diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 5d3039a6..f9857a72 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -75,11 +75,53 @@ static void hide_args(int argc, char *argv[])
 	}
 }
 
+int get_bool(char *ptr, int default_value)
+{
+	if (string_compare(ptr, "true") || string_compare(ptr, "on") || string_compare(ptr, "1"))
+		return 1;
+	if (string_compare(ptr, "false") || string_compare(ptr, "off") || string_compare(ptr, "0"))
+		return 0;
+
+	return default_value;
+}
+
+/*
+ * finit.debug = [on,off]
+ * finit.show_status = [on,off]
+ */
+static void parse_finit_opts(char *opt)
+{
+	char *ptr;
+
+	ptr = strchr(opt, '=');
+	if (ptr)
+		*ptr++ = 0;
+
+	if (string_compare(opt, "debug")) {
+		debug = get_bool(ptr, 1);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (string_compare(opt, "status_style")) {
+		if (string_compare(ptr, "old") || string_compare(ptr, "classic"))
+			show_progress(PROGRESS_CLASSIC);
+		else
+			show_progress(PROGRESS_MODERN);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (string_compare(opt, "show_status")) {
+		show_progress(get_bool(ptr, 1) ? PROGRESS_DEFAULT : PROGRESS_SILENT);
+		return;
+	}
+}
+
 static void parse_arg(char *arg)
 {
-	/* Catches finit_debug, --debug, and debug */
-	if (strstr(arg, "debug"))
-		debug = 1;
+	if (!strncmp(arg, "finit.", 6)) {
+		parse_finit_opts(&arg[6]);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	if (string_compare(arg, "rescue") || string_compare(arg, "recover"))
 		rescue = 1;
diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 5ab7be28..bf4085f6 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -307,11 +307,8 @@ static void finalize(void)
 	plugin_run_hooks(HOOK_SYSTEM_UP);
 	service_step_all(SVC_TYPE_ANY);
 
-	/* Enable silent mode before starting TTYs */
-	if (!debug) {
-		_d("Going silent ...");
-		show_progress(0);
-	}
+	/* Disable progress output at normal runtime */
+	enable_progress(0);
 
 	/* Delayed start of TTYs at bootstrap */
 	_d("Launching all getty services ...");
@@ -410,6 +407,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (!rescue && !debug)
 		screen_init();
 
+	/* Allow progress, if enabled */
+	enable_progress(1);
+
 	/*
 	 * In case of emergency.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/helpers.c b/src/helpers.c
index 89e639bf..8318f344 100644
--- a/src/helpers.c
+++ b/src/helpers.c
@@ -39,13 +39,7 @@
 #include "util.h"
 #include "utmp-api.h"
 
-typedef enum {
-	PROGRESS_SILENT,
-	PROGRESS_CLASSIC,
-	PROGRESS_MODERN,
-} pstyle_t;
-
-#define PROGRESS_DEFAULT PROGRESS_MODERN
+static pstyle_t progress_onoff = PROGRESS_DEFAULT;
 static pstyle_t progress_style = PROGRESS_DEFAULT;
 
 #ifndef HOSTNAME_PATH
@@ -189,14 +183,22 @@ char *strip_line(char *line)
 	return line;
 }
 
-void show_progress(int onoff)
+void enable_progress(int onoff)
 {
+	if (debug)
+		return;
+
 	if (onoff)
-		progress_style = PROGRESS_DEFAULT;
+		progress_style = progress_onoff;
 	else
 		progress_style = PROGRESS_SILENT;
 }
 
+void show_progress(pstyle_t style)
+{
+	progress_onoff = style;
+}
+
 /*
  * Return screen length of string, not counting escape chars, and
  * accounting for unicode characters as only one screen byte wide
diff --git a/src/helpers.h b/src/helpers.h
index a3f32a79..e4fc1595 100644
--- a/src/helpers.h
+++ b/src/helpers.h
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@
 #include <lite/lite.h>
 #include "log.h"
 
+#define PROGRESS_DEFAULT PROGRESS_MODERN
+
+typedef enum {
+	PROGRESS_SILENT,
+	PROGRESS_CLASSIC,
+	PROGRESS_MODERN,
+} pstyle_t;
+
 #ifndef HAVE_GETFSENT
 struct fstab {
 	char       *fs_spec;       /* block device name */
@@ -55,7 +63,9 @@ void    console_init    (void);
 ssize_t cprintf         (const char *fmt, ...);
 
 char   *strip_line      (char *line);
-void    show_progress   (int onoff);
+
+void    enable_progress (int onoff);
+void    show_progress   (pstyle_t style);
 
 int     getty           (char *tty, speed_t speed, char *term, char *user);
 int     sh              (char *tty);
diff --git a/src/log.c b/src/log.c
index d2a56451..ca251c58 100644
--- a/src/log.c
+++ b/src/log.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void log_exit(void)
 	else
 		screen_init();
 
-	show_progress(1);
+	enable_progress(1);
 }
 
 void log_open(void)
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ void log_debug(void)
 		screen_init();
 	}
 	log_open();
+	enable_progress(1);
 
 	logit(LOG_NOTICE, "Debug mode %s", debug ? "enabled" : "disabled");
 }