diff --git a/m_option.c b/m_option.c
index 1530cc31db..25010487d8 100644
--- a/m_option.c
+++ b/m_option.c
@@ -535,7 +535,6 @@ const m_option_type_t m_option_type_string = {
 
 //////////// String list
 
-#define LIST_SEPARATOR ','
 #undef VAL
 #define VAL(x) (*(char***)(x))
 
@@ -683,9 +682,9 @@ static int parse_str_list(const m_option_t* opt,const char *name, const char *pa
   if (param == NULL || strlen(param) == 0)
       return M_OPT_MISSING_PARAM;
 
-
+  char separator = opt->priv ? *(char *)opt->priv : OPTION_LIST_SEPARATOR;
   while(ptr[0] != '\0') {
-    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, LIST_SEPARATOR, 0);
+    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, separator, 0);
     if(!ptr) {
       n++;
       break;
@@ -707,7 +706,7 @@ static int parse_str_list(const m_option_t* opt,const char *name, const char *pa
 
   while(1) {
     last_ptr = ptr;
-    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, LIST_SEPARATOR, 1);
+    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, separator, 1);
     if(!ptr) {
       res[n] = strdup(last_ptr);
       n++;
@@ -1857,7 +1856,7 @@ static int parse_obj_settings_list(const m_option_t* opt,const char *name,
 
   while(ptr[0] != '\0') {
     last_ptr = ptr;
-    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, LIST_SEPARATOR, 1);
+    ptr = get_nextsep(ptr, OPTION_LIST_SEPARATOR, 1);
 
     if(!ptr) {
       r = parse_obj_settings(name,last_ptr,opt->priv,dst ? &res : NULL,n);
diff --git a/m_option.h b/m_option.h
index 58deb9be8a..9486dd124e 100644
--- a/m_option.h
+++ b/m_option.h
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 
+#include "config.h"
+
 /// \defgroup Options
 /// m_option allows to parse, print and copy data of various types.
 /// It is the base of the \ref OptionsStruct, \ref Config and
@@ -536,11 +538,20 @@ m_option_free(const m_option_t* opt,void* dst) {
  */
 int parse_timestring(const char *str, double *time, char endchar);
 
+#define OPTION_LIST_SEPARATOR ','
+
+#if HAVE_DOS_PATHS
+#define OPTION_PATH_SEPARATOR ';'
+#else
+#define OPTION_PATH_SEPARATOR ':'
+#endif
+
 #define OPT_FLAG_ON(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_flag, flags, 0, 1, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_FLAG_OFF(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_flag, flags, 1, 0, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_MAKE_FLAGS(optname, varname, flags) OPT_FLAG_ON(optname, varname, flags), OPT_FLAG_OFF("no" optname, varname, flags)
 #define OPT_FLAG_CONSTANTS(optname, varname, flags, offvalue, value) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_flag, flags, offvalue, value, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_STRINGLIST(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_string_list, flags, 0, 0, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
+#define OPT_PATHLIST(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_string_list, flags, 0, 0, (void *)&(const char){OPTION_PATH_SEPARATOR}, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_INT(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_int, flags, 0, 0, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_INTRANGE(optname, varname, flags, min, max) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_int, (flags)|CONF_RANGE, min, max, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}
 #define OPT_INTPAIR(optname, varname, flags) {optname, NULL, &m_option_type_intpair, (flags), 0, 0, NULL, 1, offsetof(struct MPOpts, varname)}