diff --git a/jstests/shellkillop.js b/jstests/shellkillop.js
index e8a97633eaf..10914580079 100644
--- a/jstests/shellkillop.js
+++ b/jstests/shellkillop.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ for( i = 0; i < 100000; ++i ) {
 }
 assert.eq( 100000, db[ baseName ].count() );
 
-spawn = startMongoProgramNoConnect( "mongo", "--port", myPort(), "--eval", "db." + baseName + ".update( {}, {$set:{i:\"abcdefghijkl\"}}, false, true ); db." + baseName + ".count();" );
+spawn = startMongoProgramNoConnect( "mongo", "--autokillop", "--port", myPort(), "--eval", "db." + baseName + ".update( {}, {$set:{i:\"abcdefghijkl\"}}, false, true ); db." + baseName + ".count();" );
 sleep( 100 );
 stopMongoProgramByPid( spawn );
 sleep( 100 );
diff --git a/shell/dbshell.cpp b/shell/dbshell.cpp
index 2b859542d94..d35e44eb6e3 100644
--- a/shell/dbshell.cpp
+++ b/shell/dbshell.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ string historyFile;
 bool gotInterrupted = 0;
 bool inMultiLine = 0;
 static volatile bool atPrompt = false; // can eval before getting to prompt
+bool autoKillOp = false;
+
 
 #if defined(USE_READLINE) && !defined(__freebsd__) && !defined(__openbsd__) && !defined(_WIN32)
 #define CTRLC_HANDLE
@@ -168,14 +170,17 @@ void killOps() {
     if ( atPrompt )
         return;
 
-    cout << endl << "do you want to kill the current op on the server? (y/n): ";
-    cout.flush();
+    if ( !autoKillOp ) {
+        cout << endl << "do you want to kill the current op on the server? (y/n): ";
+        cout.flush();
 
-    char yn;
-    cin >> yn;
+        char yn;
+        cin >> yn;
+
+        if (yn != 'y' && yn != 'Y')
+            return;
+    }
 
-    if (yn != 'y' && yn != 'Y')
-        return;
 
     vector< string > uris;
     for( map< const void*, string >::iterator i = mongo::shellUtils::_allMyUris.begin(); i != mongo::shellUtils::_allMyUris.end(); ++i )
@@ -447,6 +452,7 @@ int _main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
         ("dbaddress", po::value<string>(), "dbaddress")
         ("files", po::value< vector<string> >(), "files")
         ("nokillop", "nokillop") // for testing, kill op will also be disabled automatically if the tests starts a mongo program
+        ("autokillop", "autokillop") // for testing, will kill op without prompting
         ;
 
     positional_options.add("dbaddress", 1);
@@ -507,6 +513,9 @@ int _main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
     if (params.count("nokillop")) {
         mongo::shellUtils::_nokillop = true;
     }
+    if (params.count("autokillop")) {
+        autoKillOp = true;
+    }
     
     /* This is a bit confusing, here are the rules:
      *