diff --git a/scripts/termux-backup.in b/scripts/termux-backup.in
index abcd1c9..54d54a0 100644
--- a/scripts/termux-backup.in
+++ b/scripts/termux-backup.in
@@ -39,55 +39,98 @@ msg() {
 
 show_usage() {
 	msg
-	msg "Usage: termux-backup [output file]"
+	msg "Usage: termux-backup [options] [output file]"
 	msg
 	msg "Script for backing up Termux installation directory, \$PREFIX."
 	msg "It WILL NOT backup your home directory."
 	msg
+	msg "Options:"
+	msg
+	msg " -h, --help             Show this information."
+	msg " -f, --force            Force write operations."
+	msg " --ignore-read-failure  Suppress read permission denials."
+	msg
 	msg "Backup is performed as TAR archive. Compression is determined"
 	msg "by output file extension. If file name is '-', then tarball is"
 	msg "written to stdout and is uncompressed."
 	msg
 }
 
-if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
-	msg
-	msg "[!] Output file path is not specified."
-	show_usage
+if [ ! -d "$PREFIX" ]; then
+	msg "[!] $PREFIX: directory does not exist."
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ $# -gt 1 ]; then
-	shift 1
+if [ $# -lt 1 ]; then
 	msg
-	msg "[!] Got extra arguments: $*"
+	msg "[!] Not enough arguments."
 	show_usage
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -d "$PREFIX" ]; then
-	msg "[!] $PREFIX: directory does not exist."
-	exit 1
-fi
+BACKUP_FILE_PATH=
+TAR_EXTRA_OPTS=
+FORCE_WRITE=false
+while (($# >= 1)); do
+	case "$1" in
+		--) shift 1; break;;
+		-\?|-h|--help|--usage)
+			show_usage
+			exit 0
+			;;
+		-f|--force)
+			FORCE_WRITE=true
+			;;
+		--ignore-read-failure)
+			TAR_EXTRA_OPTS="--ignore-failed-read --warning=no-failed-read"
+			;;
+		*)
+			if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+				msg
+				msg "[!] Backup file path should not be an empty string."
+				show_usage
+				exit 1
+			fi
 
-case "$1" in
-	-\?|-h|--help|--usage) show_usage; exit 0;;
-	*) BACKUP_FILE_PATH=$1;;
-esac
+			# Filter all previously unrecognized options except '-', which is
+			# a valid backup output specification.
+			if [[ $1 =~ ^-.+ ]]; then
+				msg
+				msg "[!] Unknown option passed: ${1}"
+				show_usage
+				exit 1
+			fi
+
+			if [ -z "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" ]; then
+				BACKUP_FILE_PATH=$1
+			else
+				msg
+				msg "[!] Redundant backup file path specified: ${1}"
+				show_usage
+				exit 1
+			fi
+			;;
+	esac
+	shift 1
+done
 
 if [ "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" != "-" ]; then
-	CAN_AUTOCOMPRESS=yes
-	if [ -e "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" ]; then
+	TAR_EXTRA_OPTS="$TAR_EXTRA_OPTS --auto-compress"
+	if [ -e "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" ] && ! $FORCE_WRITE; then
 		msg
-		msg "[!] Refusing to overwrite already existing file '$BACKUP_FILE_PATH'."
+		msg "[!] Refusing to overwrite existing file without --force option: '$BACKUP_FILE_PATH'."
 		msg
 		exit 1
 	fi
 else
-	CAN_AUTOCOMPRESS=
+	if [ -t 1 ]; then
+		msg
+		msg "[!] Refusing to write archive data to console."
+		msg
+		exit 1
+	fi
 fi
 
 msg "Backing up installed packages..."
-tar --warning=no-file-ignored -f "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" \
-	-c ${CAN_AUTOCOMPRESS+--auto-compress} \
-	-C "@TERMUX_BASE_DIR@" ./usr
+tar --warning=no-file-ignored $TAR_EXTRA_OPTS -c \
+	-f "$BACKUP_FILE_PATH" -C "@TERMUX_BASE_DIR@" ./usr