diff --git a/src/execline/backtick.c b/src/execline/backtick.c
index 2deb9f3..ae952c8 100644
--- a/src/execline/backtick.c
+++ b/src/execline/backtick.c
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@
 #include <execline/config.h>
 #include <execline/execline.h>
 
-#define USAGE "backtick [ -i | -D default ] [ -n ] var { prog... } command..."
+#define USAGE "backtick [ -i | -D default ] [ -z ] [ -n ] var { prog... } command..."
 #define dieusage() strerr_dieusage(100, USAGE)
 
 int main (int argc, char const *const *argv, char const *const *envp)
 {
   char const *def = 0 ;
-  int insist = 0, chomp = 0 ;
+  int insist = 0, chomp = 0, skip_on_err = 0 ;
   PROG = "backtick" ;
   {
     subgetopt_t l = SUBGETOPT_ZERO ;
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ int main (int argc, char const *const *argv, char const *const *envp)
         case 'n' : chomp = 1 ; break ;
         case 'i' : insist = 1 ; break ;
         case 'D' : def = l.arg ; break ;
+        case 'z' : zkip_on_err = 1; break ;
         default : dieusage() ;
       }
     }
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ int main (int argc, char const *const *argv, char const *const *envp)
     newargv[m++] = EXECLINE_BINPREFIX "withstdinas" ;
     if (insist) newargv[m++] = "-i" ;
     if (chomp) newargv[m++] = "-n" ;
+    if (skip_on_err) newargv[m++] = "-z" ;
     if (def)
     {
       newargv[m++] = "-D" ;
diff --git a/src/execline/withstdinas.c b/src/execline/withstdinas.c
index c1e3c36..29a876c 100644
--- a/src/execline/withstdinas.c
+++ b/src/execline/withstdinas.c
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ int main (int argc, char const **argv, char const *const *envp)
 {
   subgetopt_t localopt = SUBGETOPT_ZERO ;
   stralloc modif = STRALLOC_ZERO ;
-  unsigned int modifstart ;
-  int insist = 0, chomp = 0, reapit = 0 ;
+  unsigned int modifstart = 0 ;
+  int insist = 0, chomp = 0, reapit = 0 , skip_on_err = 0 ;
   char const *def = 0 ;
   PROG = "withstdinas" ;
   for (;;)
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ int main (int argc, char const **argv, char const *const *envp)
       case 'n' : chomp = 1 ; break ;
       case 'D' : def = localopt.arg ; break ;
       case '!' : reapit = 1 ; break ;
+      case 'z' : skip_on_err = 1 ; break ;
       default : dieusage() ;
     }
   }
@@ -56,7 +57,9 @@ int main (int argc, char const **argv, char const *const *envp)
         strerr_diefu1sys(111, "waitpid") ;
       if (wait_estatus(wstat))
       {
-        if (insist)
+        if (skip_on_err)
+          modif.len = 2
+        else if (insist)
           if (WIFSIGNALED(wstat)) strerr_dief1x(wait_estatus(wstat), "child process crashed") ;
           else strerr_dief1x(wait_estatus(wstat), "child process exited non-zero") ;
         else if (def)