diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers.py b/mesonbuild/compilers.py
index 03ef9f9ff..eeb4185cb 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers.py
@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ class Compiler():
     def get_library_dirs(self):
         return []
 
+    def has_argument(self, arg):
+        raise EnvironmentException('Language {} does not support has_arg.'.format(self.language))
+
 class CCompiler(Compiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist, version, is_cross, exe_wrapper=None):
         super().__init__(exelist, version)
@@ -506,6 +509,8 @@ int main () {{ {1}; }}'''
         return p
 
     def compiles(self, code, extra_args = []):
+        if isinstance(extra_args, str):
+            extra_args = [extra_args]
         suflen = len(self.default_suffix)
         (fd, srcname) = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix='.'+self.default_suffix)
         os.close(fd)
@@ -819,6 +824,9 @@ void bar() {
     def thread_link_flags(self):
         return ['-pthread']
 
+    def has_argument(self, arg):
+        return self.compiles('int i;\n', extra_args=arg)
+
 class CPPCompiler(CCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist, version, is_cross, exe_wrap):
         CCompiler.__init__(self, exelist, version, is_cross, exe_wrap)
@@ -1427,6 +1435,27 @@ class VisualStudioCCompiler(CCompiler):
         # msvc does not have a concept of system header dirs.
         return ['-I' + path]
 
+    # Visual Studio is special. It ignores arguments it does not
+    # understand and you can't tell it to error out on those.
+    # http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15259720/how-can-i-make-the-microsoft-c-compiler-treat-unknown-flags-as-errors-rather-t
+    def has_argument(self, arg):
+        warning_text = b'9002'
+        code = 'int i;\n'
+        (fd, srcname) = tempfile.mkstemp(suffix='.'+self.default_suffix)
+        os.close(fd)
+        ofile = open(srcname, 'w')
+        ofile.write(code)
+        ofile.close()
+        commands = self.exelist + [arg] + self.get_compile_only_args() + [srcname]
+        mlog.debug('Running VS compile:')
+        mlog.debug('Command line: ', ' '.join(commands))
+        mlog.debug('Code:\n', code)
+        p = subprocess.Popen(commands, cwd=os.path.split(srcname)[0], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+        (stde, stdo) = p.communicate()
+        if p.returncode != 0:
+            raise MesonException('Compiling test app failed.')
+        return not(warning_text in stde or warning_text in stdo)
+
 class VisualStudioCPPCompiler(VisualStudioCCompiler):
     def __init__(self, exelist, version, is_cross, exe_wrap):
         VisualStudioCCompiler.__init__(self, exelist, version, is_cross, exe_wrap)
diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
index 47ed61c1b..e6b740691 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter.py
@@ -583,6 +583,8 @@ class CompilerHolder(InterpreterObject):
                              'version' : self.version_method,
                              'cmd_array' : self.cmd_array_method,
                              'find_library': self.find_library_method,
+                             'has_argument' : self.has_argument_method,
+                             'first_supported_argument' : self.first_supported_argument_method,
                             })
 
     def version_method(self, args, kwargs):
@@ -789,6 +791,26 @@ class CompilerHolder(InterpreterObject):
         lib = dependencies.ExternalLibrary(libname, linkargs)
         return ExternalLibraryHolder(lib)
 
+    def has_argument_method(self, args, kwargs):
+        args = mesonlib.stringlistify(args)
+        if len(args) != 1:
+            raise InterpreterException('Has_arg takes exactly one argument.')
+        result = self.compiler.has_argument(args[0])
+        if result:
+            h = mlog.green('YES')
+        else:
+            h = mlog.red('NO')
+        mlog.log('Compiler for {} supports argument {}:'.format(self.compiler.language, args[0]), h)
+        return result
+
+    def first_supported_argument_method(self, args, kwargs):
+        for i in mesonlib.stringlistify(args):
+            if self.compiler.has_argument(i):
+                mlog.log('First supported argument:', mlog.bold(i))
+                return [i]
+        mlog.log('First supported argument:', mlog.red('None'))
+        return []
+
 class ModuleState:
     pass
 
diff --git a/test cases/common/112 has arg/meson.build b/test cases/common/112 has arg/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64041079f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/112 has arg/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+project('has arg', 'c', 'cpp')
+
+cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
+cpp = meson.get_compiler('cpp')
+
+if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
+  is_arg = '/O2'
+  useless = '/DFOO'
+else
+  is_arg = '-O2'
+  useless = '-DFOO'
+endif
+
+isnt_arg = '-fiambroken'
+
+assert(cc.has_argument(is_arg), 'Arg that should have worked does not work.')
+assert(not cc.has_argument(isnt_arg), 'Arg that should be broken is not.')
+
+assert(cpp.has_argument(is_arg), 'Arg that should have worked does not work.')
+assert(not cpp.has_argument(isnt_arg), 'Arg that should be broken is not.')
+
+# Have useless at the end to ensure that the search goes from front to back.
+l1 = cc.first_supported_argument([isnt_arg, is_arg, isnt_arg, useless])
+l2 = cc.first_supported_argument(isnt_arg, isnt_arg, isnt_arg)
+
+assert(l1.length() == 1, 'First supported returned wrong result.')
+assert(l1.get(0) == is_arg, 'First supported returned wrong argument.')
+assert(l2.length() == 0, 'First supported did not return empty array.')
+
+l1 = cpp.first_supported_argument([isnt_arg, is_arg, isnt_arg, useless])
+l2 = cpp.first_supported_argument(isnt_arg, isnt_arg, isnt_arg)
+
+assert(l1.length() == 1, 'First supported returned wrong result.')
+assert(l1.get(0) == is_arg, 'First supported returned wrong argument.')
+assert(l2.length() == 0, 'First supported did not return empty array.')