--- /sys/man/1/await	Mon Oct 24 20:09:22 2016
+++ /sys/man/1/await	Mon Oct 24 00:00:00 2016
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+.TH AWAIT 1
+.SH NAME
+await - wait at most some seconds for a command to complete
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.B await
+.I max-secs
+.I cmd
+\&...
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+Run
+.I cmd
+with any following arguments,
+with standard input from
+.BR /dev/null .
+Wait at most
+.IR max-secs ;
+if
+.I cmd
+is then still running,
+exit but leave it running.
+.PP
+Useful in start-up scripts that must not get stuck.
+.SH EXAMPLES
+.B
+await 5 auth/secstore -s p9auth -n -G factotum >/mnt/factotum/ctl
+.SH SOURCE
+.B /rc/bin/await
+.SH SEE ALSO
+.IR wait (2)
--- /rc/bin/await	Mon Oct 24 20:09:22 2016
+++ /rc/bin/await	Mon Oct 24 00:00:00 2016
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/rc
+# await secs cmd ... - wait at most secs for cmd to complete, but don't kill it.
+#	cmd's stdin will be /dev/null.
+switch ($#*) {
+case 0 1
+	echo usage: $0: 'maxsecs cmd ...' >[1=2]
+	exit usage
+}
+
+rfork e
+secs=$1
+shift
+
+$* &
+cmdpid=$apid
+
+for (s in `{seq $secs})
+	if (test -e /proc/$cmdpid)
+		sleep 1
+if (test -e /proc/$cmdpid)
+	echo $0: $"*: still running >[1=2]