diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 23ee235dec..82665733e0 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -6007,3 +6007,11 @@ David  20 Sept 2012
         MainDocument.cpp
     client/
         makefile_sim
+
+David  20 Sept 2012
+    - cancel_jobs tool: add --name option to cancel job by name.
+        From David Coss.
+
+    tools/
+        backend_lib.cpp,h
+        cancel_jobs.cpp
diff --git a/tools/backend_lib.cpp b/tools/backend_lib.cpp
index 4f79c48021..fa0073b7a6 100644
--- a/tools/backend_lib.cpp
+++ b/tools/backend_lib.cpp
@@ -517,6 +517,8 @@ int create_delete_file_msg(int host_id, const char* file_name) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+// cancel jobs in a range of workunit IDs
+//
 int cancel_jobs(int min_id, int max_id) {
     DB_WORKUNIT wu;
     DB_RESULT result;
@@ -541,4 +543,32 @@ int cancel_jobs(int min_id, int max_id) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+// cancel a particular job
+//
+int cancel_job(DB_WORKUNIT& wu) {
+    DB_RESULT result;
+    char set_clause[256], where_clause[256];
+    int retval;
+
+    // cancel unsent results
+    //
+    sprintf(set_clause, "server_state=%d, outcome=%d",
+        RESULT_SERVER_STATE_OVER, RESULT_OUTCOME_DIDNT_NEED
+    );
+    sprintf(where_clause, "server_state=%d and workunitid=%d",
+        RESULT_SERVER_STATE_UNSENT, wu.id
+    );
+    retval = result.update_fields_noid(set_clause, where_clause);
+    if (retval) return retval;
+
+    // cancel the workunit
+    //
+    sprintf(set_clause, "error_mask=error_mask|%d, transition_time=%d",
+        WU_ERROR_CANCELLED, (int)(time(0))
+    );
+    retval = wu.update_field(set_clause);
+    if (retval) return retval;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 const char *BOINC_RCSID_b5f8b10eb5 = "$Id$";
diff --git a/tools/backend_lib.h b/tools/backend_lib.h
index c223956a8b..edb4480549 100644
--- a/tools/backend_lib.h
+++ b/tools/backend_lib.h
@@ -121,4 +121,8 @@ extern int create_delete_file_msg(
 //
 extern int cancel_jobs(int min_id, int max_id);
 
+// cancel a particular job
+//
+extern int cancel_job(DB_WORKUNIT&);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/cancel_jobs.cpp b/tools/cancel_jobs.cpp
index c2e1588c70..fe401df7f4 100644
--- a/tools/cancel_jobs.cpp
+++ b/tools/cancel_jobs.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@
 // along with BOINC.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 // cancel_jobs min-ID max-ID
-//
-// cancel jobs from min-ID to max-ID inclusive
+//    cancel jobs from min-ID to max-ID inclusive
+// cancel_jobs --name wuname
+//    cancel the job with the given name
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
@@ -26,14 +27,12 @@
 
 void usage() {
     fprintf(stderr, "Usage: cancel_jobs min-ID max-ID\n");
+    fprintf(stderr, "or cancel_jobs --name wuname\n");
     exit(1);
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv) {
     if (argc != 3) usage();
-    int min_id = atoi(argv[1]);
-    int max_id = atoi(argv[2]);
-    if (!min_id || !max_id) usage();
 
     int retval = config.parse_file();
     if (retval) exit(1);
@@ -45,10 +44,24 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         printf("boinc_db.open: %s\n", boincerror(retval));
         exit(1);
     }
-
-    retval = cancel_jobs(min_id, max_id);
+    if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--name")) {
+        DB_WORKUNIT wu;
+        char buf[256];
+        sprintf(buf, "where name='%s'", argv[2]);
+        retval = wu.lookup(buf);
+        if (retval) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "No workunit named '%s'\n", argv[2]);
+            exit(1);
+        }
+        retval = cancel_job(wu);
+    } else {
+        int min_id = atoi(argv[1]);
+        int max_id = atoi(argv[2]);
+        if (!min_id || !max_id) usage();
+        retval = cancel_jobs(min_id, max_id);
+    }
     if (retval) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "cancel_jobs() failed: %s\n", boincerror(retval));
+        fprintf(stderr, "cancel job failed: %s\n", boincerror(retval));
         exit(retval);
     }
 }