diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f169999..ca2d3a9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ When using this tool, you only need to pick the `wait-for` file as part of your
 ## Usage
 
 ```
-./wait-for host:port [-t timeout] [-- command args]
+wait-for host:port [-t timeout] [-- command args]
   -q | --quiet                        Do not output any status messages
-  -s | --strict                       Only execute subcommand if the test succeeds
+  -l | --loose                        Execute subcommand even if the test times out
   -t TIMEOUT | --timeout=timeout      Timeout in seconds, zero for no timeout
   -- COMMAND ARGS                     Execute command with args after the test finishes
 ```
@@ -22,18 +22,17 @@ To check if [eficode.com](https://eficode.com) is available:
 
 ```
 $ ./wait-for www.eficode.com:80 -- echo "Eficode site is up"
-
-Connection to www.eficode.com port 80 [tcp/http] succeeded!
 Eficode site is up
 ```
 
 The subcommand will be executed regardless if the service is up or not. If you wish to execute the subcommand only if the service is up, add the --strict argument. In this example, we will test port 81 on www.google.com which will fail:
 
 ```
-$ ./wait-for www.eficode.com:80 -- echo "Eficode site is up"
-$ ./wait-for www.google.com:81 --timeout=1 --strict -- echo "google is up"
+$ ./wait-for www.google.com:81 --timeout=1 -- echo "google is up"
+Operation timed out
+$ ./wait-for www.google.com:81 --timeout=1 --loose -- echo "waited for google"
 Operation timed out
-google is up
+waited for google
 ```
 
 To wait for database container to become available:
diff --git a/wait-for b/wait-for
index f4cf020..d6b04d8 100755
--- a/wait-for
+++ b/wait-for
@@ -4,9 +4,11 @@ OLD_TIMEOUT=$TIMEOUT
 OLD_QUIET=$QUIET
 OLD_PORT=$PORT
 OLD_HOST=$HOST
+OLD_LOOSE=$LOOSE
 
 TIMEOUT=15
 QUIET=0
+LOOSE=0
 
 if ! which nc >/dev/null; then
   echo "Netcat is not installed. This script requires netcat to work correctly."
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ usage() {
 Usage:
   $(basename $0) host:port [-t timeout] [-- command args]
   -q | --quiet                        Do not output any status messages
-  -s | --strict                       Only execute subcommand if the test succeeds
+  -l | --loose                        Execute subcommand even if the test times out
   -t TIMEOUT | --timeout=timeout      Timeout in seconds, zero for no timeout
   -- COMMAND ARGS                     Execute command with args after the test finishes
 USAGE
@@ -40,27 +42,19 @@ test_connection() {
 }
 
 wait_for() {
+  local result
   for i in `seq $TIMEOUT` ; do
     # use a 1-second timeout, but still sleep 0.1 seconds after just to be safe
     test_connection "$HOST" "$PORT"
-
     result=$?
-    if [ $result -eq 0 ] ; then
-      if [ $# -gt 0 ] ; then
-        TIMEOUT=$OLD_TIMEOUT QUIET=$OLD_QUIET PORT=$OLD_PORT HOST=$OLD_HOST exec "$@"
-      fi
-      exit 0
-    fi
+    if [ $result -eq 0 ] ; then break ; fi
     sleep 1
   done
-  echo "Operation timed out" >&2
-  if [ $result -ne 0 ] && [ $STRICT -ne 1 ] ; then
-    if [ $# -gt 0 ] ; then
-      exec "$@"
-    fi
-    exit 0
+  [ $result -ne 0 ] && echo "Operation timed out" >&2
+  if [ $result -eq 0 -o $LOOSE -eq 1 -a $# -gt 0 ] ; then
+    TIMEOUT=$OLD_TIMEOUT QUIET=$OLD_QUIET PORT=$OLD_PORT HOST=$OLD_HOST LOOSE=$OLD_LOOSE exec "$@"
   fi
-  exit 1
+  exit $result
 }
 
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]
@@ -75,8 +69,8 @@ do
     QUIET=1
     shift 1
     ;;
-    -s | --strict)
-    STRICT=1
+    -l | --loose)
+    LOOSE=1
     shift 1
     ;;
     -t)
@@ -107,6 +101,4 @@ if [ "$HOST" = "" -o "$PORT" = "" ]; then
   usage 2
 fi
 
-STRICT=${STRICT:-0}
-
 wait_for "$@"
diff --git a/wait-for.bats b/wait-for.bats
index c720419..fa873ac 100644
--- a/wait-for.bats
+++ b/wait-for.bats
@@ -13,11 +13,27 @@
   [ "$output" != "success" ]
 }
 
-@test "preserve existing environment variable" {
-  HOST=myweb.com
-  PORT=8080
+@test "nonexistent server should start command if loose option is specified" {
+  run ./wait-for -t 1 -l noserver:9999 -- echo 'passable' 2>&1
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+  [ "${lines[0]}" = "Operation timed out" ]
+  [ "${lines[1]}" = "passable" ]
+}
+
+@test "preserve existing environment variables" {
+  TIMEOUT=mytimeout
+  QUIET=myquiet
+  HOST=myhost
+  PORT=myport
+  LOOSE=myloose
+
   run ./wait-for google.com:80 -- echo 'success'
 
-  [ "$(echo $HOST)" = 'myweb.com' ]
-  [ "$(echo $PORT)" = '8080' ]
+  [ "$(echo $TIMEOUT)" = 'mytimeout' ]
+  [ "$(echo $QUIET)" = 'myquiet' ]
+  [ "$(echo $HOST)" = 'myhost' ]
+  [ "$(echo $PORT)" = 'myport' ]
+  [ "$(echo $LOOSE)" = 'myloose' ]
 }