diff --git a/src/cgutil.c b/src/cgutil.c
index 3ed591b8..cc8be99b 100644
--- a/src/cgutil.c
+++ b/src/cgutil.c
@@ -446,6 +446,7 @@ int show_cgtop(char *arg)
 {
 	struct sysinfo si = { 0 };
 	char path[512];
+	int laps = 0;
 
 	if (!arg)
 		arg = FINIT_CGPATH;
@@ -465,6 +466,9 @@ int show_cgtop(char *arg)
 		if (heading)
 			print_header(" VmSIZE     RSS   VmLIB  %%MEM  %%CPU  GROUP");
 		cgroup_tree(arg, NULL, 1);
+
+		if (ionce && laps++)
+			break;
 		sleep(1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/initctl.c b/src/initctl.c
index e5666c3f..0013081a 100644
--- a/src/initctl.c
+++ b/src/initctl.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct cmd {
 
 int icreate  = 0;
 int iforce   = 0;
+int ionce    = 0;
 int heading  = 1;
 int verbose  = 0;
 int plain    = 0;
@@ -714,6 +715,7 @@ static int usage(int rc)
 		"  -b, --batch               Batch mode, no screen size probing\n"
 		"  -c, --create              Create missing paths (and files) as needed\n"
 		"  -f, --force               Ignore missing files and arguments, never prompt\n"
+		"  -1, --once                Only one lap in commands like 'top'\n"
 		"  -p, --plain               Use plain table headings, no ctrl chars\n"
 		"  -t, --no-heading          Skip table headings\n"
 		"  -v, --verbose             Verbose output\n"
@@ -842,6 +844,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "create",     0, NULL, 'c' },
 		{ "force",      0, NULL, 'f' },
 		{ "help",       0, NULL, 'h' },
+		{ "once",       0, NULL, '1' },
 		{ "plain",      0, NULL, 'p' },
 		{ "no-heading", 0, NULL, 't' },
 		{ "verbose",    0, NULL, 'v' },
@@ -898,8 +901,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (transform(progname(argv[0])))
 		return reboot_main(argc, argv);
 
-	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "bcfh?ptv", long_options, NULL)) != EOF) {
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "1bcfh?ptv", long_options, NULL)) != EOF) {
 		switch(c) {
+		case '1':
+			ionce = 1;
+			break;
+
 		case 'b':
 			interactive = 0;
 			break;
diff --git a/src/initctl.h b/src/initctl.h
index a0dd50ca..256b72ec 100644
--- a/src/initctl.h
+++ b/src/initctl.h
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 extern int icreate;			/* initctl -c */
 extern int iforce;			/* initctl -f */
+extern int ionce;			/* initctl -1 */
 extern int heading;			/* initctl -t */
 extern int verbose;			/* initctl -v */
 extern int plain;			/* initctl -p */