diff --git a/assign/assign.cc b/assign/assign.cc
index b98bef7137a17924cc901d6075dc7829e0326b21..e6bab0c45351e8d5f509d8ab0a6d4a684ad80710 100644
--- a/assign/assign.cc
+++ b/assign/assign.cc
@@ -156,6 +156,14 @@ bool check_fixed_nodes = false;
 // If true, dump a bunch of configrution information
 bool dump_config = false;
 
+// If true, turn on some scoring options that attempt to evenly balance vnodes
+// across pnodes
+bool strategy_balance = false;
+
+// If true, turn on some scoring options that attempt to pack vnodes as tightly
+// as possible onto pnodes
+bool strategy_pack = false;
+
 // Use XML for file input
 // bool xml_input = false;
 #ifdef WITH_XML
@@ -488,6 +496,8 @@ void print_help() {
   cout << "  -F          - Apply additional checking to fixed nodes" << endl;
   cout << "  -D          - Dump configuration options" << endl;
   cout << "  -R          - Randomize order of nodes in pclasses" << endl;
+  cout << "  -S <str>    - Set vnode packing strategy. Currently supported" << endl;
+  cout << "                values are 'balance' and 'pack'" << endl;
   cout << "  cparams     - You probably don't want to touch these!" << endl;
   cout << "                If you must, see config.h in the source for a list"
        << endl;
@@ -891,9 +901,9 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 	char* ptopFileFormat;
 	char* vtopFileFormat;
 	char* delims = "/";
-	char* flags = "s:v:l:t:rpPTdH:oguc:nx:y:W:FDf:R";
+	char* flags = "s:v:l:t:rpPTdH:oguc:nx:y:W:FDf:RS:";
 #else
-	char* flags = "s:v:l:t:rpPTdH:oguc:nx:y:FDR";
+	char* flags = "s:v:l:t:rpPTdH:oguc:nx:y:FDRS:";
 #endif	
 	
   while ((ch = getopt(argc,argv,flags)) != -1) {
@@ -1040,6 +1050,16 @@ int main(int argc,char **argv) {
 	case 'R':
 	  randomize_order = true;
 	  break;
+
+        case 'S':
+          if (strcmp(optarg,"balance") == 0) {
+              strategy_balance = true;
+          } else if (strcmp(optarg,"pack") == 0) {
+              strategy_pack = true;
+          } else {
+              print_help();
+          }
+          break;
 		
 	default:
       print_help();
diff --git a/assign/score.cc b/assign/score.cc
index 901f22df934d60a9d0036d0badf88e3716571e55..a9d82281fd909f65417fb74413f32e83850e686b 100644
--- a/assign/score.cc
+++ b/assign/score.cc
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@ using namespace boost;
 extern switch_pred_map_map switch_preds;
 
 extern bool disable_pclasses;
+extern bool strategy_balance;
+extern bool strategy_pack;
 
 double score;			// The score of the current mapping
 int violated;			// How many times the restrictions
@@ -1061,17 +1063,17 @@ void remove_node(vvertex vv)
   int old_load = tr->get_current_load();
   tr->remove_load(vnode->typecount);
   pnode->total_load -= vnode->typecount;
-#ifdef LOAD_BALANCE
-  // Use this tricky formula to score based on how 'full' the pnode is, so that
-  // we prefer to equally fill the minimum number of pnodes
-  SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1+ ((tr->get_current_load()+1) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
-  SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1+ tr->get_current_load() * 1.0/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
-#endif
-#ifdef PACK_TIGHT
-  // Inverse of LOAD_BALANCE
-  SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - (tr->get_current_load()+1)) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
-  SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf((tr->get_max_load() - tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
-#endif
+  if (strategy_balance) {
+    // Use this tricky formula to score based on how 'full' the pnode is, so
+    // that we prefer to equally fill the minimum number of pnodes
+    SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1+ ((tr->get_current_load()+1) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
+    SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1+ tr->get_current_load() * 1.0/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
+  }
+  if (strategy_pack) {
+    // Inverse of strategy_balance
+    SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - (tr->get_current_load()+1)) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
+    SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf((tr->get_max_load() - tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
+  }
   if (pnode->total_load == 0) {
     // If the pnode is now free, we need to do some cleanup
     SDEBUG(cerr << "  releasing pnode" << endl);
@@ -1467,14 +1469,15 @@ int add_node(vvertex vv,pvertex pv, bool deterministic, bool is_fixed, bool skip
 	lit++;
     }
   }
-#ifdef LOAD_BALANCE
-  SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1 + ((tr->get_current_load()-1) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
-  SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1 + ((tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
-#endif
-#ifdef PACK_TIGHT
-  SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - (tr->get_current_load()-1)) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
-  SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
-#endif
+
+  if (strategy_balance) {
+    SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1 + ((tr->get_current_load()-1) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
+    SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(1 + ((tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),2)));
+  }
+  if (strategy_pack) {
+    SSUB(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - (tr->get_current_load()-1)) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
+    SADD(SCORE_PNODE * (powf(((tr->get_max_load() - tr->get_current_load()) * 1.0)/tr->get_max_load(),0.5)));
+  }
 
   // node no longer unassigned
   SSUB(SCORE_UNASSIGNED);