diff --git a/bin/named/server.c b/bin/named/server.c
index 5789a713a2..e73886ee1f 100644
--- a/bin/named/server.c
+++ b/bin/named/server.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: server.c,v 1.349 2001/10/08 07:46:06 marka Exp $ */
+/* $Id: server.c,v 1.350 2001/10/16 20:04:36 gson Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
@@ -2138,7 +2138,10 @@ load_configuration(const char *filename, ns_server_t *server,
 
 	obj = NULL;
 	if (ns_config_get(maps, "pid-file", &obj) == ISC_R_SUCCESS)
-		ns_os_writepidfile(cfg_obj_asstring(obj));
+		if (cfg_obj_isvoid(obj))
+			ns_os_writepidfile(NULL);
+		else
+			ns_os_writepidfile(cfg_obj_asstring(obj));
 	else if (ns_g_lwresdonly)
 		ns_os_writepidfile(lwresd_g_defaultpidfile);
 	else
diff --git a/bin/named/unix/os.c b/bin/named/unix/os.c
index 9a2697539b..8c4565eb7c 100644
--- a/bin/named/unix/os.c
+++ b/bin/named/unix/os.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: os.c,v 1.53 2001/10/13 20:13:53 halley Exp $ */
+/* $Id: os.c,v 1.54 2001/10/16 20:04:38 gson Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
@@ -479,8 +479,9 @@ ns_os_writepidfile(const char *filename) {
 
 	cleanup_pidfile();
 
-	if (strcmp(filename, "none") == 0)
+	if (filename == NULL)
 		return;
+
 	len = strlen(filename);
 	pidfile = malloc(len + 1);
 	if (pidfile == NULL) {
diff --git a/doc/arm/Bv9ARM-book.xml b/doc/arm/Bv9ARM-book.xml
index 171364fe6b..f52970ccbc 100644
--- a/doc/arm/Bv9ARM-book.xml
+++ b/doc/arm/Bv9ARM-book.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.0//EN"
                "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.0/docbookx.dtd">
 
-<!-- File: $Id: Bv9ARM-book.xml,v 1.166 2001/10/15 18:20:22 gson Exp $ -->
+<!-- File: $Id: Bv9ARM-book.xml,v 1.167 2001/10/16 20:04:40 gson Exp $ -->
 
 <book>
 <title>BIND 9 Administrator Reference Manual</title>
@@ -2913,9 +2913,11 @@ the default is <filename>named.memstats</filename>.</para>
 <listitem><para>The pathname of the file the server writes its process ID
 in. If not specified, the default is <filename>/var/run/named.pid</filename>.
 The pid-file is used by programs that want to send signals to the running
-nameserver. If the the <command>pid-file</command> is the keyword
-<userinput>"none"</userinput> then no file will be written and any
-existing one will be removed.</para>
+nameserver. Specifying <command>pid-file none;</command> disables the
+use of a PID file &mdash; no file will be written and any
+existing one will be removed.  Note that <command>none</command>
+is a keyword, not a file name, and therefore is not enclosed in
+double quotes.</para>
 </listitem></varlistentry>
 
 <varlistentry><term><command>statistics-file</command></term>
diff --git a/lib/isccfg/parser.c b/lib/isccfg/parser.c
index 8a3919a543..e921f8b81e 100644
--- a/lib/isccfg/parser.c
+++ b/lib/isccfg/parser.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  * WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
  */
 
-/* $Id: parser.c,v 1.79 2001/10/12 22:00:31 gson Exp $ */
+/* $Id: parser.c,v 1.80 2001/10/16 20:04:41 gson Exp $ */
 
 #include <config.h>
 
@@ -271,6 +271,9 @@ static isc_result_t
 create_string(cfg_parser_t *pctx, const char *contents, const cfg_type_t *type,
 	      cfg_obj_t **ret);
 
+static isc_result_t
+parse_qstring(cfg_parser_t *pctx, const cfg_type_t *type, cfg_obj_t **ret);
+
 static void
 free_string(cfg_parser_t *pctx, cfg_obj_t *obj);
 
@@ -775,6 +778,41 @@ static cfg_type_t cfg_type_transferformat = {
 	&transferformat_enums
 };
 
+/*
+ * The special keyword "none", as used in the pid-file option.
+ */
+
+static void
+print_none(cfg_printer_t *pctx, cfg_obj_t *obj) {
+	UNUSED(obj);
+	print(pctx, "none", 4);
+}
+
+static cfg_type_t cfg_type_none = {
+	"none", NULL, print_none, &cfg_rep_void, NULL
+};
+
+/*
+ * A quoted string or the special keyword "none".  Used in the pid-file option.
+ */
+static isc_result_t
+parse_qstringornone(cfg_parser_t *pctx, const cfg_type_t *type,
+		    cfg_obj_t **ret)
+{
+	isc_result_t result;
+	CHECK(cfg_gettoken(pctx, QSTRING));
+	if (pctx->token.type == isc_tokentype_string &&
+	    strcasecmp(pctx->token.value.as_pointer, "none") == 0)
+		return (create_cfgobj(pctx, &cfg_type_none, ret));
+	cfg_ungettoken(pctx);
+	return (parse_qstring(pctx, type, ret));
+ cleanup:
+	return (result);
+}
+
+static cfg_type_t cfg_type_qstringornone = {
+	"qstringornone", parse_qstringornone, NULL, NULL, NULL };
+
 /*
  * Clauses that can be found within the top level of the named.conf
  * file only.
@@ -828,7 +866,7 @@ options_clauses[] = {
 	{ "memstatistics-file", &cfg_type_qstring, 0 },
 	{ "multiple-cnames", &cfg_type_boolean, CFG_CLAUSEFLAG_OBSOLETE },
 	{ "named-xfer", &cfg_type_qstring, CFG_CLAUSEFLAG_OBSOLETE },
-	{ "pid-file", &cfg_type_qstring, 0 },
+	{ "pid-file", &cfg_type_qstringornone, 0 },
 	{ "port", &cfg_type_uint32, 0 },
 	{ "random-device", &cfg_type_qstring, 0 },
 	{ "recursive-clients", &cfg_type_uint32, 0 },