diff -r -U3 rp-l2tp-0.4/handlers/cmd.c rp-l2tp-0.4+client/handlers/cmd.c
--- rp-l2tp-0.4/handlers/cmd.c	2004-07-01 15:58:56.000000000 +0100
+++ rp-l2tp-0.4+client/handlers/cmd.c	2009-12-02 12:48:08.000000000 +0000
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@
 	return l2tp_option_set(es, name, value, my_opts);
     }
 
+    if (Settings.client) return 0;
+
     /* We have hit the end of our options.  Open command socket */
     if (!sockname) {
 	sockname = "/var/run/l2tpctrl";
diff -r -U3 rp-l2tp-0.4/l2tp.h rp-l2tp-0.4+client/l2tp.h
--- rp-l2tp-0.4/l2tp.h	2004-07-01 15:58:55.000000000 +0100
+++ rp-l2tp-0.4+client/l2tp.h	2009-12-02 12:46:29.000000000 +0000
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@
 typedef struct l2tp_settings_t {
     int listen_port;		/* Port we listen on */
     struct in_addr listen_addr;	/* IP to bind to */
+    int client;			/* client mode */
 } l2tp_settings;
 
 extern l2tp_settings Settings;
@@ -472,7 +473,7 @@
 
 /* options.c */
 int l2tp_parse_config_file(EventSelector *es,
-			   char const *fname);
+			   char const *fname, int client);
 int l2tp_option_set(EventSelector *es,
 		    char const *name,
 		    char const *value,
diff -r -U3 rp-l2tp-0.4/main.c rp-l2tp-0.4+client/main.c
--- rp-l2tp-0.4/main.c	2002-09-30 20:45:00.000000000 +0100
+++ rp-l2tp-0.4+client/main.c	2009-12-02 12:57:11.000000000 +0000
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 #include <signal.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <netdb.h>
+
+static void cmd_start_session(EventSelector *es, char *buf);
 
 static void
 usage(int argc, char *argv[], int exitcode)
@@ -31,6 +34,7 @@
     fprintf(stderr, "http://www.roaringpenguin.com/\n\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "Usage: %s [options]\n", argv[0]);
     fprintf(stderr, "Options:\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "-c peer                -- Start a client session with 'peer'\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "-d level               -- Set debugging to 'level'\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "-f                     -- Do not fork\n");
     fprintf(stderr, "-h                     -- Print usage\n");
@@ -46,8 +50,9 @@
     int opt;
     int do_fork = 1;
     int debugmask = 0;
+    char *client = NULL;
 
-    while((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "d:fh")) != -1) {
+    while((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "c:d:fh")) != -1) {
 	switch(opt) {
 	case 'h':
 	    usage(argc, argv, EXIT_SUCCESS);
@@ -58,6 +63,9 @@
 	case 'd':
 	    sscanf(optarg, "%d", &debugmask);
 	    break;
+	case 'c':
+	    client = optarg;
+	    break;
 	default:
 	    usage(argc, argv, EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
@@ -68,7 +76,7 @@
     l2tp_peer_init();
     l2tp_debug_set_bitmask(debugmask);
 
-    if (l2tp_parse_config_file(es, "/etc/l2tp/l2tp.conf") < 0) {
+    if (l2tp_parse_config_file(es, "/etc/l2tp/l2tp.conf", client != NULL) < 0) {
 	l2tp_die();
     }
 
@@ -76,6 +84,9 @@
 	l2tp_die();
     }
 
+    if (client != NULL)
+	cmd_start_session(es, client);
+
     /* Daemonize */
     if (do_fork) {
 	i = fork();
@@ -119,6 +130,51 @@
 	    l2tp_cleanup();
 	    exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 	}
+	if (client != NULL && l2tp_num_tunnels() <= 0) {
+	    l2tp_db(0, "%s", "auto-shutdown");
+	    l2tp_cleanup();
+	    exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+	}
     }
     return 0;
 }
+
+static void
+cmd_start_session(EventSelector *es, char *buf)
+{
+    char peer[512];
+    struct hostent *he;
+    struct sockaddr_in haddr;
+    l2tp_peer *p;
+    l2tp_session *sess;
+
+    l2tp_db(0, "auto-starting session to %s", buf);
+
+    buf = (char *) l2tp_chomp_word(buf, peer);
+    he = gethostbyname(peer);
+    if (!he) {
+	printf("%s\n", "ERR Unknown peer - gethostbyname failed");
+	l2tp_db(0, "%s", "ERR Unknown peer - gethostbyname failed");
+	return;
+    }
+    memcpy(&haddr.sin_addr, he->h_addr, sizeof(haddr.sin_addr));
+    p = l2tp_peer_find(&haddr, NULL);
+    if (!p) {
+	printf("%s\n", "ERR Unknown peer");
+	l2tp_db(0, "%s", "ERR Unknown peer");
+	return;
+    }
+    sess = l2tp_session_call_lns(p, "foobar", es, NULL);
+    if (!sess) {
+	printf("%s\n", l2tp_get_errmsg());
+	l2tp_db(0, "%s", l2tp_get_errmsg());
+	return;
+    }
+
+    /* Form reply */
+    sprintf(peer, "OK %d %d",
+	    (int) sess->tunnel->my_id,
+	    (int) sess->my_id);
+    printf("%s\n", peer);
+    l2tp_db(0, "%s", peer);
+}
diff -r -U3 rp-l2tp-0.4/network.c rp-l2tp-0.4+client/network.c
--- rp-l2tp-0.4/network.c	2003-06-11 03:17:17.000000000 +0100
+++ rp-l2tp-0.4+client/network.c	2009-12-02 12:37:56.000000000 +0000
@@ -86,8 +86,13 @@
     }
 
     me.sin_family = AF_INET;
-    me.sin_addr = Settings.listen_addr;
-    me.sin_port = htons((uint16_t) Settings.listen_port);
+    if (Settings.client) {
+	me.sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_ANY);
+	me.sin_port = htons(0);
+    } else {
+	me.sin_addr = Settings.listen_addr;
+	me.sin_port = htons((uint16_t) Settings.listen_port);
+    }
     if (bind(Sock, (struct sockaddr *) &me, sizeof(me)) < 0) {
 	l2tp_set_errmsg("network_init: bind: %s", strerror(errno));
 	close(Sock);
diff -r -U3 rp-l2tp-0.4/options.c rp-l2tp-0.4+client/options.c
--- rp-l2tp-0.4/options.c	2003-06-11 03:16:34.000000000 +0100
+++ rp-l2tp-0.4+client/options.c	2009-12-02 12:45:37.000000000 +0000
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@
 ***********************************************************************/
 int
 l2tp_parse_config_file(EventSelector *es,
-		       char const *fname)
+		       char const *fname, int client)
 {
     char buf[512];
     char name[512];
@@ -353,6 +353,7 @@
     /* Defaults */
     Settings.listen_port = 1701;
     Settings.listen_addr.s_addr = htonl(INADDR_ANY);
+    Settings.client = client;
 
     fp = fopen(fname, "r");
     if (!fp) {