diff --git a/agent/gpg-agent.c b/agent/gpg-agent.c
index 2c4d313f5..46fb840bb 100644
--- a/agent/gpg-agent.c
+++ b/agent/gpg-agent.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ enum cmd_and_opt_values
   oEnablePassphraseHistory,
   oDisableExtendedKeyFormat,
   oEnableExtendedKeyFormat,
+  oStealSocket,
   oUseStandardSocket,
   oNoUseStandardSocket,
   oExtraSocket,
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ static gpgrt_opt_t opts[] = {
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oNoDetach,  "no-detach", N_("do not detach from the console")),
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oSh,	  "sh",        N_("sh-style command output")),
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oCsh,	  "csh",       N_("csh-style command output")),
+  ARGPARSE_s_n (oStealSocket, "steal-socket", "@"),
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oDisplay,    "display",     "@"),
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oTTYname,    "ttyname",     "@"),
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oTTYtype,    "ttytype",     "@"),
@@ -382,6 +384,9 @@ static int disable_check_own_socket;
 /* Flag indicating that we are in supervised mode.  */
 static int is_supervised;
 
+/* Flag indicating to start the daemon even if one already runs.  */
+static int steal_socket;
+
 /* Flag to inhibit socket removal in cleanup.  */
 static int inhibit_socket_removal;
 
@@ -1238,6 +1243,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
         case oSh: csh_style = 0; break;
         case oServer: pipe_server = 1; break;
         case oDaemon: is_daemon = 1; break;
+        case oStealSocket: steal_socket = 1; break;
         case oSupervised: is_supervised = 1; break;
 
         case oDisplay: default_display = xstrdup (pargs.r.ret_str); break;
@@ -2239,14 +2245,20 @@ create_server_socket (char *name, int primary, int cygwin,
          server is not yet operational; this would lead to a hang.  */
       if (primary && !check_for_running_agent (1))
         {
-          log_set_prefix (NULL, GPGRT_LOG_WITH_PREFIX);
-          log_set_file (NULL);
-          log_error (_("a gpg-agent is already running - "
-                       "not starting a new one\n"));
-          *name = 0; /* Inhibit removal of the socket by cleanup(). */
-          assuan_sock_close (fd);
-          xfree (unaddr);
-          agent_exit (2);
+          if (steal_socket)
+            log_info (N_("trying to steal socket from running %s\n"),
+                      "gpg-agent");
+          else
+            {
+              log_set_prefix (NULL, GPGRT_LOG_WITH_PREFIX);
+              log_set_file (NULL);
+              log_error (_("a gpg-agent is already running - "
+                           "not starting a new one\n"));
+              *name = 0; /* Inhibit removal of the socket by cleanup(). */
+              assuan_sock_close (fd);
+              xfree (unaddr);
+              agent_exit (2);
+            }
         }
       gnupg_remove (unaddr->sun_path);
       rc = assuan_sock_bind (fd, addr, len);
diff --git a/dirmngr/dirmngr.c b/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
index 51a586e20..78ca4b215 100644
--- a/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
+++ b/dirmngr/dirmngr.c
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ enum cmd_and_opt_values {
   oForce,
   oAllowOCSP,
   oAllowVersionCheck,
+  oStealSocket,
   oSocketName,
   oLDAPWrapperProgram,
   oHTTPWrapperProgram,
@@ -186,6 +187,7 @@ static gpgrt_opt_t opts[] = {
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oNoDetach, "no-detach", N_("do not detach from the console")),
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oSh,       "sh",        N_("sh-style command output")),
   ARGPARSE_s_n (oCsh,      "csh",       N_("csh-style command output")),
+  ARGPARSE_s_n (oStealSocket, "steal-socket", "@"),
   ARGPARSE_s_s (oHomedir, "homedir", "@"),
   ARGPARSE_conffile (oOptions,  "options", N_("|FILE|read options from FILE")),
   ARGPARSE_noconffile (oNoOptions, "no-options", "@"),
@@ -363,6 +365,10 @@ static volatile int shutdown_pending;
 /* Flags to indicate that we shall not watch our own socket. */
 static int disable_check_own_socket;
 
+/* Flag indicating to start the daemon even if one already runs.  */
+static int steal_socket;
+
+
 /* Flag to control the Tor mode.  */
 static enum
   { TOR_MODE_AUTO = 0,  /* Switch to NO or YES         */
@@ -1095,6 +1101,7 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
         case oNoVerbose: opt.verbose = 0; break;
         case oHomedir: /* Ignore this option here. */; break;
         case oNoDetach: nodetach = 1; break;
+        case oStealSocket: steal_socket = 1; break;
         case oLogFile: logfile = pargs.r.ret_str; break;
         case oCsh: csh_style = 1; break;
         case oSh: csh_style = 0; break;
@@ -1371,7 +1378,11 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 #endif
               ))
 	{
-          /* Fixme: We should test whether a dirmngr is already running. */
+          /* Fixme: We should actually test whether a dirmngr is
+           * already running.  For now the steal option is a dummy. */
+          /* if (steal_socket) */
+          /*   log_info (N_("trying to steal socket from running %s\n"), */
+          /*             "dirmngr"); */
 	  gnupg_remove (redir_socket_name? redir_socket_name : socket_name);
 	  rc = assuan_sock_bind (fd, (struct sockaddr*) &serv_addr, len);
 	}
diff --git a/doc/gpg-agent.texi b/doc/gpg-agent.texi
index f20d83384..6c2330dc6 100644
--- a/doc/gpg-agent.texi
+++ b/doc/gpg-agent.texi
@@ -297,6 +297,15 @@ Pinentry.  As of now it is only useful when used along with
 Don't detach the process from the console.  This is mainly useful for
 debugging.
 
+@item --steal-socket
+@opindex steal-socket
+In @option{--daemon} mode, gpg-agent detects an already running
+gpg-agent and does not allow to start a new instance. This option can
+be used to override this check: the new gpg-agent process will try to
+take over the communication sockets from the already running process
+and start anyway.  This option should in general not be used.
+
+
 @item -s
 @itemx --sh
 @itemx -c