diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a9da39f7..5e36bbee 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ PKG_CHECK_MODULES([uev],  [libuev >= 1.4.0])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES([lite], [libite >= 1.5.0])
 
 # Check for configured Finit features
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(emergency_shell,
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-emergency-shell], [Experimental emergency fallback at boot.
+	                Only use this for debugging very early boot problems with Finit.]))
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(rw-rootfs,
         AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-rw-rootfs], [Remount / R/W at boot, usually not for embedded]))
 
@@ -117,6 +121,9 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(random-seed,
 ### Enable features ###########################################################################
 
 # Create config.h from selected features and fallback defautls
+AS_IF([test "x$enable_emergency_shell" = "xyes"], [
+        AC_DEFINE(EMERGENCY_SHELL,  1, [Fork off init and let PID 1 wait and start /bin/sh if init crashes.])])
+
 AS_IF([test "x$enable_rw_rootfs" = "xyes"], [
         AC_DEFINE(REMOUNT_ROOTFS,  1, [Remount / as rw at boot])])
 
diff --git a/finit.c b/finit.c
index 2dc2776e..0365e207 100644
--- a/finit.c
+++ b/finit.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <mntent.h>
 #include <sys/mount.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>		/* umask(), mkdir() */
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <lite/lite.h>
 
 #include "finit.h"
@@ -202,6 +203,33 @@ static int fismnt(char *dir)
 	return found;
 }
 
+/*
+ * If everything goes south we can use this to give the operator an
+ * emergency shell to debug the problem -- Finit should not crash!
+ */
+static void emergency_shell(void)
+{
+#ifdef EMERGENCY_SHELL
+	pid_t pid;
+
+	pid = fork();
+	if (pid) {
+		waitpid(pid, NULL, 0);
+		fprintf(stderr, "\n=> Embarrassingly, Finit has crashed.  Check /dev/kmsg for details.\n");
+		fprintf(stderr, "=> For more, remove 'quiet' and add '--debug' to the kernel command line.\n\n");
+
+		/*
+		 * Become session leader and set controlling TTY
+		 * to enable Ctrl-C and job control in shell.
+		 */
+		setsid();
+		ioctl(STDIN_FILENO, TIOCSCTTY, 1);
+
+		execl(_PATH_BSHELL, _PATH_BSHELL, NULL);
+	}
+#endif /* EMERGENCY_SHELL */
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
 	int err;
@@ -215,6 +243,11 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 	if (getpid() != 1)
 		return client(argc, argv);
 
+	/*
+	 * In case of emergency.
+	 */
+	emergency_shell();
+
 	/*
 	 * Hello world.
 	 */