diff --git a/install/boss-install.in b/install/boss-install.in
index 7a6030ec0698c98f8c3e10561d3e20c0334741d0..ffdcd9fbdb36188c7dacfd8756581013ba6c35f4 100644
--- a/install/boss-install.in
+++ b/install/boss-install.in
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ Phase "experiments", "Setting up system experiments", sub {
 	    PhaseSkip("Experiment Created")
 		if (-d "/proj/$pid/exp/$eid");
 	    ExecQuietFatal("$SUDO -u elabman $WAP $BATCHEXP ".
-			   "  -q -i -w -f -S 'System Experiment' ".
+			   "  -q -i -w -f -n -S 'System Experiment' ".
 			   "  -L 'System Experiment' ".
 			   "  -E '$desc - DO NOT DELETE' ".
 			   "  -p $pid -e $eid");
diff --git a/tbsetup/batchexp.in b/tbsetup/batchexp.in
index 8a60dcd61bb570238b78872406c9d4eed645dbf1..bb78653c8eb7dfa6d2a24632b6fe2dd2ca323dc4 100755
--- a/tbsetup/batchexp.in
+++ b/tbsetup/batchexp.in
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ use POSIX qw(strftime);
 sub usage()
 {
     print(STDERR
-	  "Usage: batchexp [-q] [-i [-w]] [-f] [-E description] [-g gid]\n".
+	  "Usage: batchexp [-q] [-i [-w]] [-n] [-f] [-E description] [-g gid]\n".
 	  "                [-S reason] [-L reason] [-a <time>] [-l <time>]\n".
 	  "                -p <pid> -e <eid> <nsfile>\n".
 	  "switches and arguments:\n".
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ sub usage()
 	  "-q       - be less chatty\n".
 	  "-S <str> - Experiment cannot be swapped; must provide reason\n".
 	  "-L <str> - Experiment cannot be IDLE swapped; must provide reason\n".
+	  "-n       - Do not send idle email (internal option only)\n".
 	  "-a <nnn> - Auto swapout nnn minutes after experiment is swapped in\n".
 	  "-l <nnn> - Auto swapout nnn minutes after experiment goes idle\n".
 	  "-E <str> - A pithy sentence describing your experiment\n".
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ sub usage()
     exit(-1);
 }
 
-my $optlist = "iE:g:e:p:S:L:a:l:fwqt:";
+my $optlist = "iE:g:e:p:S:L:a:l:fwqt:n";
 my $batchmode= 1;
 my $frontend = 0;
 my $waitmode = 0;
@@ -883,6 +884,10 @@ sub ParseArgs()
     if (defined($options{"q"})) {
 	$quiet = 1;
     }
+    # This option should not be exported via the XMLRPC server. 
+    if (defined($options{"n"})) {
+	$idleignore = 1;
+    }
 
     #
     # pid,eid,gid get passed along as shell commands args; must taint check.