diff --git a/sbin/reboot/boot_i386.8 b/sbin/reboot/boot_i386.8
index 05c44c76aa82..2879a3aa3096 100644
--- a/sbin/reboot/boot_i386.8
+++ b/sbin/reboot/boot_i386.8
@@ -223,6 +223,8 @@ probe the keyboard.  If no keyboard is found, the
 and
 .Fl h
 options are automatically set.
+.It Fl p
+pause after each attached device during the device probing phase.
 .It Fl r
 use the statically configured default for the device containing the
 root file system
diff --git a/sys/amd64/amd64/autoconf.c b/sys/amd64/amd64/autoconf.c
index 95943cd20990..a816eedecfde 100644
--- a/sys/amd64/amd64/autoconf.c
+++ b/sys/amd64/amd64/autoconf.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ configure_final(dummy)
 {
 	int i;
 
-/*	cninit_finish(); */
+	cninit_finish(); 
 
 	if (bootverbose) {
 
diff --git a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo.c b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo.c
index 8e5c752fe4c3..1c6b1d23e228 100644
--- a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo.c
+++ b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo.c
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ bi_getboothowto(char *kargs)
 		case 'h':
 		    howto |= RB_SERIAL;
 		    break;
+		case 'p':
+		    howto |= RB_PAUSE;
+		    break;
 		case 'r':
 		    howto |= RB_DFLTROOT;
 		    break;
diff --git a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo32.c b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo32.c
index 8e5c752fe4c3..1c6b1d23e228 100644
--- a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo32.c
+++ b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo32.c
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ bi_getboothowto(char *kargs)
 		case 'h':
 		    howto |= RB_SERIAL;
 		    break;
+		case 'p':
+		    howto |= RB_PAUSE;
+		    break;
 		case 'r':
 		    howto |= RB_DFLTROOT;
 		    break;
diff --git a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo64.c b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo64.c
index 8e5c752fe4c3..1c6b1d23e228 100644
--- a/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo64.c
+++ b/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo64.c
@@ -100,6 +100,9 @@ bi_getboothowto(char *kargs)
 		case 'h':
 		    howto |= RB_SERIAL;
 		    break;
+		case 'p':
+		    howto |= RB_PAUSE;
+		    break;
 		case 'r':
 		    howto |= RB_DFLTROOT;
 		    break;
diff --git a/sys/i386/i386/autoconf.c b/sys/i386/i386/autoconf.c
index 95943cd20990..a816eedecfde 100644
--- a/sys/i386/i386/autoconf.c
+++ b/sys/i386/i386/autoconf.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ configure_final(dummy)
 {
 	int i;
 
-/*	cninit_finish(); */
+	cninit_finish(); 
 
 	if (bootverbose) {
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/tty_cons.c b/sys/kern/tty_cons.c
index d25e42037054..ad752057c7dd 100644
--- a/sys/kern/tty_cons.c
+++ b/sys/kern/tty_cons.c
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@
 #include <sys/uio.h>
 #include <sys/vnode.h>
 
+#include <ddb/ddb.h>
+
 #include <machine/cpu.h>
 
 static	d_open_t	cnopen;
@@ -112,6 +114,9 @@ static int cn_mute;
 static int openflag;			/* how /dev/console was opened */
 static int cn_is_open;
 static dev_t cn_devfsdev;		/* represents the device private info */
+static u_char console_pausing;		/* pause after each line during probe */
+static char *console_pausestr=
+"<pause; press any key to proceed to next line or '.' to end pause mode>";
 
 void	cndebug(char *);
 
@@ -162,12 +167,20 @@ cninit(void)
 		cnadd(best_cn);
 		best_cn->cn_init(best_cn);
 	}
+	if (boothowto & RB_PAUSE)
+		console_pausing = 1;
 	/*
 	 * Make the best console the preferred console.
 	 */
 	cnselect(best_cn);
 }
 
+void
+cninit_finish()
+{
+	console_pausing = 0;
+} 
+
 /* add a new physical console to back the virtual console */
 int
 cnadd(struct consdev *cn)
@@ -526,6 +539,7 @@ cnputc(int c)
 {
 	struct cn_device *cnd;
 	struct consdev *cn;
+	char *cp;
 
 	if (cn_mute || c == '\0')
 		return;
@@ -535,6 +549,16 @@ cnputc(int c)
 			cn->cn_putc(cn->cn_dev, '\r');
 		cn->cn_putc(cn->cn_dev, c);
 	}
+	if (console_pausing && !db_active && (c == '\n')) {
+		for (cp = console_pausestr; *cp != '\0'; cp++)
+			cnputc(*cp);
+		if (cngetc() == '.')
+			console_pausing = 0;
+		cnputc('\r');
+		for (cp = console_pausestr; *cp != '\0'; cp++)
+			cnputc(' ');
+		cnputc('\r');
+	}
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/sys/sys/cons.h b/sys/sys/cons.h
index 73f2e9da6c54..a65647ec0387 100644
--- a/sys/sys/cons.h
+++ b/sys/sys/cons.h
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ extern int cons_unavail;
 
 /* Other kernel entry points. */
 void	cninit(void);
+void	cninit_finish(void);
 int	cnadd(struct consdev *);
 void	cnremove(struct consdev *);
 void	cnselect(struct consdev *);
diff --git a/sys/sys/reboot.h b/sys/sys/reboot.h
index 19e7cc36405c..0a45bcba0495 100644
--- a/sys/sys/reboot.h
+++ b/sys/sys/reboot.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #define	RB_GDB		0x8000	/* use GDB remote debugger instead of DDB */
 #define	RB_MUTE		0x10000	/* Come up with the console muted */
 #define	RB_SELFTEST	0x20000	/* don't boot to normal operation, do selftest */
+#define	RB_PAUSE	0x40000 /* pause after each output line during probe */
 #define	RB_MULTIPLE	0x20000000	/* Use multiple consoles */
 
 #define	RB_BOOTINFO	0x80000000	/* have `struct bootinfo *' arg */