diff --git a/src/viced/afsfileprocs.c b/src/viced/afsfileprocs.c
index 5cc2e116a5..076cc75acf 100644
--- a/src/viced/afsfileprocs.c
+++ b/src/viced/afsfileprocs.c
@@ -462,13 +462,13 @@ CheckVnode(AFSFid *fid, Volume **volptr, Vnode **vptr, int lock)
 	    /* I'm not really worried about when we restarted, I'm   */
 	    /* just worried about when the first VBUSY was returned. */
 	    TM_GetTimeOfDay(&restartedat, 0);
-	    return(VBUSY);
+	    return(busyonrst?VBUSY:VRESTARTING);
 	  }
 	  else {
 	    struct timeval now;
 	    TM_GetTimeOfDay(&now, 0);
 	    if ((now.tv_sec - restartedat.tv_sec) < (11*60)) {
-	      return(VBUSY);
+	      return(busyonrst?VBUSY:VRESTARTING);
 	    }
 	    else {
 	      return (VRESTARTING);
diff --git a/src/viced/viced.c b/src/viced/viced.c
index b71e92c531..3384a5ae75 100644
--- a/src/viced/viced.c
+++ b/src/viced/viced.c
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ struct afs_PerfStats afs_perfstats;
 extern	int     LogLevel;
 extern	int	Statistics;
 
+int     busyonrst = 1;
 int     timeout = 30;
 int 	SawSpare;
 int 	SawPctSpare;
@@ -646,6 +647,7 @@ static void FlagMsg()
     strcat(buffer, "[-readonly (read-only file server)] ");
     strcat(buffer, "[-hr <number of hours between refreshing the host cps>] ");
     strcat(buffer, "[-busyat <redirect clients when queue > n>] ");
+    strcat(buffer, "[-nobusy <no VBUSY before a volume is attached>] ");
     strcat(buffer, "[-rxpck <number of rx extra packets>] ");
     strcat(buffer, "[-rxdbg (enable rx debugging)] ");
     strcat(buffer, "[-rxdbge (enable rxevent debugging)] ");
@@ -875,7 +877,10 @@ static int ParseArgs(int argc, char *argv[])
 			   busy_threshold);
 		    Sawbusy = 0;
 		}
-	    }
+	      }
+	    else
+	      if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-nobusy")) 
+		busyonrst=0;
 #ifdef	AFS_AIX32_ENV
 	else
 	    if (!strcmp(argv[i], "-m")) {
diff --git a/src/viced/viced.h b/src/viced/viced.h
index 570c6b5577..d86231494c 100644
--- a/src/viced/viced.h
+++ b/src/viced/viced.h
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@ struct AFSStatistics
 	struct AFSDisk	Disks[AFS_MSTATDISKS];
 };
 
+extern int busyonrst;
+
 #define RESTART_ORDINARY 1
 #define RESTART_FAST 2
 #define RESTART_SAFE 3