diff --git a/docs/Config_Reference.md b/docs/Config_Reference.md
index f271d8d5..e876add7 100644
--- a/docs/Config_Reference.md
+++ b/docs/Config_Reference.md
@@ -2374,7 +2374,7 @@ a shutdown_speed equal to max_power.
 
 Controller cooling fan (one may define any number of sections with a
 "controller_fan" prefix). A "controller fan" is a fan that will be
-enabled whenever its associated heater or any configured stepper
+enabled whenever its associated heater or its associated stepper
 driver is active. The fan will stop whenever an idle_timeout is
 reached to ensure no overheating will occur after deactivating a
 watched component.
@@ -2405,10 +2405,12 @@ watched component.
 #   will be set to when a heater or stepper driver was active and
 #   before the idle_timeout is reached. The default is fan_speed.
 #heater:
-#   Name of the config section defining the heater that this fan is
-#   associated with. If a comma separated list of heater names is
-#   provided here, then the fan will be enabled when any of the given
-#   heaters are enabled. The default is "extruder".
+#stepper:
+#   Name of the config section defining the heater/stepper that this fan
+#   is associated with. If a comma separated list of heater/stepper names
+#   is provided here, then the fan will be enabled when any of the given
+#   heaters/steppers are enabled. The default heater is "extruder", the
+#   default stepper is all of them.
 ```
 
 ## [temperature_fan]
diff --git a/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py b/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
index 267a2856..0c277723 100644
--- a/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
+++ b/klippy/extras/controller_fan.py
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ class ControllerFan:
     def __init__(self, config):
         self.printer = config.get_printer()
         self.printer.register_event_handler("klippy:ready", self.handle_ready)
+        self.printer.register_event_handler("klippy:connect",
+                                            self.handle_connect)
+        self.steppers_to_monitor = config.get("stepper", "")
         self.stepper_names = []
         self.stepper_enable = self.printer.load_object(config, 'stepper_enable')
         self.printer.load_object(config, 'heaters')
@@ -24,12 +27,23 @@ class ControllerFan:
         self.heater_name = config.get("heater", "extruder")
         self.last_on = self.idle_timeout
         self.last_speed = 0.
+    def handle_connect(self):
+        steppers = [n.strip() for n in self.steppers_to_monitor.split(',')]
+        all_steppers = [s.get_name()
+                        for s in self.stepper_enable.get_steppers()]
+        if steppers == [""]:
+            self.stepper_names = all_steppers
+            return
+        if not all(x in all_steppers for x in steppers):
+            raise self.printer.config_error(
+                ("One or more of these steppers are unknown: "
+                 "%s (valid steppers are: %s)")
+                % (steppers, ", ".join(all_steppers)))
+        self.stepper_names = steppers
     def handle_ready(self):
         pheaters = self.printer.lookup_object('heaters')
         self.heaters = [pheaters.lookup_heater(n.strip())
                         for n in self.heater_name.split(',')]
-        kin = self.printer.lookup_object('toolhead').get_kinematics()
-        self.stepper_names = [s.get_name() for s in kin.get_steppers()]
         reactor = self.printer.get_reactor()
         reactor.register_timer(self.callback, reactor.monotonic()+PIN_MIN_TIME)
     def get_status(self, eventtime):
diff --git a/klippy/extras/stepper_enable.py b/klippy/extras/stepper_enable.py
index a7fdf8ac..90458458 100644
--- a/klippy/extras/stepper_enable.py
+++ b/klippy/extras/stepper_enable.py
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ class PrinterStepperEnable:
         if name not in self.enable_lines:
             raise self.printer.config_error("Unknown stepper '%s'" % (name,))
         return self.enable_lines[name]
+    def get_steppers(self):
+        return [e.stepper for e in self.enable_lines.values()]
 
 def load_config(config):
     return PrinterStepperEnable(config)