diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb.c
index ff0829ba4dc..8a8d52f3f1f 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb.c
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static void ctdb_node_connected(struct ctdb_node *node)
 /*
   wait for all nodes to be connected
 */
-void ctdb_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb)
+void ctdb_daemon_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb)
 {
 	int expected = ctdb->num_nodes - 1;
 	if (ctdb->flags & CTDB_FLAG_SELF_CONNECT) {
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
index f2e551091ce..30049b76d8d 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
@@ -38,6 +38,16 @@ static int ctdb_client_queue_pkt(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct ctdb_req_head
 }
 
 
+/*
+  handle a connect wait reply packet
+ */
+static void ctdb_reply_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, 
+				    struct ctdb_req_header *hdr)
+{
+	struct ctdb_reply_connect_wait *r = (struct ctdb_reply_connect_wait *)hdr;
+	ctdb->num_connected = r->num_connected;
+}
+
 /*
   this is called in the client, when data comes in from the daemon
  */
@@ -75,6 +85,10 @@ static void ctdb_client_read_cb(uint8_t *data, size_t cnt, void *args)
 	case CTDB_REQ_MESSAGE:
 		ctdb_request_message(ctdb, hdr);
 		break;
+
+	case CTDB_REPLY_CONNECT_WAIT:
+		ctdb_reply_connect_wait(ctdb, hdr);
+		break;
 	}
 }
 
@@ -317,6 +331,9 @@ int ctdb_set_message_handler(struct ctdb_context *ctdb,
 }
 
 
+/*
+  send a message - from client context
+ */
 int ctdb_client_send_message(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t vnn,
 		      uint32_t srvid, TDB_DATA data)
 {
@@ -347,3 +364,42 @@ int ctdb_client_send_message(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t vnn,
 	talloc_free(r);
 	return 0;
 }
+
+/*
+  wait for all nodes to be connected - from client
+ */
+static void ctdb_client_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb)
+{
+	struct ctdb_req_connect_wait r;
+	int res;
+
+	ZERO_STRUCT(r);
+
+	r.hdr.length     = sizeof(r);
+	r.hdr.ctdb_magic = CTDB_MAGIC;
+	r.hdr.ctdb_version = CTDB_VERSION;
+	r.hdr.operation = CTDB_REQ_CONNECT_WAIT;
+	
+	res = ctdb_queue_send(ctdb->daemon.queue, (uint8_t *)&r.hdr, r.hdr.length);
+	if (res != 0) {
+		printf("Failed to queue a connect wait request\n");
+		return;
+	}
+
+	/* now we can go into the normal wait routine, as the reply packet
+	   will update the ctdb->num_connected variable */
+	ctdb_daemon_connect_wait(ctdb);
+}
+
+/*
+  wait for all nodes to be connected
+*/
+void ctdb_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb)
+{
+	if (!(ctdb->flags & CTDB_FLAG_DAEMON_MODE)) {
+		ctdb_daemon_connect_wait(ctdb);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	ctdb_client_connect_wait(ctdb);
+}
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_daemon.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_daemon.c
index fd656cc0fb5..590397a2026 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_daemon.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_daemon.c
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ static void daemon_message_handler(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t srvid,
 /*XXX cant use this since it returns an int	CTDB_NO_MEMORY(ctdb, r);*/
 	talloc_set_name_const(r, "req_message packet");
 
+	ZERO_STRUCT(*r);
+
 	r->hdr.length    = len;
 	r->hdr.ctdb_magic = CTDB_MAGIC;
 	r->hdr.ctdb_version = CTDB_VERSION;
@@ -108,6 +110,34 @@ static void daemon_request_register_message_handler(struct ctdb_client *client,
 }
 
 
+/*
+  called when the daemon gets a connect wait request from a client
+ */
+static void daemon_request_connect_wait(struct ctdb_client *client, 
+					struct ctdb_req_connect_wait *c)
+{
+	struct ctdb_reply_connect_wait r;
+	int res;
+
+	/* first wait - in the daemon */
+	ctdb_daemon_connect_wait(client->ctdb);
+
+	/* now send the reply */
+	ZERO_STRUCT(r);
+
+	r.hdr.length     = sizeof(r);
+	r.hdr.ctdb_magic = CTDB_MAGIC;
+	r.hdr.ctdb_version = CTDB_VERSION;
+	r.hdr.operation = CTDB_REPLY_CONNECT_WAIT;
+	r.num_connected = client->ctdb->num_connected;
+	
+	res = ctdb_queue_send(client->queue, (uint8_t *)&r.hdr, r.hdr.length);
+	if (res != 0) {
+		printf("Failed to queue a connect wait response\n");
+		return;
+	}
+}
+
 /*
   destroy a ctdb_client
 */
@@ -236,6 +266,10 @@ static void client_incoming_packet(struct ctdb_client *client, void *data, size_
 	case CTDB_REQ_MESSAGE:
 		daemon_request_message_from_client(client, (struct ctdb_req_message *)hdr);
 		break;
+
+	case CTDB_REQ_CONNECT_WAIT:
+		daemon_request_connect_wait(client, (struct ctdb_req_connect_wait *)hdr);
+		break;
 	}
 
 done:
diff --git a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
index 0f6f57e50a1..fb6a2584a96 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
@@ -199,14 +199,16 @@ struct ctdb_call_state {
   operation IDs
 */
 enum ctdb_operation {
-	CTDB_REQ_CALL         = 0,
-	CTDB_REPLY_CALL       = 1,
-	CTDB_REPLY_REDIRECT   = 2,
-	CTDB_REQ_DMASTER      = 3,
-	CTDB_REPLY_DMASTER    = 4,
-	CTDB_REPLY_ERROR      = 5,
-	CTDB_REQ_REGISTER     = 6,
-	CTDB_REQ_MESSAGE      = 7
+	CTDB_REQ_CALL           = 0,
+	CTDB_REPLY_CALL         = 1,
+	CTDB_REPLY_REDIRECT     = 2,
+	CTDB_REQ_DMASTER        = 3,
+	CTDB_REPLY_DMASTER      = 4,
+	CTDB_REPLY_ERROR        = 5,
+	CTDB_REQ_REGISTER       = 6,
+	CTDB_REQ_MESSAGE        = 7,
+	CTDB_REQ_CONNECT_WAIT   = 8,
+	CTDB_REPLY_CONNECT_WAIT = 9
 };
 
 #define CTDB_MAGIC 0x43544442 /* CTDB */
@@ -281,6 +283,15 @@ struct ctdb_req_message {
 	uint8_t data[1];
 };
 
+struct ctdb_req_connect_wait {
+	struct ctdb_req_header hdr;
+};
+
+struct ctdb_reply_connect_wait {
+	struct ctdb_req_header hdr;
+	uint32_t num_connected;
+};
+
 /* internal prototypes */
 void ctdb_set_error(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, const char *fmt, ...) PRINTF_ATTRIBUTE(2,3);
 void ctdb_fatal(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, const char *msg);
@@ -382,4 +393,9 @@ int ctdb_daemon_send_message(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, uint32_t vnn,
 			     uint32_t srvid, TDB_DATA data);
 
 
+/*
+  wait for all nodes to be connected
+*/
+void ctdb_daemon_connect_wait(struct ctdb_context *ctdb);
+
 #endif