diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/softdog.c b/drivers/watchdog/softdog.c
index 100b114e3c3c..bf16ffb4d21e 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/softdog.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/softdog.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include <linux/init.h>
 #include <linux/jiffies.h>
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
+#include <linux/kernel.h>
 
 #define PFX "SoftDog: "
 
@@ -75,6 +76,11 @@ MODULE_PARM_DESC(soft_noboot,
 	"Softdog action, set to 1 to ignore reboots, 0 to reboot "
 					"(default depends on ONLY_TESTING)");
 
+static int soft_panic;
+module_param(soft_panic, int, 0);
+MODULE_PARM_DESC(soft_panic,
+	"Softdog action, set to 1 to panic, 0 to reboot (default=0)");
+
 /*
  *	Our timer
  */
@@ -98,7 +104,10 @@ static void watchdog_fire(unsigned long data)
 
 	if (soft_noboot)
 		printk(KERN_CRIT PFX "Triggered - Reboot ignored.\n");
-	else {
+	else if (soft_panic) {
+		printk(KERN_CRIT PFX "Initiating panic.\n");
+		panic("Software Watchdog Timer expired.");
+	} else {
 		printk(KERN_CRIT PFX "Initiating system reboot.\n");
 		emergency_restart();
 		printk(KERN_CRIT PFX "Reboot didn't ?????\n");
@@ -267,7 +276,8 @@ static struct notifier_block softdog_notifier = {
 };
 
 static char banner[] __initdata = KERN_INFO "Software Watchdog Timer: 0.07 "
-	"initialized. soft_noboot=%d soft_margin=%d sec (nowayout= %d)\n";
+	"initialized. soft_noboot=%d soft_margin=%d sec soft_panic=%d "
+	"(nowayout= %d)\n";
 
 static int __init watchdog_init(void)
 {
@@ -298,7 +308,7 @@ static int __init watchdog_init(void)
 		return ret;
 	}
 
-	printk(banner, soft_noboot, soft_margin, nowayout);
+	printk(banner, soft_noboot, soft_margin, soft_panic, nowayout);
 
 	return 0;
 }