--- a/src/apinger.c
+++ b/src/apinger.c
@@ -826,26 +826,49 @@ char *buf1,*buf2;
 		return;
 	}
 	tm=time(NULL);
-	fprintf(f,"%s\n",ctime(&tm));
+	if(!config->status_format) fprintf(f,"%s\n",ctime(&tm));
 	for(t=targets;t;t=t->next){
-		fprintf(f,"Target: %s\n",t->name);
-		fprintf(f,"Source: %s\n",t->config->srcip);
-		fprintf(f,"Description: %s\n",t->description);
-		fprintf(f,"Last reply received: #%i %s",t->last_received,
-			ctime(&t->last_received_tv.tv_sec));
-		fprintf(f,"Average delay: %0.3fms\n",AVG_DELAY(t));
+		if(config->status_format){
+			fprintf(f,"%s|%s|%s|%i|%i|%" PRIu64 "|",t->name, t->config->srcip, t->description, t->last_sent+1,
+				 t->received, (uint64_t)t->last_received_tv.tv_sec);
+			fprintf(f,"%0.3fms|", AVG_DELAY(t));
+		}
+		else{
+			fprintf(f,"Target: %s\n",t->name);
+			fprintf(f,"Source: %s\n",t->config->srcip);
+			fprintf(f,"Description: %s\n",t->description);
+			fprintf(f,"Last reply received: #%i %s",t->last_received,
+				ctime(&t->last_received_tv.tv_sec));
+			fprintf(f,"Average delay: %0.3fms\n",AVG_DELAY(t));
+		}
 		if (AVG_LOSS_KNOWN(t)){
-			fprintf(f,"Average packet loss: %0.1f%%\n",AVG_LOSS(t));
+			if(config->status_format){
+				fprintf(f,"%0.1f%%",AVG_LOSS(t));
+			}
+			else{
+				fprintf(f,"Average packet loss: %0.1f%%\n",AVG_LOSS(t));
+			}
+		}
+		if(config->status_format){
+			fprintf(f, "|");
+		}
+		else{
+			fprintf(f,"Active alarms: ");
 		}
-		fprintf(f,"Active alarms:");
 		if (t->active_alarms){
 			for(al=t->active_alarms;al;al=al->next){
 				a=al->alarm;
-				fprintf(f," \"%s\"",a->name);
+				if(config->status_format){
+					fprintf(f,"%s",a->name);
+				}
+				else{
+					fprintf(f," \"%s\"",a->name);
+				}
 			}
-			fprintf(f,"\n");
+			if(!config->status_format) fprintf(f,"\n");
 		}
-		else fprintf(f," None\n");
+		else fprintf(f,"none");
+		if(!config->status_format) fprintf(f,"\n");
 
 		buf1=NEW(char,t->config->avg_loss_delay_samples+1);
 		buf2=NEW(char,t->config->avg_loss_samples+1);
--- a/src/apinger.conf
+++ b/src/apinger.conf
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ group "nogroup"
 #	## Interval between file updates
 #	## when 0 or not set, file is written only when SIGUSR1 is received
 #	interval 5m
+#
+#	## Create status file in script parseable format (on) or human
+#	## readable format (off)
+#	scriptformat off
 #}
 
 ########################################
--- a/src/cfgparser1.y
+++ b/src/cfgparser1.y
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ struct target_cfg *cur_target;
 %token AVG_LOSS_DELAY_SAMPLES
 
 %token FILE_
+%token SCRIPTFORMAT
 
 %token ERROR
 
@@ -282,6 +283,8 @@ statuscfg: /* */
 		{ cur_config.status_interval=$2; }
 	| INTERVAL TIME
 		{ cur_config.status_interval=$2; }
+	| SCRIPTFORMAT boolean
+		{ cur_config.status_format=$2; }
 	| statuscfg separator statuscfg
 ;
 
--- a/src/cfgparser2.l
+++ b/src/cfgparser2.l
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ srcip		{ LOC; LOCINC; return SRCIP; }
 down		{ LOC; LOCINC; return DOWN; }
 false		{ LOC; LOCINC; return FALSE; }
 file		{ LOC; LOCINC; return FILE_; }
+scriptformat	{ LOC; LOCINC; return SCRIPTFORMAT; }
 group		{ LOC; LOCINC; return GROUP; }
 interval	{ LOC; LOCINC; return INTERVAL; }
 loss		{ LOC; LOCINC; return LOSS; }
--- a/src/conf.h
+++ b/src/conf.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ struct config {
 	char *pid_file;
 	char *status_file;
 	int status_interval;
+	int status_format;
 	char *timestamp_format;
 };
 
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ struct config default_config={
 	"/var/run/apinger.pid", /* pid file */
 	NULL,			/* status file */
 	0,			/* status interval */
+	0,			/* status format */
 	"%b %d %H:%M:%S"	/* timestamp format */
 };