--- a/scripts/miscellaneous/inputParser.m	Sun Mar 29 12:59:33 2020 -0700
+++ b/scripts/miscellaneous/inputParser.m	Sun Apr 05 14:56:29 2020 -0700
@@ -531,15 +531,20 @@
     endfunction
 
     function r = is_argname (this, type, name)
-      if (this.CaseSensitive)
-        r = isfield (this.(type), name);
-        this.last_name = name;
-      else
-        fnames = this.([type "Names"]);
-        l = strcmpi (name, fnames);
-        r = any (l(:));
-        if (r)
-          this.last_name = fnames{l};
+      r = ischar (name) && isrow (name);
+      if (r)
+        if (this.CaseSensitive)
+          r = isfield (this.(type), name);
+          if (r)
+            this.last_name = name;
+          endif
+        else
+          fnames = this.([type "Names"]);
+          l = strcmpi (name, fnames);
+          r = any (l(:));
+          if (r)
+            this.last_name = fnames{l};
+          endif
         endif
       endif
     endfunction
@@ -830,3 +835,12 @@
 %! p = inputParser;
 %! p.addParameter ("a", [], @ischar);
 %! p.parse ("a", 1);
+
+%!test <*58112>
+%! p = inputParser ();
+%! p.addRequired ("first");
+%! p.addOptional ("second", []);
+%! p.parse (1, {"test", 1, 2, 3});
+%! r = p.Results;
+%! assert (r.first, 1);
+%! assert (r.second, {"test", 1, 2, 3});

--- a/scripts/pkg/private/configure_make.m	Sun Mar 29 12:59:33 2020 -0700
+++ b/scripts/pkg/private/configure_make.m	Sun Apr 05 14:56:29 2020 -0700
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@
             "OCTAVE"; octave_binary};
     scenv = sprintf ("%s='%s' ", cenv{:});
 
+    if (verbose)
+      ## Add standard V=1 make argument for verbose build rules
+      scenv = [scenv, "V=1"];
+    endif
+
     ## Configure.
     if (exist (fullfile (src, "configure"), "file"))
       flags = "";