diff --git a/sys/net/if_media.h b/sys/net/if_media.h
index 49a41b074b02..efaa36a3a75d 100644
--- a/sys/net/if_media.h
+++ b/sys/net/if_media.h
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ int	ifmedia_ioctl(struct ifnet *ifp, struct ifreq *ifr,
 #define	IFM_IEEE80211_IBSS	0x00000400	/* Operate in IBSS mode */
 #define	IFM_IEEE80211_IBSSMASTER 0x00000800	/* Operate as an IBSS master */
 #define	IFM_IEEE80211_TURBO	0x00001000	/* Operate in turbo mode */
+#define	IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR	0x00002000	/* Operate in monitor mode */
 /* operating mode for multi-mode devices */
 #define	IFM_IEEE80211_11A	1	/* 5Ghz, OFDM mode */
 #define	IFM_IEEE80211_11B	2	/* Direct Sequence mode */
@@ -443,6 +444,7 @@ struct ifmedia_description {
 	{ IFM_IEEE80211_IBSS, "ibss" },					\
 	{ IFM_IEEE80211_IBSSMASTER, "ibss-master" },			\
 	{ IFM_IEEE80211_TURBO, "turbo" },				\
+	{ IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR, "monitor" },				\
 	{ 0, NULL },							\
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211.c
index de56d17958c8..ad585baa1608 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211.c
@@ -275,6 +275,8 @@ ieee80211_media_init(struct ifnet *ifp,
 			ADD(ic, IFM_AUTO, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_HOSTAP);
 		if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_AHDEMO)
 			ADD(ic, IFM_AUTO, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_ADHOC | IFM_FLAG0);
+		if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_MONITOR)
+			ADD(ic, IFM_AUTO, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR);
 		if (mode == IEEE80211_MODE_AUTO)
 			continue;
 		if_printf(ifp, "%s rates: ", ieee80211_phymode_name[mode]);
@@ -294,6 +296,8 @@ ieee80211_media_init(struct ifnet *ifp,
 				ADD(ic, mword, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_HOSTAP);
 			if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_AHDEMO)
 				ADD(ic, mword, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_ADHOC | IFM_FLAG0);
+			if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_MONITOR)
+				ADD(ic, mword, mopt | IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR);
 			/*
 			 * Add rate to the collection of all rates.
 			 */
@@ -325,6 +329,8 @@ ieee80211_media_init(struct ifnet *ifp,
 			ADD(ic, mword, IFM_IEEE80211_HOSTAP);
 		if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_AHDEMO)
 			ADD(ic, mword, IFM_IEEE80211_ADHOC | IFM_FLAG0);
+		if (ic->ic_caps & IEEE80211_C_MONITOR)
+			ADD(ic, mword, IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR);
 	}
 	ieee80211_media_status(ifp, &imr);
 	ifmedia_set(&ic->ic_media, imr.ifm_active);
@@ -441,6 +447,8 @@ ieee80211_media_change(struct ifnet *ifp)
 		newopmode = IEEE80211_M_HOSTAP;
 	else if (ime->ifm_media & IFM_IEEE80211_ADHOC)
 		newopmode = IEEE80211_M_IBSS;
+	else if (ime->ifm_media & IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR)
+		newopmode = IEEE80211_M_MONITOR;
 	else
 		newopmode = IEEE80211_M_STA;
 
@@ -486,6 +494,7 @@ ieee80211_media_change(struct ifnet *ifp)
 		case IEEE80211_M_AHDEMO:
 		case IEEE80211_M_HOSTAP:
 		case IEEE80211_M_STA:
+		case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
 			ic->ic_flags &= ~IEEE80211_F_IBSSON;
 			break;
 		case IEEE80211_M_IBSS:
@@ -534,6 +543,9 @@ ieee80211_media_status(struct ifnet *ifp, struct ifmediareq *imr)
 	case IEEE80211_M_HOSTAP:
 		imr->ifm_active |= IFM_IEEE80211_HOSTAP;
 		break;
+	case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
+		imr->ifm_active |= IFM_IEEE80211_MONITOR;
+		break;
 	}
 	switch (ic->ic_curmode) {
 	case IEEE80211_MODE_11A:
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_input.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_input.c
index dc4f46269f3d..f16ca2e5b95c 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_input.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_input.c
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ ieee80211_input(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *m,
 				ni = ieee80211_ref_node(ic->ic_bss);
 			}
 			break;
+		case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
+			/* NB: this should collect everything */
+			goto out;
 		default:
 			/* XXX catch bad values */
 			break;
@@ -212,6 +215,8 @@ ieee80211_input(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *m,
 			}
 			ieee80211_unref_node(&ni);
 			break;
+		case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
+			break;
 		}
 		if (wh->i_fc[1] & IEEE80211_FC1_WEP) {
 			if (ic->ic_flags & IEEE80211_F_WEPON) {
@@ -829,6 +834,8 @@ ieee80211_recv_mgmt(struct ieee80211com *ic, struct mbuf *m0, int subtype,
 			ieee80211_new_state(ic, IEEE80211_S_ASSOC,
 			    wh->i_fc[0] & IEEE80211_FC0_SUBTYPE_MASK);
 			break;
+		case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
+			break;
 		}
 		break;
 	}
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_output.c b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
index dafa64cf681f..9b79d6544fbf 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_output.c
@@ -172,6 +172,9 @@ ieee80211_encap(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *m)
 		IEEE80211_ADDR_COPY(wh->i_addr2, ni->ni_bssid);
 		IEEE80211_ADDR_COPY(wh->i_addr3, eh.ether_shost);
 		break;
+	case IEEE80211_M_MONITOR:
+		m_freem(m), m = NULL;
+		break;
 	}
 	ieee80211_unref_node(&ni);
 	return m;
diff --git a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
index 2b2f0b0dfe94..af47773af229 100644
--- a/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
+++ b/sys/net80211/ieee80211_var.h
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ enum ieee80211_opmode {
 	IEEE80211_M_STA		= 1,	/* infrastructure station */
 	IEEE80211_M_IBSS 	= 0,	/* IBSS (adhoc) station */
 	IEEE80211_M_AHDEMO	= 3,	/* Old lucent compatible adhoc demo */
-	IEEE80211_M_HOSTAP	= 6	/* Software Access Point */
+	IEEE80211_M_HOSTAP	= 6,	/* Software Access Point */
+	IEEE80211_M_MONITOR	= 8	/* Monitor mode */
 };
 
 /*
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@ struct ieee80211com {
 #define	IEEE80211_C_TXPMGT	0x00000040	/* CAPABILITY: tx power mgmt */
 #define	IEEE80211_C_SHSLOT	0x00000080	/* CAPABILITY: short slottime */
 #define	IEEE80211_C_SHPREAMBLE	0x00000100	/* CAPABILITY: short preamble */
+#define	IEEE80211_C_MONITOR	0x00000200	/* CAPABILITY: monitor mode */
 
 /* flags for ieee80211_fix_rate() */
 #define	IEEE80211_F_DOSORT	0x00000001	/* sort rate list */