Index: usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.8
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.8
+++ usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.8
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd July 14, 2010
+.Dd January 17, 2015
 .Dt FREEBSD-UPDATE 8
 .Os FreeBSD
 .Sh NAME
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 .Nd fetch and install binary updates to FreeBSD
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm
+.Op Fl F
 .Op Fl b Ar basedir
 .Op Fl d Ar workdir
 .Op Fl f Ar conffile
@@ -54,16 +55,16 @@
 .Fx
 Release Engineering Team, e.g.,
 .Fx
-7.3-RELEASE and
+9.3-RELEASE and
 .Fx
-8.0-RELEASE, but not
+10.1-RELEASE, but not
 .Fx
-6.3-STABLE or
+9.3-STABLE or
 .Fx
-9.0-CURRENT.
+11-CURRENT.
 .Sh OPTIONS
 The following options are supported:
-.Bl -tag -width "-f conffile"
+.Bl -tag -width "-f newrelease"
 .It Fl b Ar basedir
 Operate on a system mounted at
 .Ar basedir .
@@ -81,6 +82,11 @@
 .Ar conffile .
 (default:
 .Pa /etc/freebsd-update.conf )
+.It Fl F
+Force
+.Nm
+.Cm fetch
+to proceed where it normally would not, such as when there is no tty.
 .It Fl k Ar KEY
 Trust an RSA key with SHA256 of
 .Ar KEY .
Index: usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
+++ usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
                   (default: /var/db/freebsd-update/)
   -f conffile  -- Read configuration options from conffile
                   (default: /etc/freebsd-update.conf)
+  -F           -- Force a fetch operation to proceed
   -k KEY       -- Trust an RSA key with SHA256 hash of KEY
   -r release   -- Target for upgrade (e.g., 6.2-RELEASE)
   -s server    -- Server from which to fetch updates
@@ -399,6 +400,9 @@
 
 	# No commands specified yet
 	COMMANDS=""
+
+	# Force fetch to proceed
+	FORCEFETCH=0
 }
 
 # Parse the command line
@@ -411,6 +415,9 @@
 			if [ ! -z "${CONFFILE}" ]; then usage; fi
 			shift; CONFFILE="$1"
 			;;
+		-F)
+			FORCEFETCH=1
+			;;
 
 		# Configuration file equivalents
 		-b)
@@ -673,6 +680,13 @@
 		echo "(Did you mean 'upgrade' instead?)"
 		exit 1
 	fi
+
+	# Check that we have updates ready to install
+	if [ -L ${BDHASH}-install && $FORCEFETCH -eq 0 ]; then
+		echo "You have a partially completed upgrade pending"
+		echo "Run '$0 install' first."
+		exit 1
+	fi
 }
 
 # Perform sanity checks etc. before fetching upgrades.
@@ -3188,7 +3202,7 @@
 # Fetch command.  Make sure that we're being called
 # interactively, then run fetch_check_params and fetch_run
 cmd_fetch () {
-	if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
+	if [ ! -t 0 && $FORCEFETCH -eq 0 ]; then
 		echo -n "`basename $0` fetch should not "
 		echo "be run non-interactively."
 		echo "Run `basename $0` cron instead."