diff --git a/cmd/go-timeout/main.go b/cmd/go-timeout/main.go
index 9e6de5c..2d3b5bf 100644
--- a/cmd/go-timeout/main.go
+++ b/cmd/go-timeout/main.go
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ import (
 )
 
 func main() {
-	optKillAfter := getopt.StringLong("kill-after", 'k', "", "help message for f")
-	optSig := getopt.StringLong("signal", 's', "", "help message for long")
-	p := getopt.BoolLong("preserve-status", 0, "help message for bool")
+	optKillAfter := getopt.StringLong("kill-after", 'k', "", "also send a KILL signal if COMMAND is still running. this long after the initial signal was sent")
+	optSig := getopt.StringLong("signal", 's', "", "specify the signal to be sent on timeout. IGNAL may be a name like 'HUP' or a number. see 'kill -l' for a list of signals")
+	optForeground := getopt.BoolLong("foreground", 0, "when not running timeout directly from a shell prompt, allow COMMAND to read from the TTY and get TTY signals. in this mode, children of COMMAND will not be timed out")
+	p := getopt.BoolLong("preserve-status", 0, "exit with the same status as COMMAND, even when the command times out")
 
 	opts := getopt.CommandLine
 	opts.Parse(os.Args)
@@ -54,10 +55,11 @@ func main() {
 	cmd := exec.Command(rest[1], rest[2:]...)
 
 	tio := &timeout.Timeout{
-		Duration:  time.Duration(dur * float64(time.Second)),
-		Cmd:       cmd,
-		KillAfter: time.Duration(killAfter * float64(time.Second)),
-		Signal:    sig,
+		Duration:   time.Duration(dur * float64(time.Second)),
+		Cmd:        cmd,
+		Foreground: *optForeground,
+		KillAfter:  time.Duration(killAfter * float64(time.Second)),
+		Signal:     sig,
 	}
 	exit := tio.RunSimple(*p)
 	os.Exit(exit)
diff --git a/timeout.go b/timeout.go
index c9c0d47..480819a 100644
--- a/timeout.go
+++ b/timeout.go
@@ -15,10 +15,11 @@ import (
 
 // Timeout is main struct of timeout package
 type Timeout struct {
-	Duration  time.Duration
-	KillAfter time.Duration
-	Signal    os.Signal
-	Cmd       *exec.Cmd
+	Duration   time.Duration
+	KillAfter  time.Duration
+	Signal     os.Signal
+	Foreground bool
+	Cmd        *exec.Cmd
 }
 
 var defaultSignal os.Signal
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ func (tio *Timeout) handleTimeout() (ex ExitStatus) {
 		ex.typ = exitTypeNormal
 		return ex
 	case <-time.After(tio.Duration):
-		cmd.Process.Signal(tio.signal()) // XXX error handling
+		tio.terminate()
 		ex.typ = exitTypeTimedOut
 	}
 
diff --git a/timeout_unix.go b/timeout_unix.go
index 460c3c3..5844008 100644
--- a/timeout_unix.go
+++ b/timeout_unix.go
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ func (tio *Timeout) getCmd() *exec.Cmd {
 	return tio.Cmd
 }
 
+func (tio *Timeout) terminate() error {
+	syssig, ok := tio.signal().(syscall.Signal)
+	if !ok || tio.Foreground {
+		return tio.Cmd.Process.Signal(tio.signal())
+	}
+	return syscall.Kill(-tio.Cmd.Process.Pid, syssig)
+}
+
 func (tio *Timeout) killall() error {
 	return syscall.Kill(-tio.Cmd.Process.Pid, syscall.SIGKILL)
 }
diff --git a/timeout_windows.go b/timeout_windows.go
index 12b1a3c..ab8ee6b 100644
--- a/timeout_windows.go
+++ b/timeout_windows.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (tio *Timeout) getCmd() *exec.Cmd {
-	if tio.Cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
+	if !tio.Foreground && tio.Cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
 		tio.Cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{
 			CreationFlags: syscall.CREATE_UNICODE_ENVIRONMENT | 0x00000200,
 		}
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ func (tio *Timeout) getCmd() *exec.Cmd {
 	return tio.Cmd
 }
 
+func (tio *Timeout) terminate() error {
+	return tio.Cmd.Process.Signal(tio.signal())
+}
+
 func (tio *Timeout) killall() error {
 	return exec.Command("taskkill", "/F", "/T", "/PID", strconv.Itoa(tio.Cmd.Process.Pid)).Run()
 }