--- usr.sbin/arp/arp.c
+++ usr.sbin/arp/arp.c
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
 #include <sys/ioctl.h>
 #include <sys/time.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <net/if_dl.h>
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <strings.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <syslog.h>
 
 void search(u_long addr, void (*action)(struct sockaddr_dl *sdl,
 	struct sockaddr_inarp *sin, struct rt_msghdr *rtm));
@@ -121,6 +124,8 @@
 #define F_REPLACE	4
 #define F_DELETE	5
 
+/* timeout for arp */
+#define TIMEOUT		20
 #define ROUNDUP(a) \
 	((a) > 0 ? (1 + (((a) - 1) | (sizeof(long) - 1))) : sizeof(long))
 #define SETFUNC(f)	{ if (func) usage(); func = (f); }
@@ -130,7 +135,17 @@
 {
 	int ch, func = 0;
 	int rtn = 0;
-
+	int pidfork;
+	int arpdone=0;
+   	int tout=TIMEOUT;
+	int status;
+
+	openlog("arp", LOG_CONS, LOG_USER); 
+  	while (arpdone==0) {
+      		pidfork = fork(); 
+      		if (pidfork==0) {
+			alarm(tout);
+			/* Beginning of ARP */
 	pid = getpid();
 	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "andfsSi:")) != -1)
 		switch((char)ch) {
@@ -222,6 +237,25 @@
 		break;
 	}
 
+		        arpdone=1;
+			alarm(0);
+      		}
+      		else if (pidfork>0) {
+			wait(&status);
+			if (WIFSIGNALED(status)) {
+				arpdone=0;
+				syslog(LOG_WARNING, "config failed, restarting");
+			}
+			else {
+				arpdone=1;
+				rtn=WEXITSTATUS(status);
+			}
+      		}
+      		else {
+			syslog (LOG_ERR, "forking failed");
+			arpdone=0;
+      		}
+  	}
 	return(rtn);
 }