diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
index c95dc65f183..0a02ac20693 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_client.c
@@ -1722,3 +1722,50 @@ int ctdb_ctrl_thaw(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t d
 
 	return 0;
 }
+
+/*
+  set the monitoring mode of a remote node
+ */
+int ctdb_ctrl_setmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t destnode, uint32_t monmode)
+{
+	int ret;
+	TDB_DATA data, outdata;
+	int32_t res;
+
+	data.dsize = sizeof(uint32_t);
+	data.dptr = (unsigned char *)&monmode;
+
+	ret = ctdb_control(ctdb, destnode, 0, 
+			   CTDB_CONTROL_SET_MONMODE, 0, data, 
+			   ctdb, &outdata, &res, &timeout, NULL);
+	if (ret != 0 || res != 0) {
+		DEBUG(0,(__location__ " ctdb_control for setmonmode failed\n"));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+  get the monitoring mode of a remote node
+ */
+int ctdb_ctrl_getmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t destnode, uint32_t *monmode)
+{
+	int ret;
+	TDB_DATA data, outdata;
+	int32_t res;
+
+	ZERO_STRUCT(data);
+	ret = ctdb_control(ctdb, destnode, 0, 
+			   CTDB_CONTROL_GET_MONMODE, 0, data, 
+			   ctdb, &outdata, &res, &timeout, NULL);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		DEBUG(0,(__location__ " ctdb_control for getrecmode failed\n"));
+		return -1;
+	}
+
+	*monmode = res;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_control.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_control.c
index 3c3a6d17d36..db01072d75b 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_control.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_control.c
@@ -241,6 +241,14 @@ static int32_t ctdb_control_dispatch(struct ctdb_context *ctdb,
 		CHECK_CONTROL_DATA_SIZE(sizeof(uint32_t));		
 		return ctdb_control_set_recmode(ctdb, indata, errormsg);
 
+	case CTDB_CONTROL_SET_MONMODE:
+		CHECK_CONTROL_DATA_SIZE(sizeof(uint32_t));		
+		ctdb->monitoring_mode = *(uint32_t *)indata.dptr;
+		return 0;
+
+	case CTDB_CONTROL_GET_MONMODE: 
+		return ctdb->monitoring_mode;
+
 	case CTDB_CONTROL_SHUTDOWN:
 		exit(10);
 
diff --git a/ctdb/common/ctdb_monitor.c b/ctdb/common/ctdb_monitor.c
index a2a65241aef..44b2c4a6639 100644
--- a/ctdb/common/ctdb_monitor.c
+++ b/ctdb/common/ctdb_monitor.c
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ static void ctdb_check_for_dead_nodes(struct event_context *ev, struct timed_eve
 	struct ctdb_context *ctdb = talloc_get_type(private_data, struct ctdb_context);
 	int i;
 
+	if (ctdb->monitoring_mode==CTDB_MONITORING_DISABLED) {
+		event_add_timed(ctdb->ev, ctdb, 
+			timeval_current_ofs(CTDB_MONITORING_TIMEOUT, 0), 
+			ctdb_check_for_dead_nodes, ctdb);
+		return;
+	}
+
 	/* send a keepalive to all other nodes, unless */
 	for (i=0;i<ctdb->num_nodes;i++) {
 		struct ctdb_node *node = ctdb->nodes[i];
diff --git a/ctdb/include/ctdb.h b/ctdb/include/ctdb.h
index a330f709a51..2c50d969656 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/ctdb.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/ctdb.h
@@ -299,6 +299,14 @@ int ctdb_ctrl_getrecmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint
   set the recovery mode of a remote node
  */
 int ctdb_ctrl_setrecmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t destnode, uint32_t recmode);
+/*
+  get the monitoring mode of a remote node
+ */
+int ctdb_ctrl_getmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t destnode, uint32_t *monmode);
+/*
+  set the monitoringmode of a remote node
+ */
+int ctdb_ctrl_setmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, struct timeval timeout, uint32_t destnode, uint32_t monmode);
 
 /*
   get the recovery master of a remote node
diff --git a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
index 61abf41d27e..0ab79410ac1 100644
--- a/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
+++ b/ctdb/include/ctdb_private.h
@@ -234,10 +234,14 @@ struct ctdb_write_record {
 
 enum ctdb_freeze_mode {CTDB_FREEZE_NONE, CTDB_FREEZE_PENDING, CTDB_FREEZE_FROZEN};
 
+#define CTDB_MONITORING_ACTIVE		0
+#define CTDB_MONITORING_DISABLED	1
+
 /* main state of the ctdb daemon */
 struct ctdb_context {
 	struct event_context *ev;
 	uint32_t recovery_mode;
+	uint32_t monitoring_mode;
 	enum ctdb_freeze_mode freeze_mode;
 	struct ctdb_freeze_handle *freeze_handle;
 	struct ctdb_address address;
@@ -367,6 +371,8 @@ enum ctdb_controls {CTDB_CONTROL_PROCESS_EXISTS,
 		    CTDB_CONTROL_THAW,
 		    CTDB_CONTROL_GET_VNN,
 		    CTDB_CONTROL_SHUTDOWN,
+		    CTDB_CONTROL_GET_MONMODE,
+		    CTDB_CONTROL_SET_MONMODE,
 };
 
 
diff --git a/ctdb/tools/ctdb_control.c b/ctdb/tools/ctdb_control.c
index df0d755d0a1..992991c2324 100644
--- a/ctdb/tools/ctdb_control.c
+++ b/ctdb/tools/ctdb_control.c
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ static void usage(void)
 		"  setrecmode <vnn> <mode>            set recovery mode\n"
 		"  getrecmaster <vnn>                 get recovery master\n"
 		"  setrecmaster <vnn> <master_vnn>    set recovery master\n"
+		"  getmonmode <vnn>                   get monitoring mode\n"
+		"  setmonmode <vnn> <mode>            set monitoring mode\n"
 		"  attach <dbname>                    attach a database\n"
 		"  getpid <vnn>                       get the pid of a ctdb daemon\n"
 		"  shutdown <vnn>                     shutdown a remote ctdb\n"
@@ -420,6 +422,56 @@ static int control_setrecmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, int argc, const char **
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+  display monitoring mode of a remote node
+ */
+static int control_getmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	uint32_t vnn, monmode;
+	int ret;
+
+
+	if (argc < 1) {
+		usage();
+	}
+
+	vnn     = strtoul(argv[0], NULL, 0);
+
+	ret = ctdb_ctrl_getmonmode(ctdb, timeval_current_ofs(timelimit, 0), vnn, &monmode);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		printf("Unable to get monmode from node %u\n", vnn);
+		return ret;
+	}
+	printf("Monitoring mode:%s (%d)\n",monmode==CTDB_MONITORING_ACTIVE?"ACTIVE":"DISABLED",monmode);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+  set the monitoring mode of a remote node
+ */
+static int control_setmonmode(struct ctdb_context *ctdb, int argc, const char **argv)
+{
+	uint32_t vnn, monmode;
+	int ret;
+
+
+	if (argc < 2) {
+		usage();
+	}
+
+	vnn     = strtoul(argv[0], NULL, 0);
+	monmode = strtoul(argv[1], NULL, 0);
+
+	ret = ctdb_ctrl_setmonmode(ctdb, timeval_current_ofs(timelimit, 0), vnn, monmode);
+	if (ret != 0) {
+		printf("Unable to set monmode on node %u\n", vnn);
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /*
   display recovery master of a remote node
  */
@@ -994,6 +1046,8 @@ int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
 		{ "setrecmode", control_setrecmode },
 		{ "getrecmaster", control_getrecmaster },
 		{ "setrecmaster", control_setrecmaster },
+		{ "getmonmode", control_getmonmode },
+		{ "setmonmode", control_setmonmode },
 		{ "ping", control_ping },
 		{ "debug", control_debug },
 		{ "debuglevel", control_debuglevel },