diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index b7298469b..b043b41d1 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Bugs fixed
   return code
 * #2073, #3443, #3490: gettext builder that writes pot files unless the content
   are same without creation date. Thanks to Yoshiki Shibukawa.
+* #3487: intersphinx: failed to refer options
 
 Testing
 --------
diff --git a/sphinx/domains/std.py b/sphinx/domains/std.py
index d8c843152..0fc0b69fd 100644
--- a/sphinx/domains/std.py
+++ b/sphinx/domains/std.py
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ class StandardDomain(Domain):
         for doc in self.env.all_docs:
             yield (doc, clean_astext(self.env.titles[doc]), 'doc', doc, '', -1)
         for (prog, option), info in iteritems(self.data['progoptions']):
-            yield (option, option, 'option', info[0], info[1], 1)
+            yield (option, option, 'cmdoption', info[0], info[1], 1)
         for (type, name), info in iteritems(self.data['objects']):
             yield (name, name, type, info[0], info[1],
                    self.object_types[type].attrs['searchprio'])
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/intersphinx.py b/sphinx/ext/intersphinx.py
index 94b3e658a..99de68b73 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/intersphinx.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/intersphinx.py
@@ -321,6 +321,9 @@ def missing_reference(app, env, node, contnode):
         if not objtypes:
             return
         objtypes = ['%s:%s' % (domain, objtype) for objtype in objtypes]
+    if 'std:cmdoption' in objtypes:
+        # until Sphinx-1.6, cmdoptions are stored as std:option
+        objtypes.append('std:option')
     to_try = [(env.intersphinx_inventory, target)]
     in_set = None
     if ':' in target: