diff --git nsd.c nsd.c
index 98dec613..e9d7b2cc 100644
--- nsd.c
+++ nsd.c
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ usage (void)
 		"  -n tcp-count         The maximum number of TCP connections per server.\n"
 		"  -P pidfile           Specify the PID file to write.\n"
 		"  -p port              Specify the port to listen to.\n"
+		"  -r                   Print a newline into the file descriptor index\n"
+		"                          described in the READY_FD environment variable to\n"
+		"                          indicate that nsd is ready to accept connections.\n"
 		"  -s seconds           Dump statistics every SECONDS seconds.\n"
 		"  -t chrootdir         Change root to specified directory on startup.\n"
 		);
@@ -323,6 +326,24 @@ sig_handler(int sig)
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * Parse envvar as a positive integer.
+ *
+ */
+int
+get_fd_from_env(const char* key)
+{
+	char *env = getenv(key);
+	if (!env || env[0] == '\0')
+		return -1;
+	errno = 0;
+	char *endptr;
+	int fd = (int)strtol(env, &endptr, 10);
+	if (errno != 0 || endptr[0] != '\0')
+		return -1;
+	return fd;
+}
+
 /*
  * Statistic output...
  *
@@ -450,7 +471,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 
 	/* Parse the command line... */
-	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "46a:c:df:hi:I:l:N:n:P:p:s:u:t:X:V:v"
+	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "46a:c:df:hi:I:l:N:n:P:p:rs:u:t:X:V:v"
 #ifndef NDEBUG /* <mattthijs> only when configured with --enable-checking */
 		"F:L:"
 #endif /* NDEBUG */
@@ -533,6 +554,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			tcp_port = optarg;
 			udp_port = optarg;
 			break;
+		case 'r':
+			nsd.readyfd = 1;
+			break;
 		case 's':
 #ifdef BIND8_STATS
 			nsd.st.period = atoi(optarg);
@@ -965,6 +989,18 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 #endif /* HAVE_SSL */
 
+	/* When asked to notify readiness via REⒶDY_FD, do so. */
+	if (nsd.readyfd) {
+		int readyfd = get_fd_from_env("READY_FD");
+		if (readyfd < 0)
+			error("READY_FD unset or contains garbage");
+		unsetenv("READY_FD");
+		int ret = dprintf(readyfd, "\n");
+		close(readyfd);
+		if (ret < 0)
+			error("could not write to READY_FD index");
+	}
+
 	/* Unless we're debugging, fork... */
 	if (!nsd.debug) {
 		int fd;
diff --git nsd.h nsd.h
index de3ae8e1..ff27b798 100644
--- nsd.h
+++ nsd.h
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ struct	nsd
 	unsigned		server_kind;
 	struct namedb	*db;
 	int				debug;
+	int readyfd;
 
 	size_t            child_count;
 	struct nsd_child *children;