diff -Nur --from-file=anacron-2.3-13.orig anacron-2.3-13.orig/anacron.8 anacron-2.3-13/anacron.8
--- anacron-2.3-13.orig/anacron.8	2008-12-23 05:20:08.000000000 +0200
+++ anacron-2.3-13/anacron.8	2008-12-23 05:58:31.000000000 +0200
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 .SH NAME
 anacron \- runs commands periodically
 .SH SYNOPSIS
-.B anacron \fR[\fB-s\fR] [\fB-f\fR] [\fB-n\fR] [\fB-d\fR] [\fB-q\fR]
+.B anacron \fR[\fB-s\fR] [\fB-f\fR] [\fB-n\fR] [\fB-d\fR] [\fB-q\fR] [\fB-r\fR]
 [\fB-t anacrontab\fR] [\fB-S spooldir\fR] [\fIjob\fR] ...
 .br
 .B anacron [\fB-S spooldir\fR] -u [\fB-t anacrontab\fR] \fR[\fIjob\fR] ...
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@
 .B -q
 Suppress messages to standard error.  Only applicable with \fB-d\fR.
 .TP
+.B -r
+Require a clean exit (return value 0) from the job before updating the timestamp.
+This can be used to run the job again soon (on the next anacron run),
+if the job failed for some reason. E.g. backup operation might be required
+to be succesful each day.
+.TP
 .B -t anacrontab
 Use specified anacrontab, rather than the default
 .TP
diff -Nur --from-file=anacron-2.3-13.orig anacron-2.3-13.orig/global.h anacron-2.3-13/global.h
--- anacron-2.3-13.orig/global.h	2008-12-23 05:20:08.000000000 +0200
+++ anacron-2.3-13/global.h	2008-12-23 05:48:15.000000000 +0200
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 extern int old_umask;
 extern sigset_t old_sigmask;
 extern int serialize,force,update_only,now,no_daemon,quiet,testing_only;
+extern int require_clean_exit;
 extern int day_now;
 extern int year,month,day_of_month;
 extern int in_background;
diff -Nur --from-file=anacron-2.3-13.orig anacron-2.3-13.orig/main.c anacron-2.3-13/main.c
--- anacron-2.3-13.orig/main.c	2008-12-23 05:20:08.000000000 +0200
+++ anacron-2.3-13/main.c	2008-12-23 06:17:21.000000000 +0200
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 char *spooldir;
 int serialize, force, update_only, now,
     no_daemon, quiet, testing_only;            /* command-line options */
+int require_clean_exit;
 char **args;                       /* vector of "job" command-line arguments */
 int nargs;                                     /* number of these */
 char *defarg = "*";
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@
 static void
 print_usage()
 {
-    printf("Usage:  anacron [-s] [-f] [-n] [-d] [-q] [-t anacrontab] [-S spooldir] [job] ...\n"
+    printf("Usage:  anacron [-s] [-f] [-n] [-d] [-q] [-r] [-t anacrontab] [-S spooldir] [job] ...\n"
 	   "        anacron [-S spooldir] -u [job] ...\n"
 	   "        anacron [-V|-h]\n"
 	   "        anacron -T [-t anacrontab]\n"
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@
 	   " -n  Run jobs with no delay, implies -s\n"
 	   " -d  Don't fork to the background\n"
 	   " -q  Suppress stderr messages, only applicable with -d\n"
+	   " -r  Require clean exit before updating timestamp\n"
 	   " -u  Update the timestamps without actually running anything\n"
 	   " -t  Use this anacrontab\n"
 	   " -V  Print version information\n"
@@ -101,10 +103,14 @@
 
     quiet = no_daemon = serialize = force = update_only = now = 0;
     opterr = 0;
-    while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "sfundqt:TS:Vh")) != EOF)
+    require_clean_exit = 0;
+    while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "rsfundqt:TS:Vh")) != EOF)
     {
 	switch (opt)
 	{
+	case 'r':
+  	    require_clean_exit = 1;
+	    break;
 	case 's':
 	    serialize = 1;
 	    break;
diff -Nur --from-file=anacron-2.3-13.orig anacron-2.3-13.orig/runjob.c anacron-2.3-13/runjob.c
--- anacron-2.3-13.orig/runjob.c	2008-12-23 05:20:08.000000000 +0200
+++ anacron-2.3-13/runjob.c	2008-12-23 05:45:15.000000000 +0200
@@ -276,14 +276,19 @@
     int mail_output;
     char *m;
 
-    update_timestamp(jr);
+    if(!require_clean_exit)
+      update_timestamp(jr);
     unlock(jr);
     if (file_size(jr->output_fd) > jr->mail_header_size) mail_output = 1;
     else mail_output = 0;
 
     m = mail_output ? " (mailing output)" : "";
     if (WIFEXITED(status) && WEXITSTATUS(status) == 0)
+      {
+	if(require_clean_exit)
+	  update_timestamp(jr);
 	explain("Job `%s' terminated%s", jr->ident, m);
+      }
     else if (WIFEXITED(status))
 	explain("Job `%s' terminated (exit status: %d)%s",
 		jr->ident, WEXITSTATUS(status), m);