diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7a43411..880d8fd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ The full documentation is in this README, and the
     - [write(filePath, options, callback)](#writefilepath-options-callback)
   - [Options Parameter](#options-parameter)
     - [cacheId [String]](#cacheid-string)
+    - [clientsClaim [Boolean]](#clientsclaim-boolean)
     - [directoryIndex [String]](#directoryindex-string)
     - [dontCacheBustUrlsMatching [Regex]](#dontcachebusturlsmatching-regex)
     - [dynamicUrlToDependencies [Object⟨String,Array⟨String⟩⟩]](#dynamicurltodependencies-objectstringarraystring)
@@ -48,12 +49,14 @@ The full documentation is in this README, and the
     - [navigateFallbackWhitelist [Array⟨RegExp⟩]](#navigatefallbackwhitelist-arrayregexp)
     - [replacePrefix [String]](#replaceprefix-string)
     - [runtimeCaching [Array⟨Object⟩]](#runtimecaching-arrayobject)
+    - [skipWaiting [Boolean]](#skipwaiting-boolean)
     - [staticFileGlobs [Array⟨String⟩]](#staticfileglobs-arraystring)
     - [stripPrefix [String]](#stripprefix-string)
     - [stripPrefixMulti [Object]](#stripprefixmulti-object)
     - [templateFilePath [String]](#templatefilepath-string)
     - [verbose [boolean]](#verbose-boolean)
 - [Wrappers and Starter Kits](#wrappers-and-starter-kits)
+  - [Recipes for writing a custom wrapper](#recipes-for-writing-a-custom-wrapper)
 - [Acknowledgements](#acknowledgements)
 - [License](#license)
 
@@ -259,6 +262,17 @@ property from your `package.json`.
 
 _Default_: `''`
 
+#### clientsClaim [Boolean]
+Controls whether or not the generated service worker will call
+[`clients.claim()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Clients/claim)
+inside the `activate` handler.
+
+Calling `clients.claim()` allows a newly registered service worker to take
+control of a page immediately, instead of having to wait until the next page
+navigation.
+
+_Default_: `true`
+
 #### directoryIndex [String] 
 Sets a default filename to return for URL's formatted like directory paths (in 
 other words, those ending in `'/'`). `sw-precache` will take that translation 
@@ -436,6 +450,26 @@ more information about how and why you'd use both libraries together.
 
 _Default_: `[]`
 
+#### skipWaiting [Boolean]
+Controls whether or not the generated service worker will call
+[`skipWaiting()`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ServiceWorkerGlobalScope/skipWaiting)
+inside the `install` handler.
+
+By default, when there's an update to a previously installed
+service worker, then the new service worker delays activation and stays in a
+`waiting` state until all pages controlled by the old service worker are
+unloaded. Calling `skipWaiting()` allows a newly registered service worker to
+bypass the `waiting` state.
+
+When `skipWaiting` is `true`, the new service worker's `activate` handler will
+be called immediately, and any out of date cache entries from the previous
+service worker will be deleted. Please keep this in mind if you rely on older
+cached resources to be available throughout the page's lifetime, because, for
+example, you [defer the loading of some resources](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/sw-precache/issues/180)
+until they're needed at runtime.
+
+_Default_: `true`
+
 #### staticFileGlobs [Array⟨String⟩]
 An array of one or more string patterns that will be passed in to
 [`glob`](https://github.com/isaacs/node-glob).
diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index 9bbb856..d1dae29 100755
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
  */
 
 /* eslint-env node */
+/* eslint no-nested-ternary: 0 */
 'use strict';
 
 var meow = require('meow');
@@ -35,13 +36,15 @@ function setDefaults(cli, configFileFlags) {
 
   compositeFlags.swFile = compositeFlags.swFile || configFileFlags.swFile ||
     'service-worker.js';
-  compositeFlags.swFilePath = compositeFlags.swFilePath || configFileFlags.swFilePath || path.join(compositeFlags.root,
-    compositeFlags.swFile);
+  compositeFlags.swFilePath = compositeFlags.swFilePath ||
+    configFileFlags.swFilePath ||
+    path.join(compositeFlags.root, compositeFlags.swFile);
 
   compositeFlags.cacheId = compositeFlags.cacheId ||
     configFileFlags.cacheId || cli.pkg.name;
 
-  compositeFlags.dynamicUrlToDependencies = compositeFlags.dynamicUrlToDependencies ||
+  compositeFlags.dynamicUrlToDependencies =
+    compositeFlags.dynamicUrlToDependencies ||
     configFileFlags.dynamicUrlToDependencies;
 
   compositeFlags.directoryIndex = compositeFlags.directoryIndex ||
@@ -88,6 +91,18 @@ function setDefaults(cli, configFileFlags) {
     compositeFlags.maximumFileSizeToCacheInBytes ||
     configFileFlags.maximumFileSizeToCacheInBytes;
 
+  // We can't just use ||, since compositeFlags.skipWaiting might be false.
+  compositeFlags.skipWaiting = ('skipWaiting' in compositeFlags) ?
+    compositeFlags.skipWaiting :
+    (('skipWaiting' in configFileFlags) ?
+      configFileFlags.skipWaiting : undefined);
+
+  // We can't just use ||, since compositeFlags.clientsClaim might be false.
+  compositeFlags.clientsClaim = ('clientsClaim' in compositeFlags) ?
+    compositeFlags.clientsClaim :
+    (('clientsClaim' in configFileFlags) ?
+      configFileFlags.clientsClaim : undefined);
+
   return compositeFlags;
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/sw-precache.js b/lib/sw-precache.js
index 85ea34c..9126f17 100644
--- a/lib/sw-precache.js
+++ b/lib/sw-precache.js
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ function generate(params, callback) {
   return new Promise(function(resolve, reject) {
     params = defaults(params || {}, {
       cacheId: '',
+      clientsClaim: true,
       directoryIndex: 'index.html',
       dontCacheBustUrlsMatching: null,
       dynamicUrlToDependencies: {},
@@ -125,10 +126,11 @@ function generate(params, callback) {
       maximumFileSizeToCacheInBytes: 2 * 1024 * 1024, // 2MB
       navigateFallback: '',
       navigateFallbackWhitelist: [],
-      stripPrefix: '',
-      stripPrefixMulti: {},
       replacePrefix: '',
+      skipWaiting: true,
       staticFileGlobs: [],
+      stripPrefix: '',
+      stripPrefixMulti: {},
       templateFilePath: path.join(
         path.dirname(fs.realpathSync(__filename)), '..', 'service-worker.tmpl'),
       verbose: false
@@ -257,6 +259,7 @@ function generate(params, callback) {
 
       var populatedTemplate = template(data)({
         cacheId: params.cacheId,
+        clientsClaim: params.clientsClaim,
         // Ensure that anything false is translated into '', since this will be treated as a string.
         directoryIndex: params.directoryIndex || '',
         dontCacheBustUrlsMatching: params.dontCacheBustUrlsMatching || false,
@@ -273,6 +276,7 @@ function generate(params, callback) {
           })),
         precacheConfig: JSON.stringify(precacheConfig),
         runtimeCaching: runtimeCaching,
+        skipWaiting: params.skipWaiting,
         swToolboxCode: swToolboxCode,
         version: VERSION
       });
diff --git a/service-worker.tmpl b/service-worker.tmpl
index 2aa7bf0..d49747b 100644
--- a/service-worker.tmpl
+++ b/service-worker.tmpl
@@ -70,8 +70,10 @@ self.addEventListener('install', function(event) {
         );
       });
     }).then(function() {
+      <% if (skipWaiting) { %>
       // Force the SW to transition from installing -> active state
       return self.skipWaiting();
+      <% } %>
     })
   );
 });
@@ -91,7 +93,9 @@ self.addEventListener('activate', function(event) {
         );
       });
     }).then(function() {
+      <% if (clientsClaim) { %>
       return self.clients.claim();
+      <% } %>
     })
   );
 });