diff --git a/sys/conf/NOTES b/sys/conf/NOTES
index 41434c4206d9..405cbc28e845 100644
--- a/sys/conf/NOTES
+++ b/sys/conf/NOTES
@@ -387,6 +387,16 @@ options 	DIAGNOSTIC
 #
 options		REGRESSION
 
+#
+# RESTARTABLE_PANICS allows one to continue from a panic as if it were
+# a call to the debugger via the Debugger() function instead.  It is only
+# useful if a kernel debugger is present.  To restart from a panic, reset
+# the panicstr variable to NULL and continue execution.  This option is
+# for development use only and should NOT be used in production systems
+# to "workaround" a panic.
+#
+options 	RESTARTABLE_PANICS
+
 #
 # PERFMON causes the driver for Pentium/Pentium Pro performance counters
 # to be compiled.  See perfmon(4) for more information.
diff --git a/sys/conf/options b/sys/conf/options
index 6e62f52c87cd..f43d3d664c7c 100644
--- a/sys/conf/options
+++ b/sys/conf/options
@@ -387,6 +387,7 @@ ENABLE_VFS_IOOPT	opt_global.h
 INVARIANT_SUPPORT	opt_global.h
 INVARIANTS		opt_global.h
 REGRESSION		opt_global.h
+RESTARTABLE_PANICS	opt_global.h
 SIMPLELOCK_DEBUG	opt_global.h
 VFS_BIO_DEBUG		opt_global.h
 
diff --git a/sys/i386/conf/NOTES b/sys/i386/conf/NOTES
index 41434c4206d9..405cbc28e845 100644
--- a/sys/i386/conf/NOTES
+++ b/sys/i386/conf/NOTES
@@ -387,6 +387,16 @@ options 	DIAGNOSTIC
 #
 options		REGRESSION
 
+#
+# RESTARTABLE_PANICS allows one to continue from a panic as if it were
+# a call to the debugger via the Debugger() function instead.  It is only
+# useful if a kernel debugger is present.  To restart from a panic, reset
+# the panicstr variable to NULL and continue execution.  This option is
+# for development use only and should NOT be used in production systems
+# to "workaround" a panic.
+#
+options 	RESTARTABLE_PANICS
+
 #
 # PERFMON causes the driver for Pentium/Pentium Pro performance counters
 # to be compiled.  See perfmon(4) for more information.
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
index 3b83723cc633..1afa80fb0077 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
@@ -610,6 +610,7 @@ panic(const char *fmt, ...)
 #if defined(DDB)
 	if (debugger_on_panic)
 		Debugger ("panic");
+#ifdef RESTARTABLE_PANICS
 	/* See if the user aborted the panic, in which case we continue. */
 	if (panicstr == NULL) {
 #ifdef SMP
@@ -617,6 +618,7 @@ panic(const char *fmt, ...)
 #endif
 		return;
 	}
+#endif
 #endif
 	boot(bootopt);
 }
diff --git a/sys/sys/param.h b/sys/sys/param.h
index 984735f70bfb..59da5f0dc6f6 100644
--- a/sys/sys/param.h
+++ b/sys/sys/param.h
@@ -236,6 +236,10 @@
  * things that included sys/systm.h just for panic().
  */
 #ifdef _KERNEL
+#ifdef RESTARTABLE_PANICS
+void	panic __P((const char *, ...)) __printflike(1, 2);
+#else
 void	panic __P((const char *, ...)) __dead2 __printflike(1, 2);
 #endif
+#endif
 #endif	/* _SYS_PARAM_H_ */