diff --git a/avwsplit.c b/avwsplit.c
index 94cb19f513b96d50f71252b337b78cc912739010..4e279c62726b7f7313836109b2e74230fdd4d012 100644
--- a/avwsplit.c
+++ b/avwsplit.c
@@ -21,12 +21,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
   size_t bufsz;
   void *buffer;
   unsigned int i;
-  char units[1024];
+  /* char units[1024]; */
   char filename[10000];
+  char basename[10000];
 
    if (argc<2)
     {
-      printf("\nUsage: avwsplit <inputfile.hdr>\n\n");
+      printf("\nUsage: avwsplit <inputfile.hdr> [basename]\n\n");
       exit(1);
     }
 
@@ -37,6 +38,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     exit(-1);
   }
 
+  if (argc>=3) {
+    strcpy(basename,argv[2]);
+  } else {
+    strcpy(basename,"vol");
+  }
+    
+
   FslGetDim(src,&x,&y,&z,&v);
   FslGetVoxDim(src,&vx,&vy,&vz,&tr);
 
@@ -49,7 +57,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
     FslReadVolumes(src, buffer, 1);
 
-    sprintf(opfn, "vol%04d", i);
+    sprintf(opfn, "%s%04d", basename, i);
     /*printf("Writing %s\r", opfn);*/
 
     dest = FslOpen(opfn, "w");