diff --git a/asterisk.c b/asterisk.c
index 93f6af8ef9d69abaf9968e83a9939d9a767bf64a..db5bf122cefbc4dcc3b7763702d0da9ecf3b7aad 100644
--- a/asterisk.c
+++ b/asterisk.c
@@ -2179,6 +2179,9 @@ static void ast_readconfig(void)
 		/* Disable forking (-f at startup) */
 		} else if (!strcasecmp(v->name, "nofork")) {
 			ast_set2_flag(&ast_options, ast_true(v->value), AST_OPT_FLAG_NO_FORK);
+		/* Always fork, even if verbose or debug are enabled (-F at startup) */
+		} else if (!strcasecmp(v->name, "alwaysfork")) {
+			ast_set2_flag(&ast_options, ast_true(v->value), AST_OPT_FLAG_ALWAYS_FORK);
 		/* Run quietly (-q at startup ) */
 		} else if (!strcasecmp(v->name, "quiet")) {
 			ast_set2_flag(&ast_options, ast_true(v->value), AST_OPT_FLAG_QUIET);
@@ -2289,6 +2292,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* Check for options */
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "tThfdvVqprRgciInx:U:G:C:L:M:")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
+		case 'F':
+			ast_set_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_ALWAYS_FORK);
+			break;
 		case 'd':
 			option_debug++;
 			ast_set_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_NO_FORK);
@@ -2366,6 +2372,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (ast_opt_always_fork && (ast_opt_remote || ast_opt_console)) {
+		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "'alwaysfork' is not compatible with console or remote console mode; ignored\n");
+		ast_clear_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_ALWAYS_FORK);
+	}
+
 	/* For remote connections, change the name of the remote connection.
 	 * We do this for the benefit of init scripts (which need to know if/when
 	 * the main asterisk process has died yet). */
@@ -2506,7 +2517,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	} else
 		ast_log(LOG_WARNING, "Unable to open pid file '%s': %s\n", ast_config_AST_PID, strerror(errno));
 
-	if (!option_verbose && !option_debug && !ast_opt_no_fork && !ast_opt_console) {
+	if (ast_opt_always_fork || !ast_opt_no_fork) {
 		daemon(0, 0);
 		/* Blindly re-write pid file since we are forking */
 		unlink(ast_config_AST_PID);
diff --git a/cdr.c b/cdr.c
index ebad2fbb33fdafb9c812449dc357445036110f33..081241cdb8fb8e0c71fdc8c82bd3a0f7caa99e63 100644
--- a/cdr.c
+++ b/cdr.c
@@ -1087,7 +1087,7 @@ static int do_reload(void)
 				batchtime = cfg_time;
 		}
 		if ((end_before_h_value = ast_variable_retrieve(config, "general", "endbeforehexten")))
-			ast_set2_flag(&ast_options, ast_true(end_before_h_value), AST_OPT_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN);
+			ast_set2_flag(&ast_options, ast_true(end_before_h_value), AST_OPT_FLAG_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN);
 	}
 
 	if (enabled && !batchmode) {
diff --git a/doc/asterisk-conf.txt b/doc/asterisk-conf.txt
index 5b22302d0145a509793e2ff117ee23de4ef373f6..72c81098a1dd5ffa11f282246b2ed8ba4d7809c5 100644
--- a/doc/asterisk-conf.txt
+++ b/doc/asterisk-conf.txt
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ astlogdir => /var/log/asterisk
 verbose = 0					; Verbosity level for logging (-v)
 debug = 3					; Debug: "No" or value (1-4)
 nofork=yes | no					; Background execution disabled (-f)
+alwaysfork=yes | no				; Always background, even with -v or -d (-F)
 console= yes | no				; Console mode (-c)
 highpriority = yes | no				; Execute with high priority (-p)
 initcrypto = yes | no				; Initialize crypto at startup (-i)
diff --git a/include/asterisk/options.h b/include/asterisk/options.h
index 86d524092549484b5fb34a995a1863c13708a336..04e7990b827606bad294152cee13ebc51e860d3e 100644
--- a/include/asterisk/options.h
+++ b/include/asterisk/options.h
@@ -71,9 +71,11 @@ enum ast_option_flags {
 	/*! Suppress some warnings */
 	AST_OPT_FLAG_DONT_WARN = (1 << 18),
 	/*! End CDRs before the 'h' extension */
-	AST_OPT_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN = (1 << 19),
+	AST_OPT_FLAG_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN = (1 << 19),
 	/*! Use Zaptel Timing for generators if available */
-	AST_OPT_FLAG_INTERNAL_TIMING = (1 << 20)
+	AST_OPT_FLAG_INTERNAL_TIMING = (1 << 20),
+	/*! Always fork, even if verbose or debug settings are non-zero */
+	AST_OPT_FLAG_ALWAYS_FORK = (1 << 21),
 };
 
 /*! These are the options that set by default when Asterisk starts */
@@ -98,8 +100,9 @@ enum ast_option_flags {
 #define ast_opt_reconnect		ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_RECONNECT)
 #define ast_opt_transmit_silence	ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_TRANSMIT_SILENCE)
 #define ast_opt_dont_warn		ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_DONT_WARN)
-#define ast_opt_end_cdr_before_h_exten	ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN)
+#define ast_opt_end_cdr_before_h_exten	ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_END_CDR_BEFORE_H_EXTEN)
 #define ast_opt_internal_timing		ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_INTERNAL_TIMING)
+#define ast_opt_always_fork		ast_test_flag(&ast_options, AST_OPT_FLAG_ALWAYS_FORK)
 
 extern struct ast_flags ast_options;