diff --git a/tt2xml.py b/tt2xml.py
index eac82a483..7cebfb180 100644
--- a/tt2xml.py
+++ b/tt2xml.py
@@ -1,20 +1,31 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
 
 """\
-usage: %s [-h] [-v] [-t <table>] TrueType-file [XML-output-file]
+usage: %s [-h] [-v] [-s] [-t <table>] TrueType-file [XML-output-file]
+    Dump a TrueType font as an XML file. If the XML-output-file argument
+    is omitted, the out put file name will be constructed from the input
+    file name, like so: *.ttf becomes *.xml. Either way, existing files
+    will be overwritten without warning!
+
+    Options:
     -t <table> specify a table to dump. Multiple -t options
        are allowed. When no -t option is specified, all tables
        will be dumped
-    -v verbose: messages will be written to stdout about what is being done
+    -v verbose: messages will be written to stdout about what is 
+       being done.
+    -s split tables: save the XML in a separate XML file per table. 
+       The names of these files will be constructed from the 
+       XML-output-file name as follows: *.xml becomes *.<tag>.xml
     -h help: print this message
 """
 
 import sys, os, getopt
 from fontTools import ttLib
 
-options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "hvt:")
+options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "shvt:")
 
 verbose = 0
+splitTables = 0
 tables = []
 for option, value in options:
 	if option == "-t":
@@ -29,6 +40,8 @@ for option, value in options:
 	elif option == "-h":
 		print __doc__ % sys.argv[0]
 		sys.exit(0)
+	elif option == "-s":
+		splitTables = 1
 
 
 if len(args) == 1:
@@ -42,4 +55,4 @@ else:
 	sys.exit(2)
 
 tt = ttLib.TTFont(ttPath, verbose=verbose)
-tt.saveXML(xmlPath, tables=tables)
+tt.saveXML(xmlPath, tables=tables, splitTables=splitTables)
diff --git a/ttDump.py b/ttDump.py
index eac82a483..7cebfb180 100644
--- a/ttDump.py
+++ b/ttDump.py
@@ -1,20 +1,31 @@
 #! /usr/bin/env python
 
 """\
-usage: %s [-h] [-v] [-t <table>] TrueType-file [XML-output-file]
+usage: %s [-h] [-v] [-s] [-t <table>] TrueType-file [XML-output-file]
+    Dump a TrueType font as an XML file. If the XML-output-file argument
+    is omitted, the out put file name will be constructed from the input
+    file name, like so: *.ttf becomes *.xml. Either way, existing files
+    will be overwritten without warning!
+
+    Options:
     -t <table> specify a table to dump. Multiple -t options
        are allowed. When no -t option is specified, all tables
        will be dumped
-    -v verbose: messages will be written to stdout about what is being done
+    -v verbose: messages will be written to stdout about what is 
+       being done.
+    -s split tables: save the XML in a separate XML file per table. 
+       The names of these files will be constructed from the 
+       XML-output-file name as follows: *.xml becomes *.<tag>.xml
     -h help: print this message
 """
 
 import sys, os, getopt
 from fontTools import ttLib
 
-options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "hvt:")
+options, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], "shvt:")
 
 verbose = 0
+splitTables = 0
 tables = []
 for option, value in options:
 	if option == "-t":
@@ -29,6 +40,8 @@ for option, value in options:
 	elif option == "-h":
 		print __doc__ % sys.argv[0]
 		sys.exit(0)
+	elif option == "-s":
+		splitTables = 1
 
 
 if len(args) == 1:
@@ -42,4 +55,4 @@ else:
 	sys.exit(2)
 
 tt = ttLib.TTFont(ttPath, verbose=verbose)
-tt.saveXML(xmlPath, tables=tables)
+tt.saveXML(xmlPath, tables=tables, splitTables=splitTables)