diff --git a/lib/gen_cmd.py b/lib/gen_cmd.py
index bdd8258..81f64f0 100644
--- a/lib/gen_cmd.py
+++ b/lib/gen_cmd.py
@@ -288,7 +288,8 @@
               retry_sleep_time=5,
               allowed_shell_rcs=[0],
               ignore_err=None,
-              return_stderr=0):
+              return_stderr=0,
+              fork=0):
     r"""
     Run the given command string in a shell and return a tuple consisting of
     the shell return code and the output.
@@ -351,6 +352,10 @@
                                     such a case, the tuple returned by this
                                     function will consist of three values
                                     rather than just two: rc, stdout, stderr.
+    fork                            Run the command string asynchronously
+                                    (i.e. don't wait for status of the child
+                                    process and don't try to get
+                                    stdout/stderr).
     """
 
     # Assign default values to some of the arguments to this function.
@@ -398,6 +403,8 @@
         # Output from this loop iteration is written to func_stdout for later
         # processing.
         func_stdout = ""
+        if fork:
+            break
         command_timed_out = False
         if time_out is not None:
             # Designate a SIGALRM handling function and set alarm.
diff --git a/lib/gen_plug_in_utils.py b/lib/gen_plug_in_utils.py
index 34b227f..d1eb8f6 100755
--- a/lib/gen_plug_in_utils.py
+++ b/lib/gen_plug_in_utils.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 
     This function also does the following:
     - Set a default value for environment variable
-    AUTOBOOT_OPENBMC_NICKNAME/AUTOIPL_FSP1_NICKNAME if it is not already set.
+      AUTOBOOT_OPENBMC_NICKNAME/AUTOIPL_FSP1_NICKNAME if it is not already set.
     - Register PASSWORD variables to prevent their values from being printed.
 
     Note: The programmer may set a default for any given environment variable
diff --git a/lib/gen_print.py b/lib/gen_print.py
index ed254fc..98ab72c 100755
--- a/lib/gen_print.py
+++ b/lib/gen_print.py
@@ -1624,11 +1624,11 @@
     This function will...
     - Expect that there is an sprint_foo_bar function already in existence.
     - Create a print_foo_bar function which calls sprint_foo_bar and prints
-    the result.
+      the result.
     - Create a qprint_foo_bar function which calls upon sprint_foo_bar only if
-    global value quiet is 0.
+      global value quiet is 0.
     - Create a dprint_foo_bar function which calls upon sprint_foo_bar only if
-    global value debug is 1.
+      global value debug is 1.
 
     Also, code will be generated to define aliases for each function as well.
     Each alias will be created by replacing "print_" in the function name with
diff --git a/lib/gen_valid.py b/lib/gen_valid.py
index f41c9cd..0c990b0 100755
--- a/lib/gen_valid.py
+++ b/lib/gen_valid.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
     - If the error_message contains a value:
         - Print the error_message as part of a full error report.
         - If global exit_on_error is set, then exit the program with a return
-        code of 1.
+          code of 1.
         - If exit_on_error is not set, return False.
 
     This function is designed solely for use by wrapper functions in this file