diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index f3c4fac..f532de2 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -789,6 +789,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[])
 			{
 				opts.tty = 1;
 				opts.ttyopts.ptmx = tty_default_ptmx;
+				opts.ttyopts.drain = true;
 
 				/* 128 is enough to support everything */
 				struct kvlist kvlist[128];
diff --git a/man/bst.1.scd b/man/bst.1.scd
index 6195402..f25f1b2 100644
--- a/man/bst.1.scd
+++ b/man/bst.1.scd
@@ -371,6 +371,9 @@ spacetime process.
 	- *ptmx*=<path>: use the specified ptmx device (relative to the target root)
 	  to allocated the pty.
 
+	- *drain*: whether to drain the tty on stdin closure.  The default is true,
+	  so prepend a _'-'_ to this option to prevent draining.
+
 	By default bst inherits the parent's terminal device (or lack thereof).  Use
 	the --tty option to allocate a new pty for the child process.
 
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index 2f0237f..61fce81 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -39,8 +39,10 @@ static struct tty_parent_info_s {
 	int termfd;
 	struct termios orig;
 	bool stdinIsatty;
+	bool drain;
 } info = {
 	.termfd = -1,
+	.drain = true,
 };
 
 static ssize_t io_copy(int out_fd, int in_fd, struct buffer *buf)
@@ -145,15 +147,17 @@ static void tty_parent_resetterm(void)
 
 static void tty_parent_drain(void)
 {
-	/* Drain any remaining data in the terminal buffer */
-	set_nonblock(STDOUT_FILENO, 0);
-	set_nonblock(info.termfd, 0);
-	struct buffer drain = {
-		.size = 0,
-	};
+	if (info.drain) {
+		/* Drain any remaining data in the terminal buffer */
+		set_nonblock(STDOUT_FILENO, 0);
+		set_nonblock(info.termfd, 0);
+		struct buffer drain = {
+			.size = 0,
+		};
 
-	if (io_copy(STDOUT_FILENO, info.termfd, &drain) == -1 && errno != EIO) {
-		warn("copy tty -> stdout");
+		if (io_copy(STDOUT_FILENO, info.termfd, &drain) == -1 && errno != EIO) {
+			warn("copy tty -> stdout");
+		}
 	}
 
 	close_null(STDOUT_FILENO);
@@ -358,6 +362,8 @@ void tty_parent_setup(struct tty_opts *opts, int epollfd, int socket)
 
 	struct termios tios;
 
+	info.drain = opts->drain;
+
 	info.stdinIsatty = tcgetattr(STDIN_FILENO, &tios) == 0;
 	if (!info.stdinIsatty && errno != ENOTTY) {
 		err(1, "tty_parent: tcgetattr");
@@ -656,6 +662,14 @@ static void parse_ptmx(struct tty_opts *opts, const char *key, const char *val,
 	opts->ptmx = val;
 }
 
+static void parse_drain(struct tty_opts *opts, const char *key, const char *val, const void *cookie)
+{
+	if (val != NULL) {
+		errx(2, "tty option '%s' must have no value", key);
+	}
+	opts->drain = (key[0] != '-');
+}
+
 static int cmp_flag(const void *key, const void *elem)
 {
 	return strcmp(key, ((const struct valmap *)elem)->name);
@@ -675,6 +689,7 @@ void tty_opt_parse(struct tty_opts *opts, const char *key, const char *val)
 		{ "cread",      parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_cflag = CREAD    } },
 		{ "crtscts",    parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_cflag = CRTSCTS  } },
 		{ "cstopb",     parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_cflag = CSTOPB   } },
+		{ "drain",      parse_drain, .cookie = NULL                                            },
 		{ "echo",       parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_lflag = ECHO     } },
 		{ "echoctl",    parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_lflag = ECHOCTL  } },
 		{ "echoe",      parse_flag,  .cookie = &(const struct termios) { .c_lflag = ECHOE    } },
diff --git a/tty.h b/tty.h
index aabba80..fc0fc35 100644
--- a/tty.h
+++ b/tty.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ struct tty_opts {
 	const char *ptmx;
 	struct termios termios;
 	struct termios neg_termios;
+	bool drain;
 };
 
 extern const char *tty_default_ptmx;