diff --git a/src/ChangeLog b/src/ChangeLog
index 5ab090a4c..558945b16 100644
--- a/src/ChangeLog
+++ b/src/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 2003-10-08  Pavel Roskin  <proski@gnu.org>
 
+	* background.h: Eliminate background_wait variable.  Adjust all
+	dependencies.
+
 	* main.c (argument_table): Reorder options into logical groups.
 
 2003-10-07  Pavel Roskin  <proski@gnu.org>
diff --git a/src/background.c b/src/background.c
index b156c696e..97ed814a4 100644
--- a/src/background.c
+++ b/src/background.c
@@ -56,12 +56,10 @@
 int we_are_background = 0;
 
 #ifdef WITH_BACKGROUND
-/* If set background tasks wait to be attached */
-int background_wait = 0;
 
 #ifndef HAVE_SOCKETPAIR
 int socketpair(int, int, int, int fd[2]);
-#endif
+#endif /* HAVE_SOCKETPAIR */
 
 /* File descriptor for talking to our parent */
 static int parent_fd;
@@ -122,7 +120,7 @@ unregister_task_running (pid_t pid, int fd)
 int
 do_background (FileOpContext *ctx, char *info)
 {
-    int comm [2];		/* control connection stream */
+    int comm[2];		/* control connection stream */
     pid_t pid;
 
     if (socketpair (AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0, comm) == -1)
@@ -131,10 +129,10 @@ do_background (FileOpContext *ctx, char *info)
     if ((pid = fork ()) == -1)
 	return -1;
 
-    if (pid == 0){
+    if (pid == 0) {
 	int nullfd;
 
-	parent_fd = comm [1];
+	parent_fd = comm[1];
 	we_are_background = 1;
 
 	/* Make stdin/stdout/stderr point somewhere */
@@ -142,31 +140,20 @@ do_background (FileOpContext *ctx, char *info)
 	close (1);
 	close (2);
 
-	if ((nullfd = open ("/dev/null", O_RDONLY)) != -1){
-	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 0) == -1 && errno == EINTR)
-		    ;
-	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 1) == -1 && errno == EINTR)
-		    ;
-	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 2) == -1 && errno == EINTR)
-		    ;
+	if ((nullfd = open ("/dev/null", O_RDONLY)) != -1) {
+	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 0) == -1 && errno == EINTR);
+	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 1) == -1 && errno == EINTR);
+	    while (dup2 (nullfd, 2) == -1 && errno == EINTR);
 	}
 
 	/* To make it obvious if it fails, there is a bug report on this */
 	write (2, mymsg, sizeof (mymsg));
 	write (1, mymsg, sizeof (mymsg));
-
-	/* Just for debugging the background back end */
-	if (background_wait){
-	    volatile int i = 1;
-	    
-	    while (i)
-		;
-	}
 	return 0;
     } else {
-	close (comm [1]);
+	close (comm[1]);
 	ctx->pid = pid;
-	register_task_running (ctx, pid, comm [0], info);
+	register_task_running (ctx, pid, comm[0], info);
 	return 1;
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/background.h b/src/background.h
index 27ad9031f..ea0b364cb 100644
--- a/src/background.h
+++ b/src/background.h
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@ typedef struct TaskList {
 
 extern struct TaskList *task_list;
 
-extern int background_wait;
-
 void tell_parent (int msg);
 
 /* fileopctx.h must be included for FileOpContext to be defined */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 3db294ee1..f62a74fbc 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -2002,10 +2002,6 @@ static const struct poptOption argument_table[] = {
     {"debuglevel", 'D', POPT_ARG_STRING, NULL, 'D',
      N_("Set debug level")},
 #endif
-#endif
-#ifdef WITH_BACKGROUND
-    {"background", 'B', POPT_ARG_NONE, &background_wait, 0,
-     N_("Use to debug the background code")},
 #endif
 
     /* options for wrappers */