diff -ur a/bootloader.c b/bootloader.c
--- a/bootloader.c	2010-11-28 13:18:36.000000000 +0100
+++ b/bootloader.c	2011-08-23 18:28:11.911355006 +0200
@@ -628,6 +628,7 @@
     printf("-b    Baudrate\n");
     printf("-t    TxD Blocksize\n");
     printf("-v    Verify\n");
+	printf("-r    Automatically reset device (toggle DTR)\n");
     printf("-p    Program\n");
     printf("-P    Password\n");
     printf("-T    enter terminal mode\n");
@@ -866,6 +867,15 @@
 }//int read_info()
 
 
+/**
+ * Resets the connected device to put it into bootloader mode
+ */
+void prog_reset(int fd){
+    com_set_dtr(fd, 0);
+    usleep(10000);
+    com_set_dtr(fd, 1);
+}
+
 
 int prog_verify (int            fd,
                  int            mode,
@@ -983,7 +993,8 @@
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 static int handle_keyboard (FILE  *input,
-                            int   output)
+                            int   output,
+                            int   autoreset)
 {
     static char fname[1024+1] = "";
     int         char_in = EOF;
@@ -1023,7 +1034,12 @@
 
             case CTRLP:
                 tcsetattr (desc_in, TCSAFLUSH, &old_term);
-                printf("\n== PROGRAM:  Reset Target Device ==============\n");
+                if (autoreset){
+                    printf("\n== PROGRAM:  Reseting Target Device ==============\n");
+                    prog_reset(output);
+                } else {
+                    printf("\n== PROGRAM:  Manually Reset Target Device ==============\n");
+                }
                 prog_verify (output, AVR_PROGRAM, 
                              baud, bsize, password, device, fname);
                 tcsetattr (desc_in, TCSAFLUSH, &curr_term);
@@ -1031,7 +1047,13 @@
 
             case CTRLV:
                 tcsetattr (desc_in, TCSAFLUSH, &old_term);
-                printf("\n== VERIFY:   Reset Target Device ==============\n");
+                if (autoreset){
+                    printf("\n== VERIFY:   Reseting Target Device ==============\n");
+                    prog_reset(output);
+                } else {
+                    printf("\n== VERIFY:   Reset Target Device ==============\n");
+                }
+                prog_reset(output);
                 prog_verify (output, AVR_VERIFY, 
                              baud, bsize, password, device, fname);
                 tcsetattr (desc_in, TCSAFLUSH, &curr_term);
@@ -1101,7 +1123,7 @@
  *      Program loop
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
-static void do_v24 (int iFd)
+static void do_v24 (int iFd, int autoreset)
 {
     int                 old_timeout;
     int                 stdio;
@@ -1174,7 +1196,7 @@
             if (FD_ISSET (stdio, &fdset))
             {
                 /* stdin: someone hacked the keyboard */
-                ok = handle_keyboard (fp_stdio, iFd);
+                ok = handle_keyboard (fp_stdio, iFd, autoreset);
             }
 
             /* -- we got something from serial line -- */
@@ -1222,6 +1244,8 @@
 
     // default values
     int baudid = -1;
+	
+	int autoreset = 0;
 
     struct tms timestruct;
     struct sigaction sa;
@@ -1262,6 +1286,10 @@
             if (i < argc)
                 baud = atoi(argv[i]);
         }
+        else if (strcmp (argv[i], "-r") == 0)
+        {
+            autoreset = 1;
+        }
         else if (strcmp (argv[i], "-v") == 0)
         {
             mode |= AVR_VERIFY;
@@ -1335,10 +1363,11 @@
     }
 
     if (mode & (AVR_PROGRAM | AVR_VERIFY))
+		if (autoreset) prog_reset(fd);
         prog_verify (fd, mode, baud, bsize, password, device, hexfile);
 
     if (mode & AVR_TERMINAL)
-        do_v24 (fd);
+        do_v24 (fd, autoreset);
 
     com_close(fd);                //close open com port
     return 0;
diff -ur a/com.c b/com.c
--- a/com.c	2010-11-28 13:13:25.000000000 +0100
+++ b/com.c	2011-08-23 18:10:02.102411885 +0200
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <sys/times.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
 
 #include "com.h"
 #include "protocol.h"
@@ -187,6 +188,22 @@
     com_putc_fast (fd, c);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Sets the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) on the com port
+ */
+void com_set_dtr(int fd, unsigned char on)
+{
+    int flags;
+
+    ioctl(fd, TIOCMGET, &flags);
+    if (on){
+        flags |=  TIOCM_DTR;
+    } else {
+        flags &= ~TIOCM_DTR;
+    }
+    ioctl(fd, TIOCMSET, &flags);
+}
+
 
 /**
  * Sending a command
diff -ur a/com.h b/com.h
--- a/com.h	2010-11-28 13:13:25.000000000 +0100
+++ b/com.h	2011-08-23 18:10:18.648823446 +0200
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@
 void com_putc(int fd, unsigned char c);
 
 /**
+ * Sets the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) on the com port
+ */
+void com_set_dtr(int fd, unsigned char on);
+
+/**
  * Receives one char or -1 if timeout
  */
 int com_getc(int fd, int timeout);