diff --git a/examples/playbook.yml b/examples/playbook.yml
index dd34608..e995c12 100644
--- a/examples/playbook.yml
+++ b/examples/playbook.yml
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@
   vars:
     haproxy_service_configs:
       - service:
-          hap_service_name: group_name
-          hap_backend_nodes: "{{ groups['group_name'][0] }}"
-          hap_backup_nodes: "{{ groups['group_name'][1:] }}"
-          hap_port: 80
-          hap_balance_type: http
-          hap_backend_options:
+          haproxy_service_name: group_name
+          haproxy_backend_nodes: "{{ groups['group_name'][0] }}"
+          haproxy_backup_nodes: "{{ groups['group_name'][1:] }}"
+          haproxy_port: 80
+          haproxy_balance_type: http
+          haproxy_backend_options:
             - "forwardfor"
             - "httpchk"
             - "httplog"
+          haproxy_backend_aguments:
+            - 'http-check expect string OK'
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/haproxy-backend-arguments-3b1dca299c7a8296.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/haproxy-backend-arguments-3b1dca299c7a8296.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72192fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/haproxy-backend-arguments-3b1dca299c7a8296.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+features:
+  - The new option `haproxy_backend_arguments` can be utilized to add
+    arbitrary options to a HAProxy backend like tcp-check or http-check.
diff --git a/templates/service.j2 b/templates/service.j2
index 9f26629..b10c232 100644
--- a/templates/service.j2
+++ b/templates/service.j2
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ frontend {{ item.service.haproxy_service_name }}-front-{{ loop.index }}
 {% endfor %}
 
 {% set backend_options = item.service.haproxy_backend_options|default([]) %}
+{% set backend_arguments = item.service.haproxy_backend_arguments|default([]) %}
 
 backend {{ item.service.haproxy_service_name }}-back
     mode {{ item.service.haproxy_balance_type }}
@@ -83,6 +84,9 @@ backend {{ item.service.haproxy_service_name }}-back
 {% for option in backend_options %}
     option {{ option }}
 {% endfor %}
+{% for argument in backend_arguments %}
+    {{ argument }}
+{% endfor %}
 {% set backend_httpcheck_options = item.service.haproxy_backend_httpcheck_options|default([]) %}
 {% for option in backend_httpcheck_options %}
     http-check {{ option }}