diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
index b9466e7ce..9361961c5 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 %% Generated by Sphinx.
 \def\sphinxdocclass{<%= docclass %>}
-\newif\ifsphinxKeepOldNames <%= keepoldnames %>
+<%= keepoldnames %>
 \documentclass[<%= papersize %>,<%= pointsize %><%= classoptions %>]{<%= wrapperclass %>}
 \ifdefined\pdfpxdimen
    \let\sphinxpxdimen\pdfpxdimen\else\newdimen\sphinxpxdimen
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index f3608c376..76926efdf 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@
 
 \NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}[1995/12/01]
 \ProvidesPackage{sphinx}[2016/06/10 LaTeX package (Sphinx markup)]
+\newif\ifsphinxKeepOldNames \sphinxKeepOldNamestrue
+\DeclareOption{dontkeepoldnames}{\sphinxKeepOldNamesfalse}
+\DeclareOption*{\PackageWarning{sphinx}{Unknown option `\CurrentOption'}}
+\ProcessOptions\relax
 
 % this is the \ltx@ifundefined of ltxcmds.sty, which is loaded by
 % hyperref.sty, but we need it before, and initial ltxcmds.sty
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 6353e8948..7200a5769 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -350,9 +350,10 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
         })
         # set-up boolean for sphinx.sty
         if builder.config.latex_keep_old_macro_names:
-            self.elements['keepoldnames'] = '\\sphinxKeepOldNamestrue'
+            self.elements['keepoldnames'] = ''
         else:
-            self.elements['keepoldnames'] = '\\sphinxKeepOldNamesfalse'
+            self.elements['keepoldnames'] = ('\\PassOptionsToPackage'
+                                             '{dontkeepoldnames}{sphinx}')
         if document.settings.docclass == 'howto':
             docclass = builder.config.latex_docclass.get('howto', 'article')
         else: