diff -ruN ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.8 ./cron.8
--- ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.8	1994-01-20 21:45:09.000000000 +0300
+++ ./cron.8	2004-05-11 15:19:51.000000000 +0400
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@
 .IR Crontab (1)
 command updates the modtime of the spool directory whenever it changes a
 crontab.
+.PP
+When option '-f' is used
+.I cron
+will not fork automatically. This allow to run it from /etc/inittab.
 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 crontab(1), crontab(5)
 .SH AUTHOR
diff -ruN ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.c ./cron.c
--- ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.c	2004-05-11 15:46:30.000000000 +0400
+++ ./cron.c	2004-05-11 15:59:59.000000000 +0400
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 
 static void
 usage() {
-	fprintf(stderr, "usage:  %s [-x debugflag[,...]]\n", ProgramName);
+	fprintf(stderr, "usage:  %s [-f][-x debugflag[,...]]\n", ProgramName);
 	exit(ERROR_EXIT);
 }
 
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 	cron_db	database;
 
 	ProgramName = argv[0];
+	NoFork=0;
 
 #if defined(BSD)
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
@@ -92,12 +93,30 @@
 # endif
 		(void) fprintf(stderr, "[%d] cron started\n", getpid());
 	} else {
-		switch (fork()) {
-		case -1:
+		if( NoFork ){
+			/* main process in nofork mode */
+			log_it("CRON",getpid(),"STARTUP","nofork ok");
+			(void) setsid();
+			{
+				int fd = open("/dev/null", O_RDWR);
+				if (fd >= 0) {
+					dup2(fd, 0);
+					dup2(fd, 1);
+					dup2(fd, 2);
+					close(fd);
+				} else {
+					(void) close(0);
+					(void) close(1);
+					(void) close(2);
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+		    switch (fork()) {
+		    case -1:
 			log_it("CRON",getpid(),"DEATH","can't fork");
 			exit(0);
 			break;
-		case 0:
+		    case 0:
 			/* child process */
 			log_it("CRON",getpid(),"STARTUP","fork ok");
 			(void) setsid();
@@ -115,9 +134,10 @@
 				}
 			}
 			break;
-		default:
+		    default:
 			/* parent process should just die */
 			_exit(0);
+		    }
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -305,14 +325,17 @@
 {
 	int	argch;
 
-	while (EOF != (argch = getopt(argc, argv, "x:"))) {
+	while (EOF != (argch = getopt(argc, argv, "fx:"))) {
 		switch (argch) {
-		default:
-			usage();
+		case 'f':
+			NoFork++;
+			break;
 		case 'x':
 			if (!set_debug_flags(optarg))
 				usage();
 			break;
+		default:
+			usage();
 		}
 	}
 }
diff -ruN ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.h ./cron.h
--- ../cron-3.0.1.orig/cron.h	1994-01-20 21:45:10.000000000 +0300
+++ ./cron.h	2004-05-11 15:01:27.000000000 +0400
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@
 char	*ProgramName;
 int	LineNumber;
 time_t	TargetTime;
+int	NoFork;
 
 # if DEBUGGING
 int	DebugFlags;