diff --git a/cmd/camput/chanworker.go b/cmd/camput/chanworker.go
index ac5d7961a..d65dc30ef 100644
--- a/cmd/camput/chanworker.go
+++ b/cmd/camput/chanworker.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"container/list"
+	"sync"
 )
 
 type nodeWorker struct {
@@ -35,9 +36,33 @@ type nodeWorker struct {
 // NewNodeWorker starts nWorkers goroutines running fn on incoming
 // nodes sent on the returned channel.  fn may block; writes to the
 // channel will buffer.
+// If nWorkers is negative, a new goroutine running fn is called for each
+// item sent on the returned channel.
+// When the returned channel is closed, fn is called with (nil, false)
+// after all other calls to fn have completed.
 func NewNodeWorker(nWorkers int, fn func(n *node, ok bool)) chan<- *node {
+	if nWorkers == 0 {
+		panic("invalid nWorkers valid of 0")
+	}
+	retc := make(chan *node, buffered)
+	if nWorkers < 0 {
+		// Unbounded number of workers.
+		go func() {
+			var wg sync.WaitGroup
+			for w := range retc {
+				wg.Add(1)
+				go func(w *node) {
+					fn(w, true)
+					wg.Done()
+				}(w)
+			}
+			wg.Wait()
+			fn(nil, false)
+		}()
+		return retc
+	}
 	w := &nodeWorker{
-		c:     make(chan *node, buffered),
+		c:     retc,
 		workc: make(chan *node, buffered),
 		donec: make(chan bool), // when workers finish
 		fn:    fn,
@@ -53,7 +78,7 @@ func NewNodeWorker(nWorkers int, fn func(n *node, ok bool)) chan<- *node {
 		}
 		fn(nil, false) // final sentinel
 	}()
-	return w.c
+	return retc
 }
 
 func (w *nodeWorker) pump() {