diff --git a/master/buildbot/scripts/runner.py b/master/buildbot/scripts/runner.py
index 12ff17e691d..2f18111a501 100644
--- a/master/buildbot/scripts/runner.py
+++ b/master/buildbot/scripts/runner.py
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ class RestartOptions(base.BasedirMixin, base.SubcommandOptions):
     subcommandFunction = "buildbot.scripts.restart.restart"
     optFlags = [
         ['quiet', 'q', "Don't display startup log messages"],
+        ['nodaemon', None, "Don't daemonize (stay in foreground)"],
         ]
     def getSynopsis(self):
         return "Usage:    buildbot restart [<basedir>]"
@@ -152,6 +153,7 @@ class StartOptions(base.BasedirMixin, base.SubcommandOptions):
     subcommandFunction = "buildbot.scripts.start.start"
     optFlags = [
         ['quiet', 'q', "Don't display startup log messages"],
+        ['nodaemon', None, "Don't daemonize (stay in foreground)"],
         ]
     def getSynopsis(self):
         return "Usage:    buildbot start [<basedir>]"
diff --git a/master/buildbot/scripts/start.py b/master/buildbot/scripts/start.py
index 6027885a95a..4df586567b3 100644
--- a/master/buildbot/scripts/start.py
+++ b/master/buildbot/scripts/start.py
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ def launch(config):
             "--no_save",
             "--logfile=twistd.log", # windows doesn't use the same default
             "--python=buildbot.tac"]
+    if config['nodaemon']:
+        argv.extend(['--nodaemon'])
     sys.argv = argv
 
     # this is copied from bin/twistd. twisted-2.0.0 through 2.4.0 use
diff --git a/master/buildbot/test/unit/test_scripts_runner.py b/master/buildbot/test/unit/test_scripts_runner.py
index 2fe41cf72db..24ab9f32f5f 100644
--- a/master/buildbot/test/unit/test_scripts_runner.py
+++ b/master/buildbot/test/unit/test_scripts_runner.py
@@ -230,11 +230,21 @@ class TestResetartOptions(BaseTestSimpleOptions, unittest.TestCase):
     commandName = 'restart'
     optionsClass = runner.RestartOptions
 
+    def test_nodaemon(self):
+        opts = self.parse('--nodaemon')
+        exp = dict(nodaemon=True)
+        self.assertOptions(opts, exp)
+
 
 class TestStartOptions(BaseTestSimpleOptions, unittest.TestCase):
     commandName = 'start'
     optionsClass = runner.StartOptions
 
+    def test_nodaemon(self):
+        opts = self.parse('--nodaemon')
+        exp = dict(nodaemon=True)
+        self.assertOptions(opts, exp)
+
 
 class TestReconfigOptions(BaseTestSimpleOptions, unittest.TestCase):
     commandName = 'reconfig'
diff --git a/master/docs/manual/cmdline.rst b/master/docs/manual/cmdline.rst
index e2422a608d8..0a58262a19e 100644
--- a/master/docs/manual/cmdline.rst
+++ b/master/docs/manual/cmdline.rst
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ buildmaster administrators:
     directory. The daemon is launched in the background, with events logged
     to a file named :file:`twistd.log`.
 
+--nodaemon
+    Don't daemonize. The process will start in the foreground.
+    It will only return to the command-line when it is stopped.
+
 ``stop``
 
     This terminates the daemon (either buildmaster or buildslave) running
@@ -902,6 +906,10 @@ to a file named :file:`twistd.log`. ::
 
     buildbot start BASEDIR
 
+--nodaemon
+    Don't daemonize. The process will start in the foreground.
+    It will only return to the command-line when it is stopped.
+
 .. bb:cmdline:: stop (buildslave)
 
 stop
diff --git a/slave/buildslave/scripts/runner.py b/slave/buildslave/scripts/runner.py
index 5b2691c1365..94d551ca419 100644
--- a/slave/buildslave/scripts/runner.py
+++ b/slave/buildslave/scripts/runner.py
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ def postOptions(self):
 class StartOptions(MakerBase):
     optFlags = [
         ['quiet', 'q', "Don't display startup log messages"],
+        ['nodaemon', None, "Don't daemonize (stay in foreground)"],
         ]
     def getSynopsis(self):
         return "Usage:    buildslave start [<basedir>]"
@@ -280,6 +281,7 @@ def getSynopsis(self):
 class RestartOptions(MakerBase):
     optFlags = [
         ['quiet', 'q', "Don't display startup log messages"],
+        ['nodaemon', None, "Don't daemonize (stay in foreground)"],
         ]
     def getSynopsis(self):
         return "Usage:    buildslave restart [<basedir>]"
diff --git a/slave/buildslave/scripts/startup.py b/slave/buildslave/scripts/startup.py
index bb2a400e3aa..3abcc1d06ce 100644
--- a/slave/buildslave/scripts/startup.py
+++ b/slave/buildslave/scripts/startup.py
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ def launch(config):
             "--no_save",
             "--logfile=twistd.log", # windows doesn't use the same default
             "--python=buildbot.tac"]
+    if config['nodaemon']:
+        argv.extend(['--nodaemon'])
     sys.argv = argv
 
     # this is copied from bin/twistd. twisted-2.0.0 through 2.4.0 use