diff --git a/include/netlink-types.h b/include/netlink-types.h
index cddace9..263e5d7 100644
--- a/include/netlink-types.h
+++ b/include/netlink-types.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #define NL_SOCK_PASSCRED	(1<<1)
 #define NL_OWN_PORT		(1<<2)
 #define NL_MSG_PEEK		(1<<3)
+#define NL_NO_AUTO_ACK		(1<<4)
 
 #define NL_MSG_CRED_PRESENT 1
 
diff --git a/include/netlink/socket.h b/include/netlink/socket.h
index 68477e4..c10bc2a 100644
--- a/include/netlink/socket.h
+++ b/include/netlink/socket.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@ extern int			nl_socket_recv_pktinfo(struct nl_sock *, int);
 
 extern void			nl_disable_sequence_check(struct nl_sock *);
 extern unsigned int		nl_socket_use_seq(struct nl_sock *);
+extern void			nl_socket_disable_auto_ack(struct nl_sock *);
+extern void			nl_socket_enable_auto_ack(struct nl_sock *);
 
 extern int			nl_socket_get_fd(struct nl_sock *);
 extern int			nl_socket_set_nonblocking(struct nl_sock *);
diff --git a/lib/nl.c b/lib/nl.c
index 80a920a..b230a4d 100644
--- a/lib/nl.c
+++ b/lib/nl.c
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
  * // and message flags all the time. nl_send_auto_complete() automatically
  * // extends your message header as needed with an appropriate sequence
  * // number, the netlink pid stored in the netlink socket and the message
- * // flags NLM_F_REQUEST and NLM_F_ACK
+ * // flags NLM_F_REQUEST and NLM_F_ACK (if not disabled in the socket)
  * nl_send_auto_complete(sk, nlmsg_hdr(msg));
  *
  * // Simple protocols don't require the complex message construction interface
@@ -385,7 +385,10 @@ int nl_send_auto_complete(struct nl_sock *sk, struct nl_msg *msg)
 	if (msg->nm_protocol == -1)
 		msg->nm_protocol = sk->s_proto;
 	
-	nlh->nlmsg_flags |= (NLM_F_REQUEST | NLM_F_ACK);
+	nlh->nlmsg_flags |= NLM_F_REQUEST;
+
+	if (!(sk->s_flags & NL_NO_AUTO_ACK))
+		nlh->nlmsg_flags |= NLM_F_ACK;
 
 	if (cb->cb_send_ow)
 		return cb->cb_send_ow(sk, msg);
diff --git a/lib/socket.c b/lib/socket.c
index 3b0d9dc..1a11971 100644
--- a/lib/socket.c
+++ b/lib/socket.c
@@ -276,6 +276,33 @@ unsigned int nl_socket_use_seq(struct nl_sock *sk)
 	return sk->s_seq_next++;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Disable automatic request for ACK
+ * @arg sk		Netlink socket.
+ *
+ * The default behaviour of a socket is to request an ACK for
+ * each message sent to allow for the caller to synchronize to
+ * the completion of the netlink operation. This function
+ * disables this behaviour and will result in requests being
+ * sent which will not have the NLM_F_ACK flag set automatically.
+ * However, it is still possible for the caller to set the
+ * NLM_F_ACK flag explicitely.
+ */
+void nl_socket_disable_auto_ack(struct nl_sock *sk)
+{
+	sk->s_flags |= NL_NO_AUTO_ACK;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Enable automatic request for ACK (default)
+ * @arg sk		Netlink socket.
+ * @see nl_socket_disable_auto_ack
+ */
+void nl_socket_enable_auto_ack(struct nl_sock *sk)
+{
+	sk->s_flags &= ~NL_NO_AUTO_ACK;
+}
+
 /** @} */
 
 /**