diff --git a/DOCS/man/changes.rst b/DOCS/man/changes.rst
index 092256a0ac..841a4ce328 100644
--- a/DOCS/man/changes.rst
+++ b/DOCS/man/changes.rst
@@ -332,6 +332,8 @@ Slave mode
 
   Assuming the system supports ``/dev/stdin``.
 
+  (The option was readded in 0.5.1 and sets exactly these options.)
+
 * A JSON RPC protocol giving access to the client API is planned, but nothing
   has emerged yet.
 
diff --git a/options/options.c b/options/options.c
index b5578218d3..2f4613ab3d 100644
--- a/options/options.c
+++ b/options/options.c
@@ -527,6 +527,8 @@ const m_option_t mp_opts[] = {
     OPT_SUBSTRUCT("", encode_opts, encode_config, 0),
 #endif
 
+    OPT_FLAG("slave-broken", slave_mode, CONF_GLOBAL),
+
     {0}
 };
 
diff --git a/options/options.h b/options/options.h
index 20b35d6864..a7b0ee73af 100644
--- a/options/options.h
+++ b/options/options.h
@@ -237,6 +237,8 @@ typedef struct MPOpts {
 
     int w32_priority;
 
+    int slave_mode;
+
     int network_cookies_enabled;
     char *network_cookies_file;
     char *network_useragent;
diff --git a/player/main.c b/player/main.c
index 9de780282f..a835dcbd7e 100644
--- a/player/main.c
+++ b/player/main.c
@@ -375,6 +375,12 @@ int mp_initialize(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         mp_msg_update_msglevels(mpctx->global);
     }
 
+    if (opts->slave_mode) {
+        MP_WARN(mpctx, "--slave-broken is deprecated (see manpage).\n");
+        opts->consolecontrols = 0;
+        m_config_set_option0(mpctx->mconfig, "input-file", "/dev/stdin");
+    }
+
     mpctx->input = mp_input_init(mpctx->global);
     mpctx->global->stream_interrupt_cb = check_stream_interrupt;
     mpctx->global->stream_interrupt_cb_ctx = mpctx;