diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9b7b4a970040a1fb26963b2ab6955af3745aec8a..593635fab29e76a5ee757d877cdd97688f65f5a5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -578,6 +578,7 @@ lib/_autoconf.py: Makefile stamp-directories vcs-version
 	  echo "CONFD_GROUP = '$(CONFD_GROUP)'"; \
 	  echo "NODED_USER = '$(NODED_USER)'"; \
 	  echo "VCS_VERSION = '$$VCSVER'"; \
+	  echo "WIPE_CMD = '$(WIPE_CMD)'"; \
 	} > $@
 
 $(REPLACE_VARS_SED): Makefile
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0cd517099590b0397a55941bd8df8e9d4f23d38b..734f7225118dda6d85ac495f74a781b94941f914 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -176,6 +176,16 @@ AC_SUBST(CONFD_GROUP, $group_confd)
 AC_SUBST(MASTERD_GROUP, $group_masterd)
 AC_SUBST(DAEMONS_GROUP, $group_daemons)
 
+# --with-wipe-cmd=...
+AC_ARG_WITH([wipe-cmd],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-wipe-cmd=COMMAND],
+    [wipe command including all options. Path will be appended to this value]
+    [ (default is dd if=/dev/zero bs=1024k oflag=direct of=)]
+  )],
+  [wipe_cmd="${withval}"],
+  [wipe_cmd="dd if=/dev/zero bs=1024k oflag=direct of="])
+AC_SUBST(WIPE_CMD, $wipe_cmd)
+
 # Print the config to the user
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Running ganeti-masterd as $group_masterd:$group_masterd])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Running ganeti-rapi as $user_rapi:$group_rapi])
diff --git a/lib/constants.py b/lib/constants.py
index bb6aaf323b5e0517093107a016f33a6bfa1ed912..b66b6eb4d1d19b4bd9ef53b43417fa3d0146e29d 100644
--- a/lib/constants.py
+++ b/lib/constants.py
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ CONFD_USER = _autoconf.CONFD_USER
 CONFD_GROUP = _autoconf.CONFD_GROUP
 NODED_USER = _autoconf.NODED_USER
 
+# Wipe
+WIPE_CMD = _autoconf.WIPE_CMD
+
 # file paths
 DATA_DIR = _autoconf.LOCALSTATEDIR + "/lib/ganeti"
 RUN_DIR = _autoconf.LOCALSTATEDIR + "/run"