diff --git a/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.cxx b/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.cxx
index aeb0ff92c0..0cbf62cbbb 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.cxx
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ EggOptchar() {
      "joint will inherit the same net transform as its parent.",
      &EggOptchar::dispatch_vector_string_pair, NULL, &_new_joints);
 
+  add_option
+    ("rename", "joint,newjoint", 0,
+     "Renames the indicated joint, if present, to the given name.",
+     &EggOptchar::dispatch_vector_string_pair, NULL, &_rename_joints);
+
   if (FFTCompressor::is_compression_available()) {
     add_option
       ("optimal", "", 0,
@@ -262,6 +267,8 @@ run() {
     // morph sliders can simply be removed, while static sliders need
     // to be applied to the vertices and then removed.
 
+    rename_joints();
+
     // Quantize the vertex memberships.  We call this even if
     // _vref_quantum is 0, because this also normalizes the vertex
     // memberships.
@@ -1357,6 +1364,42 @@ do_flag_groups(EggGroupNode *egg_group) {
   }
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggOptchar::rename_joints
+//       Access: Private
+//  Description: Rename all the joints named with the -rename
+//               command-line option.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EggOptchar::
+rename_joints() {
+  for (StringPairs::iterator spi = _rename_joints.begin();
+       spi != _rename_joints.end();
+       ++spi) {
+    const StringPair &sp = (*spi);
+    int num_characters = _collection->get_num_characters();
+    int ci;
+    for (ci = 0; ci < num_characters; ++ci) {
+      EggCharacterData *char_data = _collection->get_character(ci);
+      EggJointData *joint = char_data->find_joint(sp._a);
+      if (joint != (EggJointData *)NULL) {
+        nout << "Renaming joint " << sp._a << " to " << sp._b << "\n";
+        joint->set_name(sp._b);
+
+        int num_models = joint->get_num_models();
+        for (int mn = 0; mn < num_models; ++mn) {
+          if (joint->has_model(mn)) {
+            EggBackPointer *model = joint->get_model(mn);
+            model->set_name(sp._b);
+          }
+        }
+
+      } else {
+        nout << "Couldn't find joint " << sp._a << "\n";
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: EggOptchar::rename_primitives
 //       Access: Private
diff --git a/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.h b/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.h
index 16834b532d..8f05d3cd78 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.h
+++ b/pandatool/src/egg-optchar/eggOptchar.h
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ private:
   void quantize_vertex(EggVertex *egg_vertex);
 
   void do_flag_groups(EggGroupNode *egg_group);
+  void rename_joints();
   void rename_primitives(EggGroupNode *egg_group, const string &name);
   void do_preload();
   void do_defpose();
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ private:
   StringPairs _new_joints;
   StringPairs _reparent_joints;
   StringPairs _zero_channels;
+  StringPairs _rename_joints;
 
   vector_string _keep_components;
   vector_string _drop_components;
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.cxx b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.cxx
index 0537ee0d9b..8fb0326cad 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.cxx
@@ -60,3 +60,12 @@ bool EggBackPointer::
 has_vertices() const {
   return false;
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggBackPointer::set_name
+//       Access: Public, Virtual
+//  Description: Applies the indicated name change to the egg file.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EggBackPointer::
+set_name(const string &name) {
+}
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.h b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.h
index 2d752a6678..7cbd02c7dc 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.h
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggBackPointer.h
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ public:
   virtual void extend_to(int num_frames);
   virtual bool has_vertices() const;
 
+  virtual void set_name(const string &name);
+
 public:
   static TypeHandle get_class_type() {
     return _type_handle;
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.cxx b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.cxx
index c74122f88a..aebc02f830 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.cxx
@@ -229,3 +229,13 @@ make_new_joint(const string &name) {
   _joint->add_child(new_joint);
   return new EggJointNodePointer(new_joint);
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggJointNodePointer::set_name
+//       Access: Public, Virtual
+//  Description: Applies the indicated name change to the egg file.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EggJointNodePointer::
+set_name(const string &name) {
+  _joint->set_name(name);
+}
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.h b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.h
index 6d6d67dc7d..b3815f4696 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.h
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggJointNodePointer.h
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ public:
 
   virtual EggJointPointer *make_new_joint(const string &name);
 
+  virtual void set_name(const string &name);
+
 private:
   PT(EggGroup) _joint;
 
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.cxx b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.cxx
index 6eebc2ddad..74612f5c42 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.cxx
@@ -314,3 +314,13 @@ make_new_joint(const string &name) {
 
   return new EggMatrixTablePointer(new_table);
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggMatrixTablePointer::set_name
+//       Access: Public, Virtual
+//  Description: Applies the indicated name change to the egg file.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EggMatrixTablePointer::
+set_name(const string &name) {
+  _table->set_name(name);
+}
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.h b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.h
index 17bae5f61f..3089c6fe6f 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.h
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggMatrixTablePointer.h
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ public:
 
   virtual EggJointPointer *make_new_joint(const string &name);
 
+  virtual void set_name(const string &name);
+
 private:
   PT(EggTable) _table;
   PT(EggXfmSAnim) _xform;
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.cxx b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.cxx
index a3f8cf83cb..aabaafd7a6 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.cxx
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.cxx
@@ -97,3 +97,16 @@ get_frame(int n) const {
   nassertr(n >= 0 && n < get_num_frames(), 0.0);
   return _data->get_value(n);
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: EggScalarTablePointer::set_name
+//       Access: Public, Virtual
+//  Description: Applies the indicated name change to the egg file.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void EggScalarTablePointer::
+set_name(const string &name) {
+  // Actually, let's not rename the slider table (yet), because we
+  // haven't written the code to rename all of the morph targets.
+
+  //  _data->set_name(name);
+}
diff --git a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.h b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.h
index 6d97249b9b..c587cbe71a 100644
--- a/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.h
+++ b/pandatool/src/eggcharbase/eggScalarTablePointer.h
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ public:
   virtual void extend_to(int num_frames);
   virtual double get_frame(int n) const;
 
+  virtual void set_name(const string &name);
+
 private:
   PT(EggSAnimData) _data;