diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
index ce936a0f98..3075d69575 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
-$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml,v 1.186 2007/02/21 23:22:42 momjian Exp $
+$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/psql-ref.sgml,v 1.187 2007/02/23 18:20:58 momjian Exp $
 PostgreSQL documentation
 -->
 
@@ -1429,6 +1429,24 @@ lo_import 152801
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
 
+      <varlistentry>
+        <term><literal>\prompt [ <replaceable class="parameter">text</replaceable> ] <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></literal></term>
+        <listitem>
+        <para>
+         Prompts the user to set variable <replaceable
+         class="parameter">name</>.  An optional prompt, <replaceable
+         class="parameter">text</>, can be specified.  (For multi-word
+         prompts, use single-quotes.)
+        </para>
+
+        <para>
+         By default, <literal>\prompt</> uses the terminal for input and
+         output.  However, if the <option>-f</> command line switch is
+         used, <literal>\prompt</> uses standard input and standard output.
+        </para>
+        </listitem>
+      </varlistentry>
+
       <varlistentry>
         <term><literal>\pset <replaceable class="parameter">parameter</replaceable> [ <replaceable class="parameter">value</replaceable> ]</literal></term>
 
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/command.c b/src/bin/psql/command.c
index c25a5e6f0f..bcaf684a8e 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/command.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/command.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2000-2007, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/command.c,v 1.177 2007/01/05 22:19:49 momjian Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/command.c,v 1.178 2007/02/23 18:20:58 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 #include "command.h"
@@ -712,6 +712,57 @@ exec_command(const char *cmd,
 		free(pw2);
 	}
 
+	/* \prompt -- prompt and set variable */
+	else if (strcmp(cmd, "prompt") == 0)
+	{
+		char	   *opt, *prompt_text = NULL;
+		char	   *arg1, *arg2;
+
+		arg1 = psql_scan_slash_option(scan_state, OT_NORMAL, NULL, false);
+		arg2 = psql_scan_slash_option(scan_state, OT_NORMAL, NULL, false);
+
+		if (!arg1)
+		{
+			psql_error("\\%s: missing required argument\n", cmd);
+			success = false;
+		}
+		else
+		{
+ 			char	   *result;
+
+			if (arg2)
+			{
+				prompt_text = arg1;
+				opt = arg2;
+			}
+			else
+				opt = arg1;
+
+			if (!pset.inputfile)
+				result = simple_prompt(prompt_text, 4096, true);
+			else
+			{
+				if (prompt_text)
+				{
+					fputs(prompt_text, stdout);
+					fflush(stdout);
+				}
+				result = gets_fromFile(stdin);
+			}
+
+			if (!SetVariable(pset.vars, opt, result))
+			{
+				psql_error("\\%s: error\n", cmd);
+				success = false;
+			}
+
+			free(result);
+			if (prompt_text)
+				free(prompt_text);
+			free(opt);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* \pset -- set printing parameters */
 	else if (strcmp(cmd, "pset") == 0)
 	{
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/help.c b/src/bin/psql/help.c
index e16c028997..027b5cb020 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/help.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/help.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2000-2007, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.c,v 1.116 2007/01/05 22:19:49 momjian Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/help.c,v 1.117 2007/02/23 18:20:59 momjian Exp $
  */
 #include "postgres_fe.h"
 
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ slashUsage(unsigned short int pager)
 {
 	FILE	   *output;
 
-	output = PageOutput(67, pager);
+	output = PageOutput(69, pager);
 
 	/* if you add/remove a line here, change the row count above */
 
@@ -184,6 +184,8 @@ slashUsage(unsigned short int pager)
 	fprintf(output, _("  \\timing        toggle timing of commands (currently %s)\n"),
 			ON(pset.timing));
 	fprintf(output, _("  \\unset NAME    unset (delete) internal variable\n"));
+	fprintf(output, _("  \\prompt [TEXT] NAME\n"
+					  "                 prompt user to set internal variable\n"));
 	fprintf(output, _("  \\! [COMMAND]   execute command in shell or start interactive shell\n"));
 	fprintf(output, "\n");
 
diff --git a/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c b/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c
index 8012b70a4d..63db48546b 100644
--- a/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c
+++ b/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
  *
  * Copyright (c) 2000-2007, PostgreSQL Global Development Group
  *
- * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c,v 1.158 2007/02/07 00:52:35 petere Exp $
+ * $PostgreSQL: pgsql/src/bin/psql/tab-complete.c,v 1.159 2007/02/23 18:20:59 momjian Exp $
  */
 
 /*----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ psql_completion(char *text, int start, int end)
 		"\\e", "\\echo", "\\encoding",
 		"\\f", "\\g", "\\h", "\\help", "\\H", "\\i", "\\l",
 		"\\lo_import", "\\lo_export", "\\lo_list", "\\lo_unlink",
-		"\\o", "\\p", "\\password", "\\pset", "\\q", "\\qecho", "\\r",
+		"\\o", "\\p", "\\password", "\\prompt", "\\pset", "\\q", "\\qecho", "\\r",
 		"\\set", "\\t", "\\T",
 		"\\timing", "\\unset", "\\x", "\\w", "\\z", "\\!", NULL
 	};