diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
index b27b13294af510eb85df50b01bb8eb616ddc8977..7b1fbd68a3338d85ede99135d4652bc0d3021327 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
-$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.26 2000/09/30 16:58:20 petere Exp $
+$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.27 2000/10/08 09:25:35 ishii Exp $
 -->
 
 <Chapter Id="runtime">
@@ -962,6 +962,21 @@ env PGOPTIONS='--geqo=off' psql
       </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
 
+     <varlistentry>
+      <term>SILENT_MODE (<type>bool</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+	    Runs postmaster silently. If this option is set, postmaser
+        will automatically run in background and any controlling ttys
+        are disassociated, thus no message is put to stdout or
+        stderr(same effect as postmaster's -S option). Unless some
+        logging systems such as syslog is enabled, using this option
+        is discouraged since it makes difficult to find error
+        messages.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
      <varlistentry>
       <term>SORT_MEM (<type>integer</type>)</term>
       <listitem>
diff --git a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
index 99ae61b2b5bb6572c967535ea4d1adf2f2bf6edb..7b49bcdab9d1c80775a800ba3544dc9022388362 100644
--- a/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
+++ b/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
  *
  *
  * IDENTIFICATION
- *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.168 2000/10/03 03:11:16 momjian Exp $
+ *	  $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/postmaster/postmaster.c,v 1.169 2000/10/08 09:25:36 ishii Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ static int	SendStop = false;
 
 bool NetServer = false;	/* listen on TCP/IP */
 bool EnableSSL = false;
-
+bool SilentMode = false;	/* silent mode (-S) */
 
 static pid_t StartupPID = 0,
 			ShutdownPID = 0;
@@ -302,7 +302,6 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int			opt;
 	int			status;
-	int			silentflag = 0;
 	char		original_extraoptions[MAXPGPATH];
 
 	IsUnderPostmaster = true;	/* so that backends know this */
@@ -501,7 +500,7 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 				 * it's most badly needed on SysV-derived systems like
 				 * SVR4 and HP-UX.
 				 */
-				silentflag = 1;
+				SilentMode = true;
 				break;
 			case 's':
 
@@ -601,7 +600,7 @@ PostmasterMain(int argc, char *argv[])
 	BackendList = DLNewList();
 	PortList = DLNewList();
 
-	if (silentflag)
+	if (SilentMode)
 		pmdaemonize(argc, argv);
 	else
 	{
diff --git a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
index 1cbc4121a0699f2d05a6406b0c61161d99b1d549..e877f41e737c1b84583708cefbe1f96ed557e67e 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * Support for grand unified configuration scheme, including SET
  * command, configuration file, and command line options.
  *
- * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.11 2000/09/06 19:54:47 petere Exp $
+ * $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v 1.12 2000/10/08 09:25:37 ishii Exp $
  *
  * Copyright 2000 by PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  * Written by Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net>.
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ ConfigureNamesBool[] =
 	{"tcpip_socket",            PGC_POSTMASTER, &NetServer,             false},
 	{"ssl",                     PGC_POSTMASTER, &EnableSSL,             false},
 	{"fsync",                   PGC_USERSET,    &enableFsync,           true},
+	{"silent_mode",             PGC_POSTMASTER, &SilentMode,            false},
 
 	{"log_connections",         PGC_SIGHUP,     &Log_connections,       false},
 	{"log_timestamp",           PGC_SIGHUP,     &Log_timestamp,         false},
diff --git a/src/include/miscadmin.h b/src/include/miscadmin.h
index 2132b3bb28ecd6fe310acf1fe48db67221960c43..fcced217efb928c6ec2fdadd801e563c4b29b045 100644
--- a/src/include/miscadmin.h
+++ b/src/include/miscadmin.h
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1996-2000, PostgreSQL, Inc
  * Portions Copyright (c) 1994, Regents of the University of California
  *
- * $Id: miscadmin.h,v 1.67 2000/09/19 18:17:58 petere Exp $
+ * $Id: miscadmin.h,v 1.68 2000/10/08 09:25:38 ishii Exp $
  *
  * NOTES
  *	  some of the information in this file will be moved to
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ extern int	SortMem;
 
 extern bool NetServer;
 extern bool EnableSSL;
+extern bool SilentMode;
 extern int MaxBackends;
 extern int NBuffers;
 extern int PostPortName;