diff --git a/_local/.gitkeep b/_local/.gitkeep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/bin/dotfiles b/bin/dotfiles
index cf320de..89ddad7 100755
--- a/bin/dotfiles
+++ b/bin/dotfiles
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 ##
 ## binaryDiv's dotfiles management script
-## Version 0.4.5
+## Version 0.5.0
 ##
 
 usage() {
@@ -19,14 +19,18 @@ usage() {
 
 	Dotfile management:
 	  ls [DIR]            list contents of .dotfiles directory (or DIR relative to it)
+	                      (-l: list host-specific files, i.e. ~/.dotfiles/_local/HOSTNAME/DIR)
 	  edit FILE           open ~/.dotfiles/FILE in vim
 	  diff FILE           use vimdiff to compare ~/FILE to ~/.dotfiles/FILE
 	  link FILE...        create a symlink from ~/FILE to ~/.dotfiles/FILE (multiple files possible)
 	                      (-q: be quiet, only print something if an error occurs)
+	                      (-l: link host-specific files, i.e. ~/FILE to ~/.dotfiles/_local/HOSTNAME/FILE)
 	  linkstatus [DIR]    list contents of .dotfiles with information about whether there are links to
 	                      them in ~/, whether they differ, etc...
+	                      (-l: show linkstatus only for host-specific files, i.e. ~/.dotfiles/_local/HOSTNAME)
 	  createfrom FILE...  copy ~/FILE to ~/.dotfiles/FILE and symlink the file
 	                      (-n: only copy, leave the original, do not create symlink)
+	                      (-l: create host-specific files, i.e. ~/FILE to ~/.dotfiles/_local/HOSTNAME/FILE)
 
 	Synchronization:
 	  git ARGS...   wrapper for git (all arguments are passed on to git)
@@ -45,6 +49,9 @@ fi
 homedir="$DOTFILESROOT"
 dotfilesdir="$DOTFILESROOT/.dotfiles"
 
+dotfiles_local_base="_local"
+dotfiles_local_prefix="$dotfiles_local_base/$(hostname)"
+
 
 # Get command
 [[ $# -gt 0 ]] || { usage; exit 1; }
@@ -108,6 +115,7 @@ case "$cmd" in
 
 	ls)
 		lsdir="$dotfilesdir"
+		[[ $1 = "-l" ]] && { lsdir="$lsdir/$dotfiles_local_prefix"; shift; }
 		[[ -n $1 ]] && lsdir="$lsdir/$1"
 
 		echo "$lsdir:"
@@ -115,15 +123,20 @@ case "$cmd" in
 	;;
 
 	linkstatus)
-		subdir=""
-		if [[ -n $1 ]]; then
-			subdir="${1%/}"
+		cd "$dotfilesdir"
+
+		subdir="$1"
+		[[ $subdir = "-l" ]] && { subdir="$dotfiles_local_prefix/$1"; shift; }
+
+		if [[ -n $subdir ]]; then
+			subdir="${subdir%/}"
+			[[ $subdir = $dotfiles_local_base ]] && subdir=$dotfiles_local_prefix
+
 			[[ -e $subdir ]] || { echo "$dotfilesdir/$subdir does not exist"; exit 1; }
 			[[ -d $subdir ]] && subdir="$subdir/"
 		fi
 
 		shopt -s nullglob dotglob
-		cd $dotfilesdir
 		dotdirs=()
 
 		for file in $subdir*; do
@@ -133,6 +146,10 @@ case "$cmd" in
 			file_home="$homedir/$file"
 			file_dotfiles="$dotfilesdir/$file"
 
+			if [[ $subdir == $dotfiles_local_base/* ]]; then
+				file_home="$homedir/${file#$dotfiles_local_prefix/}"
+			fi
+
 			if [[ -e $file_home ]]; then
 				if [[ "$(realpath "$file_home")" -ef "$file_dotfiles" ]]; then
 					file_status="    LINKED  "
@@ -144,6 +161,9 @@ case "$cmd" in
 				else
 					file_status="<>  DIFFERS "
 				fi
+			elif [[ $file = $dotfiles_local_base ]]; then
+				dotdirs=("$dotfiles_local_prefix" "${dotdirs[@]}")
+				continue
 			else
 				if [[ -d $file_dotfiles ]]; then
 					file_status="++  NEW DIR "
@@ -184,10 +204,17 @@ case "$cmd" in
 	;;
 
 	link)
-		if [[ $1 = '-q' ]]; then
-			QUIET=1
-			shift
-		fi
+		while getopts ":ql" opt; do
+			case $opt in
+				q) QUIET=1 ;;
+				l) link_local=1 ;;
+				\?)
+					echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG"
+					exit 1
+					;;
+			esac
+		done
+		shift $((OPTIND-1))
 
 		[[ -n $1 ]] || { echo "$(basename $0) $cmd: Missing argument."; exit 1; }
 
@@ -195,6 +222,10 @@ case "$cmd" in
 			file_home="$homedir/$filename"
 			file_dotfiles="$dotfilesdir/$filename"
 
+			if [[ $link_local ]]; then
+				file_dotfiles="$dotfilesdir/$dotfiles_local_prefix/$filename"
+			fi
+
 			if [[ ! -e $file_dotfiles ]]; then
 				echo "! $file_dotfiles: target file does not exist"
 				exit 1
@@ -226,10 +257,17 @@ case "$cmd" in
 	;;
 
 	createfrom)
-		if [[ $1 = '-n' ]]; then
-			NOLINK=1
-			shift
-		fi
+		while getopts ":nl" opt; do
+			case $opt in
+				n) NOLINK=1 ;;
+				l) create_local=1 ;;
+				\?)
+					echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG"
+					exit 1
+					;;
+			esac
+		done
+		shift $((OPTIND-1))
 
 		[[ -n $1 ]] || { echo "$(basename $0) $cmd: Missing argument."; exit 1; }
 
@@ -237,6 +275,10 @@ case "$cmd" in
 			file_home="$homedir/$filename"
 			file_dotfiles="$dotfilesdir/$filename"
 
+			if [[ $create_local ]]; then
+				file_dotfiles="$dotfilesdir/$dotfiles_local_prefix/$filename"
+			fi
+
 			if [[ ! -e $file_home ]]; then
 				echo "! $file_home: source file does not exist"
 				exit 1