diff --git a/db/db.cpp b/db/db.cpp
index 8a883a6c9ef..5dd95418dc8 100644
--- a/db/db.cpp
+++ b/db/db.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     extern int port;
     extern int curOp;
+    extern bool autoresync;
     extern string dashDashSource;
     extern int opLogging;
     extern long long oplogSize;
@@ -449,6 +450,8 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
                 master = true;
             else if ( s == "--slave" )
                 slave = true;
+            else if ( s == "--autoresync" )
+                autoresync = true;
             else if ( s == "--help" || s == "-?" || s == "--?" )
                 goto usage;
             else if ( s == "--quiet" )
@@ -459,10 +462,10 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
                 noauth = true;
             else if ( s == "--auth" )
                 noauth = false;
-	    else if( s == "--sysinfo" ) { 
-	      sysInfo();
-	      return 0;
-	    }
+            else if( s == "--sysinfo" ) { 
+                sysInfo();
+                return 0;
+            }
             else if ( s == "--verbose" )
                 logLevel = 1;
             else if ( s.find( "-v" ) == 0 ){
@@ -486,7 +489,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[], char *envp[] )
                 appsrvPath = argv[++i];
             else if ( s == "--nocursors" )
                 useCursors = false;
-            else if ( strncmp(s.c_str(), "--oplogSize", 11) == 0 ) {
+            else if ( s == "--oplogSize" ) {
                 long x = strtol( argv[ ++i ], 0, 10 );
                 uassert("bad arg", x > 0);
                 oplogSize = x * 1024 * 1024;
@@ -543,6 +546,7 @@ usage:
     out() << " --slave" << endl;
     out() << " --source <server:port>" << endl;
     out() << " --pairwith <server:port> <arbiter>" << endl;
+    out() << " --autoresync" << endl;
     out() << endl;
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/db/instance.cpp b/db/instance.cpp
index 60b77ec5f11..98c5f68c57e 100644
--- a/db/instance.cpp
+++ b/db/instance.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ namespace mongo {
     bool slave = false;
     bool master = false; // true means keep an op log
     extern int curOp;
-
+    bool autoresync = false;
+    
     boost::mutex &dbMutex( *(new boost::mutex) );
     MutexInfo dbMutexInfo;
 //int dbLocked = 0;
diff --git a/db/repl.cpp b/db/repl.cpp
index 95d9cadaca1..07407571e22 100644
--- a/db/repl.cpp
+++ b/db/repl.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ namespace mongo {
     */
     const char *allDead = 0;
 
+    extern bool autoresync;
+    time_t lastForcedResync = 0;
+    
 } // namespace mongo
 
 #include "replset.h"
@@ -201,14 +204,9 @@ namespace mongo {
                 errmsg = "not dead, no need to resync";
                 return false;
             }
-            vector<ReplSource*> sources;
-            ReplSource::loadAll(sources);
-            for( vector< ReplSource * >::iterator i = sources.begin(); i != sources.end(); ++i ) {
-                (*i)->userResync();
-            }
-            allDead = 0;
+            ReplSource::forceResyncDead( "user" );
             result.append( "info", "triggered resync for all sources" );
-            return true;
+            return true;                
         }        
     } cmdResync;
     
@@ -573,9 +571,29 @@ namespace mongo {
 
     BSONObj opTimeQuery = fromjson("{\"getoptime\":1}");
 
-    void ReplSource::userResync() {
+    bool ReplSource::throttledForceResyncDead( const char *requester ) {
+        if ( time( 0 ) - lastForcedResync > 600 ) {
+            forceResyncDead( requester );
+            lastForcedResync = time( 0 );
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+    
+    void ReplSource::forceResyncDead( const char *requester ) {
+        if ( !allDead )
+            return;
+        vector<ReplSource*> sources;
+        ReplSource::loadAll(sources);
+        for( vector< ReplSource * >::iterator i = sources.begin(); i != sources.end(); ++i ) {
+            (*i)->forceResync( requester );
+        }
+        allDead = 0;        
+    }
+    
+    void ReplSource::forceResync( const char *requester ) {
         for( set< string >::iterator i = dbs.begin(); i != dbs.end(); ++i ) {
-            log() << "user resync: dropping database " << *i << endl;
+            log() << requester << " resync: dropping database " << *i << endl;
             string dummyns = *i + ".";
             setClientTempNs( dummyns.c_str() );
             assert( database->name == *i );
@@ -1141,8 +1159,10 @@ namespace mongo {
             int s = 0;
             {
                 dblock lk;
-                if ( allDead )
-                    break;
+                if ( allDead ) {
+                    if ( !autoresync || !ReplSource::throttledForceResyncDead( "auto" ) )
+                        break;
+                }
                 assert( syncing == 0 );
                 syncing++;
             }
diff --git a/db/repl.h b/db/repl.h
index 3185db1071a..c2c6f8d2f65 100644
--- a/db/repl.h
+++ b/db/repl.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ namespace mongo {
     class DBClientCursor;
     extern bool slave;
     extern bool master;
-
+    
     bool cloneFrom(const char *masterHost, string& errmsg, const string& fromdb, bool logForReplication, 
 				   bool slaveOk, bool useReplAuth);
 
@@ -176,8 +176,9 @@ namespace mongo {
             return !addDbNextPass.empty();
         }
         
-        // Trigger a resync, at user's request.
-        void userResync();
+        static bool throttledForceResyncDead( const char *requester );
+        static void forceResyncDead( const char *requester );
+        void forceResync( const char *requester );
     };
 
     /* Write operation to the log (local.oplog.$main)