diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1db4938e..0d718f49 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ db.get('foo', function (err, value) {
 
 <a name="open"></a>
 
-### `db.open([callback])`
+### `db.open([options][, callback])`
 
 Opens the underlying store. In general you should never need to call this method directly as it's automatically called by <a href="#ctor"><code>levelup()</code></a>.
 
diff --git a/lib/levelup.js b/lib/levelup.js
index 8e64c82a..a6853913 100644
--- a/lib/levelup.js
+++ b/lib/levelup.js
@@ -61,15 +61,24 @@ LevelUP.prototype.emit = EventEmitter.prototype.emit
 LevelUP.prototype.once = EventEmitter.prototype.once
 inherits(LevelUP, EventEmitter)
 
-LevelUP.prototype.open = function (callback) {
+LevelUP.prototype.open = function (opts, callback) {
   var self = this
   var promise
 
+  if (typeof opts === 'function') {
+    callback = opts
+    opts = null
+  }
+
   if (!callback) {
     callback = promisify()
     promise = callback.promise
   }
 
+  if (!opts) {
+    opts = this.options
+  }
+
   if (this.isOpen()) {
     process.nextTick(callback, null, self)
     return promise
@@ -82,7 +91,7 @@ LevelUP.prototype.open = function (callback) {
 
   this.emit('opening')
 
-  this.db.open(this.options, function (err) {
+  this.db.open(opts, function (err) {
     if (err) {
       return callback(new OpenError(err))
     }
diff --git a/test/init-test.js b/test/init-test.js
index 9fff7fe4..2967263e 100644
--- a/test/init-test.js
+++ b/test/init-test.js
@@ -58,5 +58,24 @@ buster.testCase('Init & open()', {
       return done()
     }
     throw new Error('did not throw')
+  },
+
+  'support open options': function (done) {
+    var down = memdown()
+
+    levelup(down, (err, up) => {
+      refute(err, 'no error')
+
+      up.close(() => {
+        down.open = (opts) => {
+          assert.equals(opts.foo, 'bar')
+          done()
+        }
+
+        up.open({
+          foo: 'bar'
+        })
+      })
+    })
   }
 })