diff --git a/mdmon.8 b/mdmon.8
index 559dd90..a968cdb 100644
--- a/mdmon.8
+++ b/mdmon.8
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ mdmon \- monitor MD external metadata arrays
 
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 
-.BI mdmon " [--all] [--takeover] CONTAINER"
+.BI mdmon " [--all] [--takeover] [--foreground] CONTAINER"
 
 .SH OVERVIEW
 The 2.6.27 kernel brings the ability to support external metadata arrays.
@@ -131,6 +131,14 @@ The
 device to monitor.  It can be a full path like /dev/md/container, or a
 simple md device name like md127.
 .TP
+.B \-\-foreground
+Normally,
+.I mdmon
+will fork and continue in the background.  Adding this option will
+skip that step and run
+.I mdmon
+in the foreground.
+.TP
 .B \-\-takeover
 This instructs
 .I mdmon
diff --git a/mdmon.c b/mdmon.c
index 8720aa5..007071b 100644
--- a/mdmon.c
+++ b/mdmon.c
@@ -288,11 +288,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	int opt;
 	int all = 0;
 	int takeover = 0;
+	int dofork = 1;
 	static struct option options[] = {
 		{"all", 0, NULL, 'a'},
 		{"takeover", 0, NULL, 't'},
 		{"help", 0, NULL, 'h'},
 		{"offroot", 0, NULL, OffRootOpt},
+		{"foreground", 0, NULL, 'F'},
 		{NULL, 0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 
@@ -301,7 +303,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 */
 	argv[0][0] = '@';
 
-	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "tha", options, NULL)) != -1) {
+	while ((opt = getopt_long(argc, argv, "thaF", options, NULL)) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'a':
 			container_name = argv[optind-1];
@@ -310,6 +312,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 't':
 			takeover = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'F':
+			dofork = 0;
+			break;
 		case OffRootOpt:
 			/* silently ignore old option */
 			break;
@@ -381,7 +386,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			container_name);
 		exit(1);
 	}
-	return mdmon(devname, devnum, do_fork(), takeover);
+	return mdmon(devname, devnum, dofork && do_fork(), takeover);
 }
 
 static int mdmon(char *devname, int devnum, int must_fork, int takeover)
diff --git a/systemd/mdmon@.service b/systemd/mdmon@.service
index ddb475f..809f527 100644
--- a/systemd/mdmon@.service
+++ b/systemd/mdmon@.service
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ DefaultDependencies=no
 Before=initrd-switch-root.target
 
 [Service]
-ExecStart=/sbin/mdmon %I
+ExecStart=/sbin/mdmon --foreground %I
 StandardInput=null
 StandardOutput=null
 StandardError=null