diff --git a/cmd/oci-runtime-tool/generate.go b/cmd/oci-runtime-tool/generate.go
index 3509a88f9..a72d62b7a 100644
--- a/cmd/oci-runtime-tool/generate.go
+++ b/cmd/oci-runtime-tool/generate.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ var generateFlags = []cli.Flag{
 	cli.StringFlag{Name: "apparmor", Usage: "specifies the the apparmor profile for the container"},
 	cli.StringFlag{Name: "arch", Value: runtime.GOARCH, Usage: "architecture the container is created for"},
 	cli.StringSliceFlag{Name: "args", Usage: "command to run in the container"},
-	cli.StringSliceFlag{Name: "bind", Usage: "bind mount directories src:dest:(rw,ro)"},
+	cli.StringSliceFlag{Name: "bind", Usage: "bind mount directories src:dest[:options...]"},
 	cli.StringSliceFlag{Name: "cap-add", Usage: "add Linux capabilities"},
 	cli.StringSliceFlag{Name: "cap-drop", Usage: "drop Linux capabilities"},
 	cli.StringFlag{Name: "cgroup", Usage: "cgroup namespace"},
@@ -491,18 +491,18 @@ func parseTmpfsMount(s string) (string, []string, error) {
 	return dest, options, err
 }
 
-func parseBindMount(s string) (string, string, string, error) {
+func parseBindMount(s string) (string, string, []string, error) {
 	var source, dest string
-	options := "ro"
+	options := []string{}
 
 	bparts := strings.SplitN(s, ":", 3)
 	switch len(bparts) {
 	case 2:
 		source, dest = bparts[0], bparts[1]
 	case 3:
-		source, dest, options = bparts[0], bparts[1], bparts[2]
+		source, dest, options = bparts[0], bparts[1], strings.Split(bparts[2], ":")
 	default:
-		return source, dest, options, fmt.Errorf("--bind should have format src:dest:[options]")
+		return source, dest, options, fmt.Errorf("--bind should have format src:dest[:options...]")
 	}
 
 	return source, dest, options, nil
diff --git a/generate/generate.go b/generate/generate.go
index bd8e4908b..ff4e3de1b 100644
--- a/generate/generate.go
+++ b/generate/generate.go
@@ -633,18 +633,29 @@ func (g *Generator) AddCgroupsMount(mountCgroupOption string) error {
 }
 
 // AddBindMount adds a bind mount into g.spec.Mounts.
-func (g *Generator) AddBindMount(source, dest, options string) {
-	if options == "" {
-		options = "ro"
+func (g *Generator) AddBindMount(source, dest string, options []string) {
+	if len(options) == 0 {
+		options = []string{"rw"}
 	}
 
-	defaultOptions := []string{"bind"}
+	// We have to make sure that there is a bind option set, otherwise it won't
+	// be an actual bindmount.
+	foundBindOption := false
+	for _, opt := range options {
+		if opt == "bind" || opt == "rbind" {
+			foundBindOption = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !foundBindOption {
+		options = append(options, "bind")
+	}
 
 	mnt := rspec.Mount{
 		Destination: dest,
 		Type:        "bind",
 		Source:      source,
-		Options:     append(defaultOptions, options),
+		Options:     options,
 	}
 	g.initSpec()
 	g.spec.Mounts = append(g.spec.Mounts, mnt)
diff --git a/man/oci-runtime-tool-generate.1.md b/man/oci-runtime-tool-generate.1.md
index d7ba38866..3ad08c801 100644
--- a/man/oci-runtime-tool-generate.1.md
+++ b/man/oci-runtime-tool-generate.1.md
@@ -29,15 +29,15 @@ read the configuration from `config.json`.
 
   --args "/usr/bin/httpd" --args "-D" --args "FOREGROUND"
 
-**--bind**=*[[HOST-DIR:CONTAINER-DIR][:OPTIONS]]*
+**--bind**=*[[HOST-DIR:CONTAINER-DIR][:OPTIONS...]]*
   Bind mount directories src:dest:(rw,ro) If you specify, ` --bind
   /HOST-DIR:/CONTAINER-DIR`, runc bind mounts `/HOST-DIR` in the host
-  to `/CONTAINER-DIR` in the OCI container. The `OPTIONS` are a comma
-  delimited list and can be: [rw|ro] The `HOST_DIR` and
-  `CONTAINER-DIR` must be absolute paths such as `/src/docs`.  You
-  can add `:ro` or `:rw` suffix to a volume to mount it read-only or
-  read-write mode, respectively. By default, the volumes are mounted
-  read-write.
+  to `/CONTAINER-DIR` in the OCI container. The `OPTIONS` are a colon
+  delimited list and can be any mount option support by the runtime such
+  as [rw|ro|rbind|bind|...]. The `HOST_DIR` and `CONTAINER-DIR` must be
+  absolute paths such as `/src/docs`.  You can set the `ro` or `rw`
+  options to a bind-mount to mount it read-only or read-write mode,
+  respectively. By default, bind-mounts are mounted read-write.
 
 **--cap-add**=[]
   Add Linux capabilities