diff --git a/drivers/dahdi/dahdi-base.c b/drivers/dahdi/dahdi-base.c
index d9b8408..5c57b2c 100644
--- a/drivers/dahdi/dahdi-base.c
+++ b/drivers/dahdi/dahdi-base.c
@@ -6278,6 +6278,13 @@ static int dahdi_chan_ioctl(struct file *file, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long d
 		}
 		break;
 #endif
+	case DAHDI_BUFFER_EVENTS:
+		if (get_user(j, (int __user *)data) != -EFAULT && j)
+			set_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_BUFEVENTS, &chan->flags);
+		else
+			clear_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_BUFEVENTS, &chan->flags);
+
+		break;
 	default:
 		return dahdi_chanandpseudo_ioctl(file, cmd, data);
 	}
@@ -7060,6 +7067,7 @@ static inline void __dahdi_getbuf_chunk(struct dahdi_chan *ss, unsigned char *tx
 	int getlin;
 	/* How many bytes we need to process */
 	int bytes = DAHDI_CHUNKSIZE, left;
+	bool needtxunderrun = false;
 	int x;
 
 	/* Let's pick something to transmit.  First source to
@@ -7201,13 +7209,25 @@ out in the later versions, and is put back now. */
 			} else {
 				memset(txb, 0xFF, bytes);
 			}
+			needtxunderrun += bytes;
 			bytes = 0;
 		} else {
 			memset(txb, DAHDI_LIN2X(0, ms), bytes);	/* Lastly we use silence on telephony channels */
+			needtxunderrun += bytes;
 			bytes = 0;
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (needtxunderrun) {
+		if (!test_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_TXUNDERRUN, &ms->flags)) {
+			if (test_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_BUFEVENTS, &ms->flags))
+				__qevent(ms, DAHDI_EVENT_WRITE_UNDERRUN);
+			set_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_TXUNDERRUN, &ms->flags);
+		}
+	} else {
+		clear_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_TXUNDERRUN, &ms->flags);
+	}
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_DAHDI_MIRROR
 	if (ss->txmirror) {
 		spin_lock(&ss->txmirror->lock);
@@ -8383,6 +8403,15 @@ that the waitqueue is empty. */
 #endif
 	}
 
+	if (bytes) {
+		if (!test_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_RXOVERRUN, &ms->flags)) {
+			if (test_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_BUFEVENTS, &ms->flags))
+				__qevent(ms, DAHDI_EVENT_READ_OVERRUN);
+			set_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_RXOVERRUN, &ms->flags);
+		}
+	} else {
+		clear_bit(DAHDI_FLAGBIT_RXOVERRUN, &ms->flags);
+	}
 }
 
 static inline void __dahdi_putbuf_chunk(struct dahdi_chan *ss, unsigned char *rxb)
diff --git a/include/dahdi/kernel.h b/include/dahdi/kernel.h
index 6b5f4a4..d3beabe 100644
--- a/include/dahdi/kernel.h
+++ b/include/dahdi/kernel.h
@@ -719,6 +719,9 @@ enum {
 	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_LOOPED	= 18,	/*!< Loopback the receive data from the channel to the transmit */
 	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_MTP2	= 19,	/*!< Repeats last message in buffer and also discards repeating messages sent to us */
 	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_HDLC56	= 20,	/*!< Sets the given channel (if in HDLC mode) to use 56K HDLC instead of 64K  */
+	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_BUFEVENTS	= 21,	/*!< Report buffer events */
+	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_TXUNDERRUN = 22,	/*!< Transmit underrun condition */
+	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_RXOVERRUN = 23,	/*!< Receive overrun condition */
 	DAHDI_FLAGBIT_DEVFILE	= 25,	/*!< Channel has a sysfs dev file */
 };
 
@@ -783,6 +786,9 @@ struct dahdi_count {
 #define DAHDI_FLAG_LOOPED	DAHDI_FLAG(LOOPED)
 #define DAHDI_FLAG_MTP2		DAHDI_FLAG(MTP2)
 #define DAHDI_FLAG_HDLC56	DAHDI_FLAG(HDLC56)
+#define DAHDI_FLAG_BUFEVENTS	DAHDI_FLAG(BUFEVENTS)
+#define DAHDI_FLAG_TXUNDERRUN	DAHDI_FLAG(TXUNDERRUN)
+#define DAHDI_FLAG_RXOVERRUN	DAHDI_FLAG(RXOVERRUN)
 
 struct dahdi_span_ops {
 	struct module *owner;		/*!< Which module is exporting this span. */
diff --git a/include/dahdi/user.h b/include/dahdi/user.h
index 1159fbf..6b666b9 100644
--- a/include/dahdi/user.h
+++ b/include/dahdi/user.h
@@ -448,6 +448,12 @@ enum dahdi_maint_mode {
 /* The echo canceler's NLP (only) was enabled */
 #define DAHDI_EVENT_EC_NLP_ENABLED	28
 
+/* The channel's read buffer encountered an overrun condition */
+#define DAHDI_EVENT_READ_OVERRUN	29
+
+/* The channel's write buffer encountered an underrun condition */
+#define DAHDI_EVENT_WRITE_UNDERRUN	30
+
 #define DAHDI_EVENT_PULSEDIGIT		(1 << 16)	/* This is OR'd with the digit received */
 #define DAHDI_EVENT_DTMFDOWN		(1 << 17)	/* Ditto for DTMF key down event */
 #define DAHDI_EVENT_DTMFUP		(1 << 18)	/* Ditto for DTMF key up event */
@@ -1085,6 +1091,13 @@ struct dahdi_vmwi_info {
 #define DAHDI_TXMIRROR			_IOW(DAHDI_CODE, 104, int)
 #endif /* CONFIG_DAHDI_MIRROR */
 
+/*
+  Set the desired state for channel buffer event generation which is disabled
+  by default to allow for backwards compatibility for dumb users of channels
+  such as pattern utilities.
+ */
+#define DAHDI_BUFFER_EVENTS		_IOW(DAHDI_CODE, 105, int)
+
 /* Get current status IOCTL */
 /* Defines for Radio Status (dahdi_radio_stat.radstat) bits */