diff --git a/utils/mount/mount.c b/utils/mount/mount.c
index 5b6a22e..a7de2e4 100644
--- a/utils/mount/mount.c
+++ b/utils/mount/mount.c
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ int verbose;
 int mounttype;
 int sloppy;
 
+#define FOREGROUND     (0)
+#define BACKGROUND     (1)
+
 static struct option longopts[] = {
   { "fake", 0, 0, 'f' },
   { "help", 0, 0, 'h' },
@@ -384,6 +387,41 @@ static int chk_mountpoint(char *mount_point)
 }
 #define NFS_MOUNT_VERS_DEFAULT 3
 
+static int try_mount(char *spec, char *mount_point, int *flags,
+		int nfs_mount_vers, char **extra_opts, char **mount_opts,
+		int fake, int nomtab, int bg)
+{
+	int ret = 1;
+
+	if (nfs_mount_vers == 4)
+		ret = nfs4mount(spec, mount_point, flags,
+			extra_opts, mount_opts, bg);
+	else
+		ret = nfsmount(spec, mount_point, flags,
+				extra_opts, mount_opts, bg);
+
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
+	if (!fake) {
+		ret = do_mount_syscall(spec, mount_point,
+				nfs_mount_vers == 4 ? "nfs4" : "nfs",
+				*flags, *mount_opts);
+
+		if (ret) {
+			mount_error(mount_point, spec);
+			exit(EX_FAIL);
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!nomtab)
+		add_mtab(spec, mount_point,
+			 nfs_mount_vers == 4 ? "nfs4" : "nfs",
+			 *flags, *extra_opts, 0, 0);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int c, flags = 0, nfs_mount_vers, mnt_err = 1, fake = 0;
@@ -514,33 +552,28 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (chk_mountpoint(mount_point))
 		exit(EX_FAIL);
 
-	if (nfs_mount_vers == 4) {
-		mnt_err = nfs4mount(spec, mount_point, &flags, 
-			&extra_opts, &mount_opts, 0);
-	}
-	else {
-		if (!strcmp(progname, "mount.nfs")) {
-			mnt_err = nfsmount(spec, mount_point, &flags,
-					&extra_opts, &mount_opts,  0);
-		}
-	}
-	if (mnt_err)
-		exit(EX_FAIL);
+	mnt_err = try_mount(spec, mount_point, &flags, nfs_mount_vers,
+				&extra_opts, &mount_opts, fake, nomtab, FOREGROUND);
 
-	if (!fake) {
-		mnt_err = do_mount_syscall(spec, mount_point,
-				nfs_mount_vers == 4 ? "nfs4" : "nfs", 
-				flags, mount_opts);
+	if (mnt_err == EX_BG) {
+		printf("%s: backgrounding \"%s\"\n", progname, spec);
+		fflush(stdout);
 
-		if (mnt_err) {
-			mount_error(mount_point, spec);
+		/*
+		 * Parent exits immediately with success.
+		 */
+		if (daemon(0, 0)) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "%s: failed to start "
+					"background process: %s\n",
+						progname, strerror(errno));
 			exit(EX_FAIL);
 		}
-	}
+		mnt_err = try_mount(spec, mount_point, &flags, nfs_mount_vers,
+				&extra_opts, &mount_opts, fake, nomtab, BACKGROUND);
 
-	if (!nomtab) {
-		add_mtab(spec, mount_point, nfs_mount_vers == 4 ? "nfs4" : "nfs",
-			 flags, extra_opts, 0, 0);
+		if (verbose && mnt_err)
+			printf("%s: giving up \"%s\"\n",
+				progname, spec);
 	}
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/utils/mount/nfs4mount.c b/utils/mount/nfs4mount.c
index e756379..1495dfb 100644
--- a/utils/mount/nfs4mount.c
+++ b/utils/mount/nfs4mount.c
@@ -183,11 +183,10 @@ int nfs4mount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	int val;
 	int bg, soft, intr;
 	int nocto, noac, unshared, fscache;
-	int retry;
-	int retval;
+	int retry = -1;
+	int retval = EX_FAIL;
 	time_t timeout, t;
 
-	retval = EX_FAIL;
 	if (strlen(spec) >= sizeof(hostdir)) {
 		fprintf(stderr, _("mount: "
 				  "excessively long host:dir argument\n"));
@@ -235,7 +234,6 @@ int nfs4mount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	noac = 0;
 	unshared = 0;
 	fscache = 0;
-	retry = 10000;		/* 10000 minutes ~ 1 week */
 
 	/*
 	 * NFSv4 specifies that the default port should be 2049
@@ -338,6 +336,13 @@ int nfs4mount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 		| (unshared ? NFS4_MOUNT_UNSHARED : 0)
 		| (fscache ? NFS4_MOUNT_FSCACHE : 0);
 
+	if (retry == -1) {
+		if (bg)
+			retry = 10000; /* 10000 mins == ~1 week */
+		else
+			retry = 2;
+	}
+
 	if (unshared && fscache) {
 		fprintf(stderr, _("mount: invalid mount options: "
 			"nosharecache and fsc are incompatible.\n"));
@@ -435,6 +440,13 @@ int nfs4mount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 			mount_errors(hostname, 0, bg);
 			goto fail;
 		}
+
+		if (bg && !running_bg) {
+			if (retry > 0)
+				retval = EX_BG;
+			goto fail;
+		}
+
 		t = time(NULL);
 		if (t >= timeout) {
 			mount_errors(hostname, 0, bg);
diff --git a/utils/mount/nfsmount.c b/utils/mount/nfsmount.c
index 61634b9..70ec45c 100644
--- a/utils/mount/nfsmount.c
+++ b/utils/mount/nfsmount.c
@@ -864,7 +864,6 @@ int
 nfsmount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	 char **extra_opts, char **mount_opts, int running_bg)
 {
-	static char *prev_bg_host;
 	char hostdir[1024];
 	char *hostname, *dirname, *old_opts, *mounthost = NULL;
 	char new_opts[1024], cbuf[1024];
@@ -947,7 +946,7 @@ nfsmount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	data.pseudoflavor = AUTH_SYS;
 
 	bg = 0;
-	retry = 10000;		/* 10000 minutes ~ 1 week */
+	retry = -1;
 
 	memset(mnt_pmap, 0, sizeof(*mnt_pmap));
 	mnt_pmap->pm_prog = MOUNTPROG;
@@ -962,8 +961,12 @@ nfsmount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	if (!nfsmnt_check_compat(nfs_pmap, mnt_pmap))
 		goto fail;
 	
-	if (retry == 10000 && !bg)
-		retry = 2; /* reset for fg mounts */
+	if (retry == -1) {
+		if (bg)
+			retry = 10000;	/* 10000 minutes ==  ~1 week */
+		else
+			retry = 2;	/* 2 for fg mounts */
+	}
 	
 
 #ifdef NFS_MOUNT_DEBUG
@@ -1002,18 +1005,6 @@ nfsmount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 	if (*flags & MS_REMOUNT)
 		goto out_ok;
 
-	/*
-	 * If the previous mount operation on the same host was
-	 * backgrounded, and the "bg" for this mount is also set,
-	 * give up immediately, to avoid the initial timeout.
-	 */
-	if (bg && !running_bg &&
-	    prev_bg_host && strcmp(hostname, prev_bg_host) == 0) {
-		if (retry > 0)
-			retval = EX_BG;
-		return retval;
-	}
-
 	/* create mount deamon client */
 
 	/*
@@ -1082,7 +1073,6 @@ nfsmount(const char *spec, const char *node, int *flags,
 			continue;
 		}
 		if (!running_bg) {
-			prev_bg_host = xstrdup(hostname);
 			if (retry > 0)
 				retval = EX_BG;
 			goto fail;