diff --git a/otelcli/config.go b/otelcli/config.go
index 7d75af1..daffe79 100644
--- a/otelcli/config.go
+++ b/otelcli/config.go
@@ -23,34 +23,35 @@ const spanBgSockfilename = "otel-cli-background.sock"
 // DefaultConfig returns a Config with all defaults set.
 func DefaultConfig() Config {
 	return Config{
-		Endpoint:               "",
-		Protocol:               "",
-		Timeout:                "1s",
-		Headers:                map[string]string{},
-		Insecure:               false,
-		Blocking:               false,
-		NoTlsVerify:            false,
-		ServiceName:            "otel-cli",
-		SpanName:               "todo-generate-default-span-names",
-		Kind:                   "client",
-		Attributes:             map[string]string{},
-		TraceparentCarrierFile: "",
-		TraceparentIgnoreEnv:   false,
-		TraceparentPrint:       false,
-		TraceparentPrintExport: false,
-		TraceparentRequired:    false,
-		BackgroundParentPollMs: 10,
-		BackgroundSockdir:      "",
-		BackgroundWait:         false,
-		SpanStartTime:          "now",
-		SpanEndTime:            "now",
-		EventName:              "todo-generate-default-event-names",
-		EventTime:              "now",
-		CfgFile:                "",
-		Verbose:                false,
-		Fail:                   false,
-		StatusCode:             "unset",
-		StatusDescription:      "",
+		Endpoint:                     "",
+		Protocol:                     "",
+		Timeout:                      "1s",
+		Headers:                      map[string]string{},
+		Insecure:                     false,
+		Blocking:                     false,
+		NoTlsVerify:                  false,
+		ServiceName:                  "otel-cli",
+		SpanName:                     "todo-generate-default-span-names",
+		Kind:                         "client",
+		Attributes:                   map[string]string{},
+		TraceparentCarrierFile:       "",
+		TraceparentIgnoreEnv:         false,
+		TraceparentPrint:             false,
+		TraceparentPrintExport:       false,
+		TraceparentRequired:          false,
+		BackgroundParentPollMs:       10,
+		BackgroundSockdir:            "",
+		BackgroundWait:               false,
+		BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck: false,
+		SpanStartTime:                "now",
+		SpanEndTime:                  "now",
+		EventName:                    "todo-generate-default-event-names",
+		EventTime:                    "now",
+		CfgFile:                      "",
+		Verbose:                      false,
+		Fail:                         false,
+		StatusCode:                   "unset",
+		StatusDescription:            "",
 	}
 }
 
@@ -79,9 +80,10 @@ type Config struct {
 	TraceparentPrintExport bool   `json:"traceparent_print_export" env:"OTEL_CLI_EXPORT_TRACEPARENT"`
 	TraceparentRequired    bool   `json:"traceparent_required" env:"OTEL_CLI_TRACEPARENT_REQUIRED"`
 
-	BackgroundParentPollMs int    `json:"background_parent_poll_ms" env:""`
-	BackgroundSockdir      string `json:"background_socket_directory" env:""`
-	BackgroundWait         bool   `json:"background_wait" env:""`
+	BackgroundParentPollMs       int    `json:"background_parent_poll_ms" env:""`
+	BackgroundSockdir            string `json:"background_socket_directory" env:""`
+	BackgroundWait               bool   `json:"background_wait" env:""`
+	BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck bool   `json:"background_skip_parent_pid_check"`
 
 	SpanStartTime string `json:"span_start_time" env:""`
 	SpanEndTime   string `json:"span_end_time" env:""`
@@ -196,6 +198,7 @@ func (c Config) ToStringMap() map[string]string {
 		"background_parent_poll_ms":   strconv.Itoa(c.BackgroundParentPollMs),
 		"background_socket_directory": c.BackgroundSockdir,
 		"background_wait":             strconv.FormatBool(c.BackgroundWait),
+		"background_skip_pid_check":   strconv.FormatBool(c.BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck),
 		"span_start_time":             c.SpanStartTime,
 		"span_end_time":               c.SpanEndTime,
 		"event_name":                  c.EventName,
@@ -331,6 +334,12 @@ func (c Config) WithBackgroundWait(with bool) Config {
 	return c
 }
 
+// WithBackgroundSkipParentPidCheck returns the config with BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck set to the provided value.
+func (c Config) WithBackgroundSkipParentPidCheck(with bool) Config {
+	c.BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck = with
+	return c
+}
+
 // WithSpanStartTime returns the config with SpanStartTime set to the provided value.
 func (c Config) WithSpanStartTime(with string) Config {
 	c.SpanStartTime = with
diff --git a/otelcli/span_background.go b/otelcli/span_background.go
index 6fb0057..6c8886c 100644
--- a/otelcli/span_background.go
+++ b/otelcli/span_background.go
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ func init() {
 	spanBgCmd.Flags().StringVar(&config.BackgroundSockdir, "sockdir", defaults.BackgroundSockdir, "a directory where a socket can be placed safely")
 
 	spanBgCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&config.BackgroundWait, "wait", defaults.BackgroundWait, "wait for background to be fully started and then return")
+	spanBgCmd.Flags().BoolVar(&config.BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck, "skip-pid-check", defaults.BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck, "disable checking parent pid")
 
 	addCommonParams(spanBgCmd)
 	addSpanParams(spanBgCmd)
@@ -99,20 +100,21 @@ func doSpanBackground(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	// when the parent is gone. the most straightforward approach that should
 	// be fine on most Unix-ish operating systems is to poll getppid and exit
 	// when the parent process pid changes
-	// TODO: make this configurable?
-	ppid := os.Getppid()
-	go func() {
-		for {
-			time.Sleep(time.Duration(config.BackgroundParentPollMs) * time.Millisecond)
-
-			// check if the parent process has changed, exit when it does
-			cppid := os.Getppid()
-			if cppid != ppid {
-				spanBgEndEvent("parent_exited", span)
-				bgs.Shutdown()
+	if !config.BackgroundSkipParentPidCheck {
+		ppid := os.Getppid()
+		go func() {
+			for {
+				time.Sleep(time.Duration(config.BackgroundParentPollMs) * time.Millisecond)
+
+				// check if the parent process has changed, exit when it does
+				cppid := os.Getppid()
+				if cppid != ppid {
+					spanBgEndEvent("parent_exited", span)
+					bgs.Shutdown()
+				}
 			}
-		}
-	}()
+		}()
+	}
 
 	// start the timeout goroutine, this is a little late but the server
 	// has to be up for this to make much sense