diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 96856fb..a60e9aa 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ var monitor = respawn(['node', 'server.js'], {
                          // or -1 for infinite restarts
   sleep:1000,            // time to sleep between restarts,
   kill:30000,            // wait 30s before force killing after stopping
-  stdio: [...]           // forward stdio options
+  stdio: [...],          // forward stdio options
+  fork: true             // fork instead of spawn
 })
 
 monitor.start() // spawn and watch
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index e0b0b71..d73dbd4 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 var events = require('events')
 var spawn = require('child_process').spawn
+var fork = require('child_process').fork
 var exec = require('child_process').exec
 var ps = require('ps-tree')
 var util = require('util')
@@ -51,7 +52,11 @@ var Monitor = function(command, opts) {
   this.stdio = opts.stdio
   this.stdout = opts.stdout
   this.stderr = opts.stderr
+  this.silent = opts.silent
   this.windowsVerbatimArguments = opts.windowsVerbatimArguments
+  this.spawnFn = opts.fork
+    ? fork
+    : spawn
 
   this.crashed = false
   this.sleep = typeof opts.sleep === 'function' ? opts.sleep : defaultSleep(opts.sleep)
@@ -106,12 +111,13 @@ Monitor.prototype.start = function() {
 
   var loop = function() {
     var cmd = typeof self.command === 'function' ? self.command() : self.command
-    var child = spawn(cmd[0], cmd.slice(1), {
+    var child = self.spawnFn(cmd[0], cmd.slice(1), {
       cwd: self.cwd,
       env: xtend(process.env, self.env),
       uid: self.uid,
       gid: self.gid,
       stdio: self.stdio,
+      silent: self.silent,
       windowsVerbatimArguments: self.windowsVerbatimArguments
     })
 
@@ -143,6 +149,10 @@ Monitor.prototype.start = function() {
       }
     }
 
+    child.on('message', function(message) {
+      self.emit('message', message)
+    })
+
     var clear = function() {
       if (self.child !== child) return false
       self.child = null
diff --git a/test/apps/fork.js b/test/apps/fork.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fadebb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/apps/fork.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+process.send({ foo: 'bar' })
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index d18dc38..b83a011 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var crash = path.join(__dirname, 'apps', 'crash.js')
 var run = path.join(__dirname, 'apps', 'run.js')
 var hello = path.join(__dirname, 'apps', 'hello-world.js')
 var env = path.join(__dirname, 'apps', 'env.js')
+var fork = path.join(__dirname, 'apps', 'fork.js')
 var node = process.execPath
 
 test('restart', function(t) {
@@ -290,3 +291,23 @@ test('restart using restart strategy function', function (t) {
   })
   mon.start()
 })
+
+test('fork', function(t) {
+  t.plan(1)
+
+  var mon = respawn([fork], {fork:true, maxRestarts:1, sleep:1})
+  var messages = []
+
+  mon.on('message', function(message) {
+    messages.push(message)
+  })
+
+  mon.on('stop', function() {
+    t.deepEqual(messages, [
+      {foo: 'bar'},
+      {foo: 'bar'}
+    ])
+  })
+
+  mon.start()
+})