diff --git a/cmdutils.c b/cmdutils.c
index 8a585e71d4..e87d5eef75 100644
--- a/cmdutils.c
+++ b/cmdutils.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 static int init_report(const char *env);
 
 struct SwsContext *sws_opts;
+AVDictionary *sws_dict;
 AVDictionary *swr_opts;
 AVDictionary *format_opts, *codec_opts, *resample_opts;
 
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ void init_opts(void)
     if(CONFIG_SWSCALE)
         sws_opts = sws_getContext(16, 16, 0, 16, 16, 0, SWS_BICUBIC,
                               NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    av_dict_set(&sws_dict, "flags", "bicubic", 0);
 }
 
 void uninit_opts(void)
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ void uninit_opts(void)
 #endif
 
     av_dict_free(&swr_opts);
+    av_dict_free(&sws_dict);
     av_dict_free(&format_opts);
     av_dict_free(&codec_opts);
     av_dict_free(&resample_opts);
@@ -565,14 +568,23 @@ int opt_default(void *optctx, const char *opt, const char *arg)
     }
 #if CONFIG_SWSCALE
     sc = sws_get_class();
-    if (!consumed && opt_find(&sc, opt, NULL, 0,
-                         AV_OPT_SEARCH_CHILDREN | AV_OPT_SEARCH_FAKE_OBJ)) {
-        // XXX we only support sws_flags, not arbitrary sws options
-        int ret = av_opt_set(sws_opts, opt, arg, 0);
+    if (!consumed && (o = opt_find(&sc, opt, NULL, 0,
+                         AV_OPT_SEARCH_CHILDREN | AV_OPT_SEARCH_FAKE_OBJ))) {
+        struct SwsContext *sws = sws_alloc_context();
+        int ret = av_opt_set(sws, opt, arg, 0);
+        sws_freeContext(sws);
         if (ret < 0) {
             av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Error setting option %s.\n", opt);
             return ret;
         }
+        ret = av_opt_set(sws_opts, opt, arg, 0);
+        if (ret < 0) {
+            av_log(NULL, AV_LOG_ERROR, "Error setting option %s for sws_opts.\n", opt);
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        av_dict_set(&sws_dict, opt, arg, FLAGS);
+
         consumed = 1;
     }
 #else
@@ -649,6 +661,7 @@ static void finish_group(OptionParseContext *octx, int group_idx,
 #if CONFIG_SWSCALE
     g->sws_opts    = sws_opts;
 #endif
+    g->sws_dict    = sws_dict;
     g->swr_opts    = swr_opts;
     g->codec_opts  = codec_opts;
     g->format_opts = format_opts;
@@ -660,6 +673,7 @@ static void finish_group(OptionParseContext *octx, int group_idx,
 #if CONFIG_SWSCALE
     sws_opts    = NULL;
 #endif
+    sws_dict    = NULL;
     swr_opts    = NULL;
     init_opts();
 
@@ -718,6 +732,8 @@ void uninit_parse_context(OptionParseContext *octx)
 #if CONFIG_SWSCALE
             sws_freeContext(l->groups[j].sws_opts);
 #endif
+
+            av_dict_free(&l->groups[j].sws_dict);
             av_dict_free(&l->groups[j].swr_opts);
         }
         av_freep(&l->groups);
diff --git a/cmdutils.h b/cmdutils.h
index 55134ff27b..842c78206e 100644
--- a/cmdutils.h
+++ b/cmdutils.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ extern const int program_birth_year;
 extern AVCodecContext *avcodec_opts[AVMEDIA_TYPE_NB];
 extern AVFormatContext *avformat_opts;
 extern struct SwsContext *sws_opts;
+extern AVDictionary *sws_dict;
 extern AVDictionary *swr_opts;
 extern AVDictionary *format_opts, *codec_opts, *resample_opts;
 extern int hide_banner;
@@ -278,6 +279,7 @@ typedef struct OptionGroup {
     AVDictionary *format_opts;
     AVDictionary *resample_opts;
     struct SwsContext *sws_opts;
+    AVDictionary *sws_dict;
     AVDictionary *swr_opts;
 } OptionGroup;