diff --git a/usr.sbin/watchdogd/watchdogd.c b/usr.sbin/watchdogd/watchdogd.c
--- a/usr.sbin/watchdogd/watchdogd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/watchdogd/watchdogd.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <paths.h>
 #include <signal.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
 static int	watchdog_init(void);
 static int	watchdog_onoff(int onoff);
 static int	watchdog_patpat(sbintime_t);
+static int	watchdog_control(u_int);
 static void	usage(void);
 static int	tvtohz(struct timeval *tv);
 
@@ -86,6 +88,8 @@
 static int is_dry_run = 0;  /* do not arm the watchdog, only
 			       report on timing of the watch
 			       program */
+static bool no_fork = false;
+static bool need_timeout = false;
 static int do_timedog = 0;
 static int do_syslog = 1;
 static int fd = -1;
@@ -130,6 +134,11 @@
 		openlog("watchdogd", LOG_CONS|LOG_NDELAY|LOG_PERROR,
 		    LOG_DAEMON);
 
+	/* Retrieve old timeout if necessary */
+	if (need_timeout)
+		ioctl(fd, WDIOC_GETTIMEOUT, &timeout);
+	else
+		ioctl(fd, WDIOC_SETTIMEOUT, &timeout);
 	rtp.type = RTP_PRIO_REALTIME;
 	rtp.prio = 0;
 	if (rtprio(RTP_SET, 0, &rtp) == -1)
@@ -152,7 +161,7 @@
 			warn("Cannot open or create pidfile");
 		}
 
-		if (debugging == 0 && daemon(0, 0) == -1) {
+		if (debugging == 0 && !no_fork && daemon(0, 0) == -1) {
 			watchdog_onoff(0);
 			pidfile_remove(pfh);
 			err(EX_OSERR, "daemon");
@@ -347,7 +356,7 @@
 		}
 
 		if (failed == 0)
-			watchdog_patpat(timeout);
+			watchdog_control(WD_CTRL_RESET);
 
 		waited = watchdog_check_dogfunction_time(&ts_start, &ts_end);
 		if (nap - waited > 0)
@@ -653,7 +662,7 @@
 		is_daemon = 1;
 
 	if (is_daemon)
-		getopt_shortopts = "I:de:ns:t:ST:wx:?";
+		getopt_shortopts = "I:Dde:ns:t:ST:wx:?";
 	else
 		getopt_shortopts = "dt:?";
 
@@ -663,6 +672,9 @@
 		case 'I':
 			pidfile = optarg;
 			break;
+		case 'D':
+			no_fork = true;
+			break;
 		case 'd':
 			debugging = 1;
 			break;
@@ -685,8 +697,11 @@
 			break;
 		case 't':
 			timeout_sec = atoi(optarg);
-			timeout = parse_timeout_to_sbt(c, NULL, optarg);
-			if (debugging)
+			if (timeout_sec == -1)
+				need_timeout = true;
+			else
+				timeout = parse_timeout_to_sbt(c, NULL, optarg);
+			if (debugging && !need_timeout)
 				printf("Timeout is %d\n",
 				    (int)(timeout / SBT_1S));
 			break;
@@ -734,7 +749,7 @@
 
 	if (argc != optind)
 		errx(EX_USAGE, "extra arguments.");
-	if (is_daemon && timeout < WD_TO_1SEC)
+	if (is_daemon && timeout < SBT_1S)
 		errx(EX_USAGE, "-t argument is less than one second.");
 	if (pretimeout_set) {
 		if (pretimeout >= timeout_sec) {