diff --git a/example/mkpasswd b/example/mkpasswd
index 3b1b03a..70b4096 100755
--- a/example/mkpasswd
+++ b/example/mkpasswd
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ if {[info exists user]} {
 	expect {
 		"assword*:" {
 			# some systems say "Password (again):"
-			send "$password\r"
+			send -- "$password\r"
+			# "--" because of passwords beginning with dash
 			exp_continue
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/example/mkpasswd.mkpasswd-dash b/example/mkpasswd.mkpasswd-dash
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3b1b03a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/mkpasswd.mkpasswd-dash
@@ -0,0 +1,223 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# -*- tcl -*-
+# The next line is executed by /bin/sh, but not tcl \
+exec tclsh "$0" ${1+"$@"}
+
+package require Expect
+
+
+# mkpasswd - make a password, if username given, set it.
+# Author: Don Libes, NIST
+
+# defaults
+set length 9
+set minnum 2
+set minlower 2
+set minupper 2
+set minspecial 1
+set verbose 0
+set distribute 0
+
+if {[file executable /bin/nispasswd]} {
+	set defaultprog /bin/nispasswd
+} elseif {[file executable /bin/yppasswd]} {
+	set defaultprog /bin/yppasswd
+} elseif {[file executable /bin/passwd]} {
+	set defaultprog /bin/passwd
+} else {
+	set defaultprog passwd
+}
+set prog $defaultprog
+
+while {[llength $argv]>0} {
+	set flag [lindex $argv 0]
+	switch -- $flag \
+	"-l" {
+		set length [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-d" {
+		set minnum [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-c" {
+		set minlower [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-C" {
+		set minupper [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-s" {
+		set minspecial [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-v" {
+		set verbose 1
+		set argv [lrange $argv 1 end]
+	} "-p" {
+		set prog [lindex $argv 1]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 2 end]
+	} "-2" {
+		set distribute 1
+		set argv [lrange $argv 1 end]
+	} default {
+		set user [lindex $argv 0]
+		set argv [lrange $argv 1 end]
+		break
+	}
+}
+
+if {[llength $argv]} {
+	puts "usage: mkpasswd \[args] \[user]"
+	puts "  where arguments are:"
+	puts "    -l #      (length of password, default = $length)"
+	puts "    -d #      (min # of digits, default = $minnum)"
+	puts "    -c #      (min # of lowercase chars, default = $minlower)"
+	puts "    -C #      (min # of uppercase chars, default = $minupper)"
+	puts "    -s #      (min # of special chars, default = $minspecial)"
+	puts "    -v        (verbose, show passwd interaction)"
+	puts "    -p prog   (program to set password, default = $defaultprog)"
+	exit 1
+}
+
+if {$minnum + $minlower + $minupper + $minspecial > $length} {
+	puts "impossible to generate $length-character password\
+		with $minnum numbers, $minlower lowercase letters,\
+		$minupper uppercase letters and\
+		$minspecial special characters."
+	exit 1
+}
+
+# if there is any underspecification, use additional lowercase letters
+set minlower [expr {$length - ($minnum + $minupper + $minspecial)}]
+
+set lpass ""		;# password chars typed by left hand
+set rpass ""		;# password chars typed by right hand
+
+# insert char into password at a random position, thereby spreading
+# the different kinds of characters throughout the password
+proc insert {pvar char} {
+    upvar $pvar p
+
+    set p [linsert $p [rand [expr {(1+[llength $p])}]] $char]
+}
+
+proc rand {m} {
+    set device /dev/urandom            ;# /dev/random can block
+    set fileId [open $device r]
+    binary scan [read $fileId 4] i1 number
+    set clipped [expr $number % $m]
+#    puts "number is $number"
+#    puts "clipped is $clipped"
+    close $fileId
+    return $clipped
+}
+
+# choose left or right starting hand
+set initially_left [set isleft [rand 2]]
+
+# given a size, distribute between left and right hands
+# taking into account where we left off
+proc psplit {max lvar rvar} {
+	upvar $lvar left $rvar right
+	global isleft
+
+	if {$isleft} {
+		set right [expr $max/2]
+		set left [expr $max-$right]
+		set isleft [expr !($max%2)]
+	} else {
+		set left [expr $max/2]
+		set right [expr $max-$left]
+		set isleft [expr $max%2]
+	}
+}
+
+if {$distribute} {
+	set lkeys {q w e r t a s d f g z x c v b}
+	set rkeys {y u i o p h j k l n m}
+	set lnums {1 2 3 4 5 6}
+	set rnums {7 8 9 0}
+	set lspec {! @ # \$ %}
+	set rspec {^ & * ( ) - = _ + [ ] "{" "}" \\ | ; : ' \" < > , . ? /}
+} else {
+	set lkeys {a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z}
+	set rkeys {a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z}
+	set lnums {0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}
+	set rnums {0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9}
+	set lspec {! @ # \$ % ~ ^ & * ( ) - = _ + [ ] "{" "}" \\ | ; : ' \" < > , . ? /}
+	set rspec {! @ # \$ % ~ ^ & * ( ) - = _ + [ ] "{" "}" \\ | ; : ' \" < > , . ? /}
+}
+
+set lkeys_length [llength $lkeys]
+set rkeys_length [llength $rkeys]
+set lnums_length [llength $lnums]
+set rnums_length [llength $rnums]
+set lspec_length [llength $lspec]
+set rspec_length [llength $rspec]
+
+psplit $minnum left right
+for {set i 0} {$i<$left} {incr i} {
+	insert lpass [lindex $lnums [rand $lnums_length]]
+}
+for {set i 0} {$i<$right} {incr i} {
+	insert rpass [lindex $rnums [rand $rnums_length]]
+}
+
+psplit $minlower left right
+for {set i 0} {$i<$left} {incr i} {
+	insert lpass [lindex $lkeys [rand $lkeys_length]]
+}
+for {set i 0} {$i<$right} {incr i} {
+	insert rpass [lindex $rkeys [rand $rkeys_length]]
+}
+
+psplit $minupper left right
+for {set i 0} {$i<$left} {incr i} {
+	insert lpass [string toupper [lindex $lkeys [rand $lkeys_length]]]
+}
+for {set i 0} {$i<$right} {incr i} {
+	insert rpass [string toupper [lindex $rkeys [rand $rkeys_length]]]
+}
+
+psplit $minspecial left right
+for {set i 0} {$i<$left} {incr i} {
+	insert lpass [lindex $lspec [rand $lspec_length]]
+}
+for {set i 0} {$i<$right} {incr i} {
+	insert rpass [lindex $rspec [rand $rspec_length]]
+}
+
+# merge results together
+foreach l $lpass r $rpass {
+    if {$initially_left} {
+	append password $l $r
+    } else {
+	append password $r $l
+    }
+}
+
+if {[info exists user]} {
+	if {!$verbose} {
+		log_user 0
+	}
+
+	spawn $prog $user
+	expect {
+		"assword*:" {
+			# some systems say "Password (again):"
+			send "$password\r"
+			exp_continue
+		}
+	}
+
+	# if user isn't watching, check status
+	if {!$verbose} {
+		if {[lindex [wait] 3]} {
+			puts -nonewline "$expect_out(buffer)"
+			exit 1
+		}
+	}
+
+        if {$verbose} {
+	    puts -nonewline "password for $user is "
+        }
+}
+
+puts "$password"