diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/gir.py b/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
index 142bbd2..a33bb26 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/gir.py
@@ -37,8 +37,9 @@ _xml_cache = {}
 _user_search_paths = []
 
 
-def add_typelib_search_path(path: str):
-    _user_search_paths.append(path)
+def add_user_typelib_paths(paths: list):
+    global _user_search_paths
+    _user_search_paths += paths
 
 
 def get_namespace(namespace: str, version: str) -> "Namespace":
diff --git a/blueprintcompiler/main.py b/blueprintcompiler/main.py
index 5b4cad8..aef3ad1 100644
--- a/blueprintcompiler/main.py
+++ b/blueprintcompiler/main.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import typing as T
 
 from . import formatter, interactive_port, parser, tokenizer
 from .errors import CompileError, CompilerBugError, PrintableError, report_bug
-from .gir import add_typelib_search_path
+from .gir import add_user_typelib_paths
 from .lsp import LanguageServer
 from .outputs import XmlOutput
 from .utils import Colors
@@ -135,8 +135,7 @@ class BlueprintApp:
 
     def cmd_compile(self, opts):
         if opts.typelib_path != None:
-            for typelib_path in opts.typelib_path:
-                add_typelib_search_path(typelib_path)
+            add_user_typelib_paths(opts.typelib_path)
 
         data = opts.input.read()
         try:
@@ -156,8 +155,7 @@ class BlueprintApp:
 
     def cmd_batch_compile(self, opts):
         if opts.typelib_path != None:
-            for typelib_path in opts.typelib_path:
-                add_typelib_search_path(typelib_path)
+            add_user_typelib_paths(opts.typelib_path)
 
         for file in opts.inputs:
             data = file.read()