diff --git a/cmd/multicall-exec-options.c b/cmd/multicall-exec-options.c
index c87e79e..cd57a22 100644
--- a/cmd/multicall-exec-options.c
+++ b/cmd/multicall-exec-options.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ no_op(const char *opt_arg)
 }
 
 static struct if_option exec_options[] = {
-	{'f', "force", NULL, "force (de)configuration", true, no_op},
+	{'f', "force", NULL, "force (de)configuration", false, no_op},
 	{'i', "interfaces", "interfaces FILE", "use FILE for interface definitions", true, set_interfaces_file},
 	{'l', "no-lock", NULL, "do not use a lockfile to serialize state changes", false, set_no_lock},
 	{'n', "no-act", NULL, "do not actually run any commands", false, set_no_act},
diff --git a/tests/ifdown_test b/tests/ifdown_test
index e54d148..3a8510a 100755
--- a/tests/ifdown_test
+++ b/tests/ifdown_test
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ tests_init \
 	learned_dependency \
 	learned_dependency_2 \
 	learned_executor \
-	implicit_vlan
+	implicit_vlan \
+	regress_opt_f
 
 noargs_body() {
 	atf_check -s exit:1 -e ignore ifdown -S/dev/null
@@ -140,3 +141,8 @@ implicit_vlan_body() {
 		-e match:"attempting to run link executor" \
 		ifdown -n -S $FIXTURES/vlan.ifstate -E $EXECUTORS -i $FIXTURES/vlan.interfaces eth0.8
 }
+
+regress_opt_f_body() {
+	atf_check -s exit:0 -o ignore -e ignore \
+		ifdown -n -S $FIXTURES/vlan.ifstate -E $EXECUTORS -i $FIXTURES/vlan.interfaces -f eth0.8
+}