diff --git a/scripts/bootstrap.sh b/scripts/bootstrap.sh
index 056b21cac7..f0bfb9839f 100644
--- a/scripts/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/scripts/bootstrap.sh
@@ -2,12 +2,15 @@
 
 vcpkgDisableMetrics="OFF"
 vcpkgUseSystem=false
+vcpkgAllowAppleClang=OFF
 for var in "$@"
 do
     if [ "$var" = "-disableMetrics" -o "$var" = "--disableMetrics" ]; then
         vcpkgDisableMetrics="ON"
     elif [ "$var" = "-useSystemBinaries" -o "$var" = "--useSystemBinaries" ]; then
         vcpkgUseSystem=true
+    elif [ "$var" = "-allowAppleClang" -o "$var" = "--allowAppleClang" ]; then
+        vcpkgAllowAppleClang=ON
     elif [ "$var" = "-help" -o "$var" = "--help" ]; then
         echo "Usage: ./bootstrap-vcpkg.sh [options]"
         echo
@@ -15,6 +18,7 @@ do
         echo "    -help                Display usage help"
         echo "    -disableMetrics      Do not build metrics reporting into the executable"
         echo "    -useSystemBinaries   Force use of the system utilities for building vcpkg"
+        echo "    -allowAppleClang     Set VCPKG_ALLOW_APPLE_CLANG to build vcpkg in apple with clang anyway"
         exit 1
     else
         echo "Unknown argument $var. Use '-help' for help."
@@ -234,7 +238,7 @@ buildDir="$vcpkgRootDir/toolsrc/build.rel"
 rm -rf "$buildDir"
 mkdir -p "$buildDir"
 
-(cd "$buildDir" && CXX=$CXX "$cmakeExe" .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -G "Ninja" "-DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=$ninjaExe" "-DDEFINE_DISABLE_METRICS=$vcpkgDisableMetrics") || exit 1
+(cd "$buildDir" && CXX=$CXX "$cmakeExe" .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -G "Ninja" "-DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=$ninjaExe" "-DDEFINE_DISABLE_METRICS=$vcpkgDisableMetrics" "-DVCPKG_ALLOW_APPLE_CLANG=$vcpkgAllowAppleClang") || exit 1
 (cd "$buildDir" && "$cmakeExe" --build .) || exit 1
 
 rm -rf "$vcpkgRootDir/vcpkg"
diff --git a/toolsrc/CMakeLists.txt b/toolsrc/CMakeLists.txt
index 706162bd35..e0c4cdd86d 100644
--- a/toolsrc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/toolsrc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.3)
+
 project(vcpkg C CXX)
 
 OPTION(DEFINE_DISABLE_METRICS "Option for disabling metrics" OFF)
+OPTION(VCPKG_ALLOW_APPLE_CLANG "Option for allowing apple clang" OFF)
 
 if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUXX OR CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "GNU")
     set(GCC 1)
@@ -11,7 +13,7 @@ elseif(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID MATCHES "AppleClang")
 "Building the vcpkg tool requires support for the C++ Filesystem TS.
 Apple clang versions 9 and below do not have support for it.
 Please install gcc6 or newer from homebrew (brew install gcc6).
-If you would like to try anyway, set VCPKG_ALLOW_APPLE_CLANG.")
+If you would like to try anyway, pass --allowAppleClang to bootstrap.sh.")
     else()
         set(CLANG 1)
     endif()