diff --git a/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py b/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
index cf4db1eb..aeb15bbc 100644
--- a/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
+++ b/gunicorn/app/wsgiapp.py
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class WSGIApplication(Application):
 
         # load the paste app
         from .pasterapp import load_pasteapp
-        return load_pasteapp(self.cfgurl, self.relpath, global_conf=None)
+        return load_pasteapp(self.cfgurl, self.relpath, global_conf=self.cfg.paste_global_conf)
 
     def load(self):
         if self.cfg.paste is not None:
diff --git a/gunicorn/config.py b/gunicorn/config.py
index 740d8e50..60fcd3de 100644
--- a/gunicorn/config.py
+++ b/gunicorn/config.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ except ImportError:  # python 2.6
     from . import argparse_compat as argparse
 import os
 import pwd
+import re
 import ssl
 import sys
 import textwrap
@@ -203,6 +204,25 @@ class Config(object):
 
         return True
 
+    @property
+    def paste_global_conf(self):
+        raw_global_conf = self.settings['raw_paste_global_conf'].get()
+        if raw_global_conf is None:
+            return None
+
+        global_conf = {}
+        for e in raw_global_conf:
+            s = _compat.bytes_to_str(e)
+            try:
+                k, v = re.split(r'(?<!\\)=', s, 1)
+            except ValueError:
+                raise RuntimeError("environment setting %r invalid" % s)
+            k = k.replace('\\=', '=')
+            v = v.replace('\\=', '=')
+            global_conf[k] = v
+
+        return global_conf
+
 
 class SettingMeta(type):
     def __new__(cls, name, bases, attrs):
@@ -1765,3 +1785,24 @@ if sys.version_info >= (2, 7):
         desc = """\
         Ciphers to use (see stdlib ssl module's)
         """
+
+
+class PasteGlobalConf(Setting):
+    name = "raw_paste_global_conf"
+    action = "append"
+    section = "Server Mechanics"
+    cli = ["--paste-global"]
+    meta = "CONF"
+    validator = validate_list_string
+    default = []
+
+    desc = """\
+        Set a PasteDeploy global config variable (key=value).
+
+        The option can be specified multiple times.
+
+        The variables are passed to the the PasteDeploy entrypoint. Ex.::
+
+            $ gunicorn -b 127.0.0.1:8000 --paste development.ini --paste-global FOO=1 --paste-global BAR=2
+
+        """