+"]=''		# !!seq
 	["relstage"]='unstable'		# !!str
 	["runtime_deps"]=''		# !!seq of strings
 	["script"]='build'		# !!str
@@ -805,6 +808,16 @@ build_modules_yaml_v1(){
 					get_seq "${yaml_input}" value "${key}"
 					cfg[${key,,}]="${value}"
 					;;
+				'configure_args+' | 'docfiles+' | 'patch_files+' )
+					get_seq "${yaml_input}" value "${key}"
+					key="${key:0:-1}"
+					if [[ -z "${cfg[${key,,}]}" ]]; then
+						cfg[${key,,}]="${value}"
+					else
+						cfg[${key,,}]+=$'\n'"${value}"
+					fi
+					;;
+
 				* )
 					std::die 3 "%s '%s' in %s" \
 						 "Oops unhandled key" \