diff --git a/docs/rabbitmq-multi.pod b/docs/rabbitmq-multi.pod
index 7916fc7834..65d058337c 100644
--- a/docs/rabbitmq-multi.pod
+++ b/docs/rabbitmq-multi.pod
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ start_all I<count>
     start count nodes with unique names, listening on all IP addresses
     and on sequential ports starting from 5672.
 
+status
+    print the status of all running RabbitMQ nodes
+
 stop_all
     stop all local RabbitMQ nodes
 
diff --git a/packaging/RPMS/Fedora/init.d b/packaging/RPMS/Fedora/init.d
index d699f9b601..397beeaa22 100644
--- a/packaging/RPMS/Fedora/init.d
+++ b/packaging/RPMS/Fedora/init.d
@@ -47,40 +47,49 @@ start_rabbitmq () {
     case "$?" in
       0)
         echo SUCCESS && touch $LOCK_FILE
+        RETVAL=0
         ;;
       1)
         echo TIMEOUT - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_\{log,err\}
+        RETVAL=1
         ;;
       *)
         echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log, _err
-        RETVAL=1;;
+        RETVAL=1
+        ;;
     esac 
     set -e
 }
 
 stop_rabbitmq () {
     set +e
-    su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON stop_all" > /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_err
-
-    if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
-        echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log, _err
+    status_rabbitmq quiet
+    if [ $RETVAL == 0 ] ; then
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON stop_all" > /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_err
         RETVAL=$?
+        if [ $RETVAL != 0 ] ; then
+            echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log, _err
+        else
+            rm -rf $LOCK_FILE
+        fi
     else
-        rm -rf $LOCK_FILE
+        echo No nodes running 
         RETVAL=0
     fi
     set -e
 }
 
-status_rabbitmq () {
-    status $NAME
-}
-
-restart_rabbitmq () {
-    echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
-    stop_rabbitmq
-    start_rabbitmq
-    echo "$NAME."
+status_rabbitmq() {
+    set +e
+    if [ "$1" != "quiet" ] ; then
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON status" 2>&1
+    else
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON status" > /dev/null 2>&1
+    fi
+    if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
+        RETVAL=1
+    fi
+    set -e
 }
 
 rotate_logs_rabbitmq() {
@@ -89,37 +98,43 @@ rotate_logs_rabbitmq() {
     set -e
 }
 
+restart_rabbitmq() {
+    stop_rabbitmq	    
+    start_rabbitmq
+}
+
 case "$1" in
-  start)
-	echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
-	start_rabbitmq
-	echo "$NAME."
-	;;
-  stop)
-	echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
-	stop_rabbitmq
-	echo "$NAME."
-	;;
-  rotate-logs)
-	echo -n "Rotating log files for $DESC: "
-	rotate_logs_rabbitmq
-	;;
-  force-reload|reload|restart)
-        restart_rabbitmq
-	;;
-  status)
-	echo "Status of $DESC: "
-	status_rabbitmq
-	RETVAL=$?
-	;;
-  condrestart|try-restart)
-        status_rabbitmq >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
-        restart_rabbitmq
+    start)
+        echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
+        start_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    stop)
+        echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
+        stop_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    status)
+        status_rabbitmq
+        ;;
+    rotate-logs)
+        echo -n "Rotating log files for $DESC: "
+        rotate_logs_rabbitmq
+        ;;
+    force-reload|reload|restart)
+        echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
+        restart_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    condrestart|try-restart)
+        echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
+        restart_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|rotate-logs|restart|condrestart|try-restart|reload|force-reload}" >&2
+        RETVAL=1
         ;;
-  *)
-	echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|rotate-logs|status|restart|condrestart|try-restart|reload|force-reload}" >&2
-	RETVAL=1
-	;;
 esac
 
 exit $RETVAL
diff --git a/packaging/debs/Debian/debian/init.d b/packaging/debs/Debian/debian/init.d
index da9d70f2e4..a93f306692 100644
--- a/packaging/debs/Debian/debian/init.d
+++ b/packaging/debs/Debian/debian/init.d
@@ -29,26 +29,50 @@ set -e
 cd /
 
 start_rabbitmq () {
-      set +e
-      su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON start_all ${NODE_COUNT}" > /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_err
-      case "$?" in
-        0)
-          echo SUCCESS;;
-        1)
-          echo TIMEOUT - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_\{log,err\};;
-        *)
-          echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log, _err
-          exit 1;;
-      esac 
-      set -e
+    set +e
+    su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON start_all ${NODE_COUNT}" > /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_err
+    case "$?" in
+      0)
+        echo SUCCESS
+        RETVAL=0
+        ;;
+      1)
+        echo TIMEOUT - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_\{log,err\}
+        RETVAL=1
+        ;;
+      *)
+        echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/startup_log, _err
+        RETVAL=1
+        ;;
+    esac
+    set -e
 }
 
 stop_rabbitmq () {
     set +e
-    su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON stop_all" > /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_err
+    status_rabbitmq quiet
+    if [ $RETVAL == 0 ] ; then
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON stop_all" > /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log 2> /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_err
+        RETVAL=$?
+        if [ $RETVAL != 0 ] ; then
+            echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log, _err
+        fi
+    else
+        echo No nodes running 
+        RETVAL=0
+    fi
+    set -e
+}
+
+status_rabbitmq() {
+    set +e
+    if [ "$1" != "quiet" ] ; then
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON status" 2>&1
+    else
+        su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON status" > /dev/null 2>&1
+    fi
     if [ $? != 0 ] ; then
-        echo FAILED - check /var/log/rabbitmq/shutdown_log, _err
-        exit 0
+        RETVAL=1
     fi
     set -e
 }
@@ -57,34 +81,40 @@ rotate_logs_rabbitmq() {
     set +e
     su $USER -s /bin/sh -c "$DAEMON rotate_logs ${ROTATE_SUFFIX}" 2>&1
     set -e
+}
 
+restart_rabbitmq() {
+    stop_rabbitmq	    
+    start_rabbitmq
 }
 
 case "$1" in
-  start)
-	echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
-	start_rabbitmq
-	echo "$NAME."
-	;;
-  stop)
-	echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
-	stop_rabbitmq
-	echo "$NAME."
-	;;
-  rotate-logs)
-    echo -n "Rotating log files for $DESC: "
-    rotate_logs_rabbitmq
-    ;;
-  force-reload|restart)
-	echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
-	stop_rabbitmq
-	start_rabbitmq
-	echo "$NAME."
-	;;
-  *)
-	echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|rotate-logs|restart|force-reload}" >&2
-	RETVAL=1
-	;;
+    start)
+        echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
+        start_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    stop)
+        echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
+        stop_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    status)
+        status_rabbitmq
+        ;;
+    rotate-logs)
+        echo -n "Rotating log files for $DESC: "
+        rotate_logs_rabbitmq
+        ;;
+    force-reload|restart)
+        echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
+        restart_rabbitmq
+        echo "$NAME."
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|rotate-logs|restart|force-reload}" >&2
+        RETVAL=1
+        ;;
 esac
 
 exit $RETVAL
diff --git a/src/rabbit_multi.erl b/src/rabbit_multi.erl
index 2b11771770..9373e8cb1d 100644
--- a/src/rabbit_multi.erl
+++ b/src/rabbit_multi.erl
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ usage() ->
 Available commands:
 
   start_all <NodeCount> - start a local cluster of RabbitMQ nodes.
+  status                - print status of all running nodes
   stop_all              - stops all local RabbitMQ nodes.
   rotate_logs [Suffix]  - rotate logs for all local and running RabbitMQ nodes.
 "),
@@ -88,6 +89,17 @@ action(start_all, [NodeCount], RpcTimeout) ->
         false -> timeout
     end;
 
+action(status, [], RpcTimeout) ->
+    io:format("Status of all running nodes...~n", []),
+    call_all_nodes(
+      fun({Node, Pid}) ->
+              io:format("Node '~p' with Pid ~p: ", [Node, Pid]),
+              case rpc:call(Node, rabbit, status, [], RpcTimeout) of
+                  {badrpc, Error} -> io:format("~p~n", [Error]);
+                  [{running_applications, Apps} | _] -> io:format("~p~n", [Apps])
+              end
+      end);
+
 action(stop_all, [], RpcTimeout) ->
     io:format("Stopping all nodes...~n", []),
     call_all_nodes(fun({Node, Pid}) ->