diff --git a/autossh.changes b/autossh.changes
index 24fe3f5..04c20a6 100644
--- a/autossh.changes
+++ b/autossh.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,29 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Mar 27 12:17:11 UTC 2013 - multyrealm@gmail.com
+
+- support a custom count of instances
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed Mar 27 09:28:30 UTC 2013 - multyrealm@gmail.com
+
+- add functions to init script for controling autossh instances
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Fri Mar 22 13:34:38 UTC 2013 - multyrealm@gmail.com
+
+- change first autossh channel configuration key to
+  the old one to make package update seemless 
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Tue Mar 19 12:27:56 UTC 2013 - multyrealm@gmail.com
+
+- support upto 10 autossh instances 
+
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Mon Mar 18 16:16:42 UTC 2013 - multyrealm@gmail.com
+
+- updated copyright year 
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Wed Apr 18 15:45:10 UTC 2012 - multyrealm@gmail.com
 
diff --git a/autossh.conf b/autossh.conf
index 61addfd..7e00bad 100644
--- a/autossh.conf
+++ b/autossh.conf
@@ -31,8 +31,16 @@ AUTOSSH_POLL="600"
 # monitoring off, and autossh will only restart ssh on ssh exit.
 AUTOSSH_PORT="0"
 
+## Type:           integer
+## Default:        1
+#
+# Number of autossh instances to spawn on start.
+AUTOSSH_SPAWNS="1"
+
 ## Type:           string
 ## Default:        user@example.com -p 22 -ynNT -R 30000:localhost:22 -o ExitOnForwardFailure=yes -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=3
 #
 # Options to be passed to ssh
+# All options except for the first must end with "_<number>". Only the
+# options upto "_$(($AUTOSSH_SPAWNS-1))" will be started.
 AUTOSSH_OPTIONS="user@example.com -p 22 -ynNT -R 30000:localhost:22 -o ExitOnForwardFailure=yes -o ServerAliveInterval=60 -o ServerAliveCountMax=3"
diff --git a/autossh.init b/autossh.init
index 77268ae..262d924 100644
--- a/autossh.init
+++ b/autossh.init
@@ -34,26 +34,63 @@ test -r $AUTOSSH_CONFIG || { echo "$AUTOSSH_CONFIG not existing";
 
 . /etc/rc.status
 
+function start_instance() {
+    id=$1
+    pidfile=$2
+    options=$3
+    if [ -n "$options" ]; then
+        echo -n "$id: Starting autossh "
+        export AUTOSSH_PIDFILE="$pidfile"
+        /sbin/startproc -p "$pidfile" $AUTOSSH_BIN -f $options
+        rc_status -v
+    fi
+}
+
+function stop_instance() {
+    id=$1
+    pidfile=$2
+    options=$3
+    if [ -n "$options" ]; then
+        echo -n "$id: Shutting down autossh "
+        /sbin/killproc -p "$pidfile" $AUTOSSH_BIN
+        rc_status -v
+    fi
+}
+
+function status_instance() {
+    id=$1
+    pidfile=$2
+    options=$3
+    if [ -n "$options" ]; then
+        echo -n "$id: Checking for service autossh "
+        /sbin/checkproc -p "$pidfile" $AUTOSSH_BIN
+        rc_status -v
+    fi
+}
+
 rc_reset
 
 case "$1" in
     start)
-        export AUTOSSH_PIDFILE="/var/run/autossh.pid"
         export AUTOSSH_FIRST_POLL
         export AUTOSSH_LOGLEVEL
         export AUTOSSH_POLL
         export AUTOSSH_PORT
 
-        echo -n "Starting autossh "
-        /sbin/startproc $AUTOSSH_BIN -f $AUTOSSH_OPTIONS
+        start_instance "0" "/var/run/autossh.pid" "$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS"
+
+        for i in `seq 1 $(($AUTOSSH_SPAWNS-1))`; do
+            eval start_instance \"$i\" \"/var/run/autossh$i.pid\" \"\$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS_$i\"
+        done
 
-        rc_status -v
         ;;
     stop)
-        echo -n "Shutting down autossh "
-        /sbin/killproc $AUTOSSH_BIN
+        stop_instance "0" "/var/run/autossh.pid" "$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS"
+
+        for i in `seq 1 $(($AUTOSSH_SPAWNS-1))`; do
+            eval stop_instance \"$i\" \"/var/run/autossh$i.pid\" \"\$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS_$i\"
+        done
 
-        rc_status -v
         ;;
     try-restart|condrestart)
         if test "$1" = "condrestart"; then
@@ -81,10 +118,12 @@ case "$1" in
         rc_status
         ;;
     status)
-        echo -n "Checking for service autossh "
-        /sbin/checkproc $AUTOSSH_BIN
+        status_instance "0" "/var/run/autossh.pid" "$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS"
+
+        for i in `seq 1 $(($AUTOSSH_SPAWNS-1))`; do
+            eval status_instance \"$i\" \"/var/run/autossh$i.pid\" \"\$AUTOSSH_OPTIONS_$i\"
+        done
 
-        rc_status -v
         ;;
     *)
         echo "Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|try-restart|restart|force-reload}"
diff --git a/autossh.spec b/autossh.spec
index b9bd2c5..bfa6c18 100644
--- a/autossh.spec
+++ b/autossh.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package autossh
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2012 SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
+# Copyright (c) 2013 SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed