diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index e889ca4dd..df222c520 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -1186,6 +1186,34 @@ do_flush_name(SSL* ssl, struct worker* worker, char* arg)
 	send_ok(ssl);
 }
 
+/** do the status command */
+static void
+do_status(SSL* ssl, struct worker* worker)
+{
+	int i;
+	time_t uptime;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "version: %s\n", PACKAGE_VERSION))
+		return;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "verbosity: %d\n", verbosity))
+		return;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "threads: %d\n", worker->daemon->num))
+		return;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "modules: %d [", worker->daemon->mods.num))
+		return;
+	for(i=0; i<worker->daemon->mods.num; i++) {
+		if(!ssl_printf(ssl, " %s", worker->daemon->mods.mod[i]->name))
+			return;
+	}
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, " ]\n"))
+		return;
+	uptime = (time_t)time(NULL) - (time_t)worker->daemon->time_boot.tv_sec;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "uptime: %u seconds\n", (unsigned)uptime))
+		return;
+	if(!ssl_printf(ssl, "unbound (pid %d) is running...\n",
+		(int)getpid()))
+		return;
+}
+
 /** tell other processes to execute the command */
 void
 distribute_cmd(struct daemon_remote* rc, SSL* ssl, char* cmd)
@@ -1221,6 +1249,9 @@ execute_cmd(struct daemon_remote* rc, SSL* ssl, char* cmd,
 	} else if(strncmp(p, "stats", 5) == 0) {
 		do_stats(ssl, rc);
 		return;
+	} else if(strncmp(p, "status", 6) == 0) {
+		do_status(ssl, worker);
+		return;
 	} else if(strncmp(p, "dump_cache", 10) == 0) {
 		(void)dump_cache(ssl, worker);
 		return;
diff --git a/doc/Changelog b/doc/Changelog
index 3b05bde5c..103aadb4c 100644
--- a/doc/Changelog
+++ b/doc/Changelog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 17 December 2008: Wouter
 	- follows ldns makedist.sh. -rc option. autom4te dir removed.
+	- unbound-control status command.
 
 16 December 2008: Wouter
 	- follow makedist improvements from ldns, for maintainers prereleases.
diff --git a/doc/unbound-control.8.in b/doc/unbound-control.8.in
index 999453477..068abfb4a 100644
--- a/doc/unbound-control.8.in
+++ b/doc/unbound-control.8.in
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ Print statistics. Resets the internal counters to zero, this can be
 controlled using the \fBstatistics\-cumulative\fR config statement. 
 Statistics are printed with one [name]: [value] per line.
 .TP
+.B status
+Display server status. Exit code 3 if not running (the connection to the 
+port is refused), 1 on error, 0 if running.
+.TP
 .B local_zone \fIname\fR \fItype
 Add new local zone with name and type. Like \fBlocal\-zone\fR config statement.
 If the zone already exists, the type is changed to the given argument.
diff --git a/services/localzone.h b/services/localzone.h
index 742405c74..1652a95af 100644
--- a/services/localzone.h
+++ b/services/localzone.h
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ enum localzone_type {
 
 /**
  * Authoritative local zones storage, shared.
- * This tree is fixed at startup, so, readonly, no locks or mutexes necessary.
  */
 struct local_zones {
 	/** lock on the localzone tree */
diff --git a/smallapp/unbound-control.c b/smallapp/unbound-control.c
index 728667e3f..3d81fe398 100644
--- a/smallapp/unbound-control.c
+++ b/smallapp/unbound-control.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ usage()
 	printf("  stop				stops the server\n");
 	printf("  reload			reloads the server\n");
 	printf("  stats				print statistics\n");
+	printf("  status			display status of server\n");
 	printf("  verbosity [number]		change logging detail\n");
 	printf("  local_zone [name] [type] 	add new local zone\n");
 	printf("  local_zone_remove [name]	remove local zone and its contents\n");
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ setup_ctx(struct config_file* cfg)
 
 /** contact the server with TCP connect */
 static int
-contact_server(const char* svr, struct config_file* cfg)
+contact_server(const char* svr, struct config_file* cfg, int statuscmd)
 {
 	struct sockaddr_storage addr;
 	socklen_t addrlen;
@@ -163,8 +164,16 @@ contact_server(const char* svr, struct config_file* cfg)
 		log_addr(0, "address", &addr, addrlen);
 #ifndef USE_WINSOCK
 		log_err("connect: %s", strerror(errno));
+		if(errno == ECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
+			printf("unbound is stopped\n");
+			exit(3);
+		}
 #else
 		log_err("connect: %s", wsa_strerror(WSAGetLastError()));
+		if(WSAGetLastError() == WSAECONNREFUSED && statuscmd) {
+			printf("unbound is stopped\n");
+			exit(3);
+		}
 #endif
 		exit(1);
 	}
@@ -278,7 +287,7 @@ go(const char* cfgfile, char* svr, int argc, char* argv[])
 	ctx = setup_ctx(cfg);
 	
 	/* contact server */
-	fd = contact_server(svr, cfg);
+	fd = contact_server(svr, cfg, argc>0&&strcmp(argv[0],"status")==0);
 	ssl = setup_ssl(ctx, fd);
 	
 	/* send command */