Index: lib/Perlbal/BackendHTTP.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Perlbal/BackendHTTP.pm	(revision 721)
+++ lib/Perlbal/BackendHTTP.pm	(working copy)
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@
             !$self->{has_attention} && !defined $NoVerify{$self->{ipport}}) {
 
             # the backend should be able to answer this incredibly quickly.
-            $self->write("OPTIONS * HTTP/1.0\r\nConnection: keep-alive\r\n\r\n");
+            $self->write("OPTIONS " . $self->{service}->{verify_backend_path} . " HTTP/1.0\r\nConnection: keep-alive\r\n\r\n");
             $self->watch_read(1);
             $self->{waiting_options} = 1;
             $self->{content_length_remain} = undef;
Index: lib/Perlbal/Service.pm
===================================================================
--- lib/Perlbal/Service.pm	(revision 721)
+++ lib/Perlbal/Service.pm	(working copy)
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
             'persist_client',  # bool: persistent connections for clients
             'persist_backend', # bool: persistent connections for backends
             'verify_backend',  # bool: get attention of backend before giving it clients (using OPTIONS)
+            'verify_backend_path', # path to check with the OPTIONS request (default *)
             'max_backend_uses',  # max requests to send per kept-alive backend (default 0 = unlimited)
             'connect_ahead',           # scalar: number of spare backends to connect to in advance all the time
             'buffer_size', # int: specifies how much data a ClientProxy object should buffer from a backend
@@ -172,6 +173,12 @@
         check_type => "bool",
         check_role => "reverse_proxy",
     },
+    
+    'verify_backend_path' => {
+        des => "What path the OPTIONS request sent by verify_backend should use.  Default is '*'.",
+        default => '*',
+        check_role => "reverse_proxy",
+    },
 
     'max_backend_uses' => {
         check_role => "reverse_proxy",