diff --git a/appl/kx/rxtelnet.in b/appl/kx/rxtelnet.in
index 30f93841d..47a0c1444 100644
--- a/appl/kx/rxtelnet.in
+++ b/appl/kx/rxtelnet.in
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # $Id$
 #
-usage="Usage: $0 [-l username] [-k] [-t args_to_telnet] [-x args_to_xterm] host [port]"
+usage="Usage: $0 [-l username] [-k] [-t args_to_telnet] [-x args_to_xterm] [-w term_emulator] host [port]"
+term=
 while true
 do
   case $1 in
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ do
   -t) telnet_args="${telnet_args} $2 "; shift 2;;
   -x) xterm_args="${xterm_args} $2 "; shift 2;;
   -k) kx_args="${kx_args} -k"; shift;;
+  -w) term=$2; shift 2;;
   -*) echo "$0: Bad option $1"; echo $usage; exit 1;;
   *) break;;
   esac
@@ -32,19 +34,20 @@ screen=`echo $DISPLAY | sed -ne 's/[^:]*:[0-9]*\(\.[0-9]*\)/\1/p'`
 pid=$1
 disp=${2}${screen}
 auth=$3
-term=
 oldifs=$IFS
 IFS=:
 set -- $PATH
 IFS=$oldifs
-for i in $*; do
-  test -n "$i" || i="."
-  for j in xterm aixterm dxterm hpterm; do
-    if test -x $i/$j; then
-      term=$j; break 2
-    fi
+if test -z "$term"; then
+  for i in $*; do
+    test -n "$i" || i="."
+    for j in xterm dtterm aixterm dxterm hpterm; do
+      if test -x $i/$j; then
+	term=$j; break 2
+      fi
+    done
   done
-done
+fi
 if test -n "$term"; then
   ($term -title $title -name $title $xterm_args -e env DISPLAY=$disp XAUTHORITY=$auth telnet -D $telnet_args $host $port; kill -USR2 $pid) &
 else
diff --git a/appl/kx/rxterm.in b/appl/kx/rxterm.in
index 925a020eb..8d4e9e2d8 100644
--- a/appl/kx/rxterm.in
+++ b/appl/kx/rxterm.in
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # $Id$
 #
-usage="Usage: $0 [-l username] [-k] [-r rsh_args] [-x xterm_args] host"
+usage="Usage: $0 [-l username] [-k] [-r rsh_args] [-x xterm_args] [-w term_emulator] host"
+term=xterm
 while true
 do
   case $1 in
@@ -9,12 +10,13 @@ do
   -r) rsh_args="${rsh_args} $2 "; shift 2;;
   -x) xterm_args="${xterm_args} $2 "; shift 2;;
   -k) kx_args="${kx_args} -k"; shift;;
+  -w) term=$2; shift 2;;
   -*) echo "$0: Bad option $1"; echo $usage; exit 1;;
   *) break;;
   esac
 done
 if test $# -lt 1; then
-  echo "Usage: $0 host [arguments to xterm]"
+  echo "Usage: $0 host [arguments to $term]"
   exit 1
 fi
 host=$1
@@ -32,4 +34,4 @@ pid=$1
 disp=${2}${screen}
 auth=$3
 kill -USR1 $pid
-rsh -n $rsh_args $host "env DISPLAY=$disp XAUTHORITY=$auth xterm -T $title -n $title $xterm_args &"
+rsh -n $rsh_args $host "env DISPLAY=$disp XAUTHORITY=$auth $term -T $title -n $title $xterm_args &"