diff -aurp open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/doc/iscsistart.8 open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/doc/iscsistart.8
--- open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/doc/iscsistart.8	2012-02-26 05:07:41.000000000 -0600
+++ open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/doc/iscsistart.8	2012-02-26 03:02:23.000000000 -0600
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ Bring up the network as specified by iBF
 .BI [-f|--fwparam_print]
 Print the iBFT or OF info to STDOUT
 .TP
+.BI [-P|--param=]\fINAME=VALUE\fP
+Set the parameter with the name NAME to VALUE. NAME is one of the settings
+in the node record or iscsid.conf. Multiple params can be passed in.
+.TP
 .BI [-h|--help]
 Display this help and exit
 .TP
diff -aurp open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/idbm.c open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/idbm.c
--- open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/idbm.c	2012-02-26 05:07:41.000000000 -0600
+++ open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/idbm.c	2012-02-26 03:02:23.000000000 -0600
@@ -2298,6 +2298,38 @@ idbm_slp_defaults(struct iscsi_slp_confi
 	       sizeof(struct iscsi_slp_config));
 }
 
+int idbm_parse_param(char *param, struct node_rec *rec)
+{
+	char *name, *value;
+	recinfo_t *info;
+	int rc;
+
+	name = param;
+
+	value = strchr(param, '=');
+	if (!value) {
+		log_error("Invalid --param %s. Missing setting.\n", param);
+		return ISCSI_ERR_INVAL;
+	}
+	*value = '\0';
+	value++;
+
+	info = idbm_recinfo_alloc(MAX_KEYS);
+	if (!info) {
+		log_error("Could not allocate memory to setup params.\n");
+		return ISCSI_ERR_NOMEM;
+	}
+
+	idbm_recinfo_node(rec, info);
+
+	rc = idbm_rec_update_param(info, name, value, 0);
+	if (rc)
+		log_error("Could not set %s to %s. Check that %s is a "
+			  "valid parameter.\n", name, value, name);
+	free(info);
+	return rc;
+}
+
 int idbm_node_set_param(void *data, node_rec_t *rec)
 {
 	struct db_set_param *param = data;
diff -aurp open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/idbm.h open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/idbm.h
--- open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/idbm.h	2012-02-26 05:07:41.000000000 -0600
+++ open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/idbm.h	2012-02-26 03:02:23.000000000 -0600
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ extern int idbm_discovery_read(discovery
 extern int idbm_rec_read(node_rec_t *out_rec, char *target_name,
 			 int tpgt, char *addr, int port,
 			 struct iface_rec *iface);
+extern int idbm_parse_param(char *param, struct node_rec *rec);
 extern int idbm_node_set_param(void *data, node_rec_t *rec);
 extern int idbm_discovery_set_param(void *data, discovery_rec_t *rec);
 extern void idbm_node_setup_defaults(node_rec_t *rec);
diff -aurp open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/iscsistart.c open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/iscsistart.c
--- open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i/usr/iscsistart.c	2012-02-26 05:07:41.000000000 -0600
+++ open-iscsi-2.0-872-rc4-bnx2i.test/usr/iscsistart.c	2012-02-26 05:07:28.000000000 -0600
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ struct iscsi_daemon_config *dconfig = &d
 
 static node_rec_t config_rec;
 static LIST_HEAD(targets);
+static LIST_HEAD(user_params);
+
+struct user_param {
+	struct list_head list;
+	char *param_string;
+};
 
 static char program_name[] = "iscsistart";
 
@@ -76,6 +82,7 @@ static struct option const long_options[
 	{"fwparam_connect", no_argument, NULL, 'b'},
 	{"fwparam_network", no_argument, NULL, 'N'},
 	{"fwparam_print", no_argument, NULL, 'f'},
+	{"param", required_argument, NULL, 'P'},
 	{"help", no_argument, NULL, 'h'},
 	{"version", no_argument, NULL, 'v'},
 	{NULL, 0, NULL, 0},
@@ -103,6 +110,7 @@ Open-iSCSI initiator.\n\
   -b, --fwparam_connect    create a session to the target using iBFT or OF\n\
   -N, --fwparam_network    bring up the network as specified by iBFT or OF\n\
   -f, --fwparam_print      print the iBFT or OF info to STDOUT \n\
+  -P, --param=NAME=VALUE   set parameter with the name NAME to VALUE\n\
   -h, --help               display this help and exit\n\
   -v, --version            display version and exit\n\
 ");
@@ -126,20 +134,69 @@ static int stop_event_loop(void)
 	return rc;
 }
 
+static int apply_params(struct node_rec *rec)
+{
+	struct user_param *param;
+	int rc;
+
+	/* Must init this so we can check if user overrode them */
+	rec->session.initial_login_retry_max = -1;
+	rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_interval = -1;
+	rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_timeout = -1;
+
+	list_for_each_entry(param, &user_params, list) {
+		rc = idbm_parse_param(param->param_string, rec);
+		if (rc)
+			return rc;
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * For root boot we could not change this in older versions so
+	 * if user did not override then use the defaults.
+	 *
+	 * Increase to account for boot using static setup.
+	 */
+	if (rec->session.initial_login_retry_max == -1)
+		rec->session.initial_login_retry_max = 30;
+	/* we used to not be able to answer so turn off */
+	if (rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_interval == -1)
+		rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_interval = 0;
+	if (rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_timeout == -1)
+		rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_timeout = 0;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int alloc_param(char *param_string)
+{
+	struct user_param *param;
+
+	param = calloc(1, sizeof(*param));
+	if (!param) {
+		printf("Could not allocate for param.\n");
+		return ISCSI_ERR_NOMEM;
+	}
+
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&param->list);
+	param->param_string = strdup(param_string);
+	if (!param->param_string) {
+		printf("Could not allocate for param.\n");
+		free(param);
+		return ISCSI_ERR_NOMEM;
+	}
+	list_add(&param->list, &user_params);
+	return 0;
+}
 
 static int login_session(struct node_rec *rec)
 {
 	iscsiadm_req_t req;
 	iscsiadm_rsp_t rsp;
 	int rc, retries = 0;
-	/*
-	 * For root boot we cannot change this so increase to account
-	 * for boot using static setup.
-	 */
-	rec->session.initial_login_retry_max = 30;
-	/* we cannot answer so turn off */
-	rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_interval = 0;
-	rec->conn[0].timeo.noop_out_timeout = 0;
+
+	rc = apply_params(rec);
+	if (rc)
+		exit(rc);
 
 	printf("%s: Logging into %s %s:%d,%d\n", program_name, rec->name,
 		rec->conn[0].address, rec->conn[0].port,
@@ -241,7 +298,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct boot_context *context, boot_context;
 	struct sigaction sa_old;
 	struct sigaction sa_new;
-	int control_fd, mgmt_ipc_fd;
+	int control_fd, mgmt_ipc_fd, err;
 	pid_t pid;
 
 	idbm_node_setup_defaults(&config_rec);
@@ -262,7 +319,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (iscsi_sysfs_check_class_version())
 		exit(ISCSI_ERR_SYSFS_LOOKUP);
 
-	while ((ch = getopt_long(argc, argv, "i:t:g:a:p:d:u:w:U:W:bNfvh",
+	while ((ch = getopt_long(argc, argv, "P:i:t:g:a:p:d:u:w:U:W:bNfvh",
 				 long_options, &longindex)) >= 0) {
 		switch (ch) {
 		case 'i':
@@ -341,6 +398,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 			fw_free_targets(&targets);
 			exit(0);
+		case 'P':
+			err = alloc_param(optarg);
+			if (err)
+				exit(err);
+			break;
 		case 'v':
 			printf("%s version %s\n", program_name,
 				ISCSI_VERSION_STR);