diff --git a/manifests/tunnel.pp b/manifests/tunnel.pp
index 87c6e08..2a9425a 100644
--- a/manifests/tunnel.pp
+++ b/manifests/tunnel.pp
@@ -16,19 +16,20 @@
 #
 # A define to add an autossh tunnel
 define autossh::tunnel (
-  $ensure              = running,
   $user,
-  $ssh_port            = '22',
   $ssh_host,
   $ssh_user,
   $ssh_key,
-  $local_forward_args  = undef,
-  $remote_forward_args = undef,
+  $ssh_args,
+  $ensure              = running,
+  $ssh_port            = '22',
+  $monitoring_port     = 0,
+  $run_in_background   = True,
 ) {
     service { '/usr/lib/autossh':
-      ensure => $ensure,
-      start => template('autossh/autossh-command.erb'),
-      stop  => 'AUTOSSH_PID=`pidof autossh` && CHILD_PID=`pgrep -P $AUTOSSH_PID` && kill -9 $AUTOSSH_PID && kill -9 $CHILD_PID',
+      ensure   => $ensure,
+      start    => template('autossh/autossh-command.erb'),
+      stop     => 'AUTOSSH_PID=`pidof autossh` && CHILD_PID=`pgrep -P $AUTOSSH_PID` && kill -9 $AUTOSSH_PID && kill -9 $CHILD_PID',
       provider => base,
     }
 }
diff --git a/templates/autossh-command.erb b/templates/autossh-command.erb
index 73eda26..ad7aad1 100644
--- a/templates/autossh-command.erb
+++ b/templates/autossh-command.erb
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <% if @user == 'root' %>
-/usr/lib/autossh/autossh -M 0 -N -f -o "ServerAliveInterval 60" -o "ServerAliveCountMax 3" -o "StrictHostKeyChecking no" <% if @local_forward_args %> -L <%= @local_forward_args %> <% end %> <% if @remote_forward_args %> -R <%= @remote_forward_args %> <% end %> -i <%= @ssh_key %> <%= @ssh_user %>@<%= @ssh_host %> -p <%= @ssh_port %>
+/usr/lib/autossh/autossh -M <%= monitoring_port %> <% if @run_in_background %> -f <% end %> <%= @ssh_args %> -i <%= @ssh_key %> <%= @ssh_user %>@<%= @ssh_host %> -p <%= @ssh_port %>
 <% else %>
-su <%= @user %> -c '/usr/lib/autossh/autossh -M 0 -N -f -o "ServerAliveInterval 60" -o "ServerAliveCountMax 3" -o "StrictHostKeyChecking no" <% if @local_forward_args %> -L <%= @local_forward_args %> <% end %> <% if @remote_forward_args %> -R <%= @remote_forward_args %> <% end %> -i <%= @ssh_key %> <%= @ssh_user %>@<%= @ssh_host %> -p <%= @ssh_port %>'
+su <%= @user %> -c '/usr/lib/autossh/autossh -M <%= monitoring_port %> <% if @run_in_background %> -f <% end %> <%= @ssh_args %> -i <%= @ssh_key %> <%= @ssh_user %>@<%= @ssh_host %> -p <%= @ssh_port %>'
 <% end %>