diff --git a/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/common/build/build.py b/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/common/build/build.py
index 8eb1a6fe0e..6b902dd0b1 100644
--- a/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/common/build/build.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/common/build/build.py
@@ -87,11 +87,6 @@ def get_bootstrap_name():
     join(curdir, 'templates')))
 
 
-def try_unlink(fn):
-    if exists(fn):
-        os.unlink(fn)
-
-
 def ensure_dir(path):
     if not exists(path):
         makedirs(path)
@@ -239,8 +234,7 @@ def make_package(args):
     assets_dir = "src/main/assets"
 
     # Delete the old assets.
-    try_unlink(join(assets_dir, 'public.mp3'))
-    try_unlink(join(assets_dir, 'private.mp3'))
+    shutil.rmtree(assets_dir, ignore_errors=True)
     ensure_dir(assets_dir)
 
     # Add extra environment variable file into tar-able directory:
@@ -304,6 +298,15 @@ def make_package(args):
                 tar_dirs.append(python_bundle_dir)
         if get_bootstrap_name() == "webview":
             tar_dirs.append('webview_includes')
+
+        for asset in args.assets:
+            asset_src, asset_dest = asset.split(":")
+            if isfile(realpath(asset_src)):
+                ensure_dir(dirname(join(assets_dir, asset_dest)))
+                shutil.copy(realpath(asset_src), join(assets_dir, asset_dest))
+            else:
+                shutil.copytree(realpath(asset_src), join(assets_dir, asset_dest))
+
         if args.private or args.launcher:
             make_tar(
                 join(assets_dir, 'private.mp3'), tar_dirs, args.ignore_path,
@@ -599,6 +602,10 @@ def parse_args_and_make_package(args=None):
                     help='Custom key=value to add in application metadata')
     ap.add_argument('--uses-library', dest='android_used_libs', action='append', default=[],
                     help='Used shared libraries included using <uses-library> tag in AndroidManifest.xml')
+    ap.add_argument('--asset', dest='assets',
+                    action="append", default=[],
+                    metavar="/path/to/source:dest",
+                    help='Put this in the assets folder at assets/dest')
     ap.add_argument('--icon', dest='icon',
                     help=('A png file to use as the icon for '
                           'the application.'))
diff --git a/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py b/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
index bc427f6d35..90bcb5e149 100644
--- a/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/toolchain.py
@@ -491,6 +491,10 @@ def add_parser(subparsers, *args, **kwargs):
         # However, it is also needed before the distribution is finally
         # assembled for locating the setup.py / other build systems, which
         # is why we also add it here:
+        parser_packaging.add_argument(
+            '--add-asset', dest='assets',
+            action="append", default=[],
+            help='Put this in the assets folder in the apk.')
         parser_packaging.add_argument(
             '--private', dest='private',
             help='the directory with the app source code files' +
@@ -949,6 +953,14 @@ def _fix_args(args):
         fix_args = ('--dir', '--private', '--add-jar', '--add-source',
                     '--whitelist', '--blacklist', '--presplash', '--icon')
         unknown_args = args.unknown_args
+
+        for asset in args.assets:
+            if ":" in asset:
+                asset_src, asset_dest = asset.split(":")
+            else:
+                asset_src = asset_dest = asset
+            # take abspath now, because build.py will be run in bootstrap dir
+            unknown_args += ["--asset", os.path.abspath(asset_src)+":"+asset_dest]
         for i, arg in enumerate(unknown_args):
             argx = arg.split('=')
             if argx[0] in fix_args: