diff --git a/src/cable.hpp b/src/cable.hpp
index f2cf2df..ee346cf 100644
--- a/src/cable.hpp
+++ b/src/cable.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int bit_high_val; /*! xCBUS 0-7 default value */
 	int bit_high_dir; /*! xCBUS 0-7 default direction (0: in, 1: out) */
 	int index;
+	int status_pin;
 } mpsse_bit_config;
 
 /*!
@@ -64,10 +65,10 @@ struct cable_t {
 
 /* FTDI serial (MPSSE) configuration */
 #define FTDI_SER(_vid, _pid, _intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd) \
-	{MODE_FTDI_SERIAL, _vid, _pid, 0, 0, {_intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd, 0}}
+	{MODE_FTDI_SERIAL, _vid, _pid, 0, 0, {_intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd, 0, -1}}
 /* FTDI bitbang configuration */
 #define FTDI_BB(_vid, _pid, _intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd) \
-	{MODE_FTDI_BITBANG, _vid, _pid, 0, 0, {_intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd, 0}}
+	{MODE_FTDI_BITBANG, _vid, _pid, 0, 0, {_intf, _blv, _bld, _bhv, _bhd, 0, -1}}
 /* CMSIS DAP configuration */
 #define CMSIS_CL(_vid, _pid) \
 	{MODE_CMSISDAP, _vid, _pid, 0, 0, {}}
diff --git a/src/ftdipp_mpsse.cpp b/src/ftdipp_mpsse.cpp
index cef14c7..646bc37 100644
--- a/src/ftdipp_mpsse.cpp
+++ b/src/ftdipp_mpsse.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ FTDIpp_MPSSE::FTDIpp_MPSSE(const cable_t &cable, const string &dev,
 				_verbose(verbose > 2), _cable(cable.config), _vid(0),
 				_pid(0), _index(0),
 				_bus(cable.bus_addr), _addr(cable.device_addr),
+				_bitmode(BITMODE_RESET),
 				_interface(cable.config.interface),
 				_clkHZ(clkHZ), _buffer_size(2*32768), _num(0)
 {
@@ -96,6 +97,13 @@ FTDIpp_MPSSE::~FTDIpp_MPSSE()
 {
 	char err[256];
 	int ret;
+
+	if (_bitmode == BITMODE_MPSSE) {
+		if (_cable.status_pin != -1) {
+			gpio_set(1 << _cable.status_pin);
+		}
+	}
+
 	if ((ret = ftdi_set_bitmode(_ftdi, 0, BITMODE_RESET)) < 0) {
 		snprintf(err, sizeof(err), "unable to config pins : %d %s",
 			ret, ftdi_get_error_string(_ftdi));
@@ -278,6 +286,16 @@ int FTDIpp_MPSSE::init(unsigned char latency, unsigned char bitmask_mode,
 		if (setClkFreq(_clkHZ) < 0)
 			return -1;
 
+		if (_cable.status_pin != -1) {
+			if (_cable.status_pin <= 7) {
+				_cable.bit_low_dir |= 1 << _cable.status_pin;
+				_cable.bit_low_val &= ~(1 << _cable.status_pin);
+			} else {
+				_cable.bit_high_dir |= 1 << (_cable.status_pin - 8);
+				_cable.bit_high_val &= ~(1 << (_cable.status_pin - 8));
+			}
+		}
+
 		int to_wr = 3;
 
 		buf_cmd[1] = _cable.bit_low_val;  // 0xe8;
@@ -311,6 +329,7 @@ int FTDIpp_MPSSE::init(unsigned char latency, unsigned char bitmask_mode,
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	_bitmode = mode;
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/ftdipp_mpsse.hpp b/src/ftdipp_mpsse.hpp
index 97709c1..4f47c9f 100644
--- a/src/ftdipp_mpsse.hpp
+++ b/src/ftdipp_mpsse.hpp
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class FTDIpp_MPSSE {
 	private:
 		uint8_t _bus;
 		uint8_t _addr;
+		uint8_t _bitmode;
 		char _product[64];
 		unsigned char _interface;
 		/* gpio */
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 2667bd5..e1ad65d 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct arguments {
 	string cable;
 	string ftdi_serial;
 	int ftdi_channel;
+	int status_pin;
 	uint32_t freq;
 	bool invert_read_edge;
 	string board;
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	/* command line args. */
 	struct arguments args = {0, false, false, false, false, 0, "", "", "", "-", "", -1,
-			0, false, "-", false, false, false, false, Device::PRG_NONE, false,
+			-1, 0, false, "-", false, false, false, false, Device::PRG_NONE, false,
 			/* spi dfu    file_type fpga_part bridge_path probe_firmware */
 			false, false, "",       "",       "",         "",
 			/* index_chain file_size target_flash external_flash altsetting */
@@ -220,6 +221,13 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (args.status_pin != -1) {
+		if (cable.type != MODE_FTDI_SERIAL){
+			printError("Error: FTDI status pin is for FTDI MPSSE cables.");
+			return EXIT_FAILURE;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (args.vid != 0) {
 		printInfo("Cable VID overridden");
 		cable.vid = args.vid;
@@ -232,8 +240,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	cable.bus_addr = args.bus_addr;
 	cable.device_addr = args.device_addr;
 
-	// always set this
+	// always set these
 	cable.config.index = args.cable_index;
+	cable.config.status_pin = args.status_pin;
 
 	/* FLASH direct access */
 	if (args.spi || (board && board->mode == COMM_SPI)) {
@@ -701,6 +710,9 @@ int parse_opt(int argc, char **argv, struct arguments *args,
 				"bitstream(intel/xilinx)",
 				cxxopts::value<string>(args->bridge_path))
 			("c,cable", "jtag interface", cxxopts::value<string>(args->cable))
+			("status-pin",
+				"JTAG mode / FTDI: GPIO pin number to use as a status indicator (active low)",
+				cxxopts::value<int>(args->status_pin))
 			("invert-read-edge",
 				"JTAG mode / FTDI: read on negative edge instead of positive",
 				cxxopts::value<bool>(args->invert_read_edge))
@@ -857,6 +869,13 @@ int parse_opt(int argc, char **argv, struct arguments *args,
 			args->freq = static_cast<uint32_t>(freq);
 		}
 
+		if (result.count("status-pin")) {
+			if (args->status_pin < 4 || args->status_pin > 15) {
+				printError("Error: valid status pin numbers are 4-15.");
+				throw std::exception();
+			}
+		}
+
 		if (result.count("ftdi-channel")) {
 			if (args->ftdi_channel < 0 || args->ftdi_channel > 3) {
 				printError("Error: valid FTDI channels are 0-3.");