diff --git a/usr.sbin/config/Makefile b/usr.sbin/config/Makefile
index 845a3263dfc5..800192e50f26 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/config/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ CFLAGS+= -I. -I${SRCDIR}
 
 NO_WMISSING_VARIABLE_DECLARATIONS=
 
-LIBADD=	l sbuf
+LIBADD=	l nv sbuf
 
 CLEANFILES+=	kernconf.c
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/config/mkmakefile.c b/usr.sbin/config/mkmakefile.c
index bc9104b691b7..12b83e44ffd9 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config/mkmakefile.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/config/mkmakefile.c
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <sys/cnv.h>
+#include <sys/nv.h>
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include "y.tab.h"
 #include "config.h"
@@ -62,6 +64,10 @@ static void do_objs(FILE *);
 static void do_before_depend(FILE *);
 static int opteq(const char *, const char *);
 static void read_files(void);
+static void sanitize_envline(char *result, const char *src);
+static void process_into_file(char *line, FILE *ofp);
+static void process_into_nvlist(char *line, nvlist_t *nvl);
+static void dump_nvlist(nvlist_t *nvl, FILE *ofp);
 
 static void errout(const char *fmt, ...)
 {
@@ -180,64 +186,6 @@ makefile(void)
 	moveifchanged(path("Makefile.new"), path("Makefile"));
 }
 
-/*
- * Build hints.c from the skeleton
- */
-void
-makehints(void)
-{
-	FILE *ifp, *ofp;
-	char line[BUFSIZ];
-	char *s;
-	struct hint *hint;
-
-	ofp = fopen(path("hints.c.new"), "w");
-	if (ofp == NULL)
-		err(1, "%s", path("hints.c.new"));
-	fprintf(ofp, "#include <sys/types.h>\n");
-	fprintf(ofp, "#include <sys/systm.h>\n");
-	fprintf(ofp, "\n");
-	fprintf(ofp, "char static_hints[] = {\n");
-	STAILQ_FOREACH(hint, &hints, hint_next) {
-		ifp = fopen(hint->hint_name, "r");
-		if (ifp == NULL)
-			err(1, "%s", hint->hint_name);
-		while (fgets(line, BUFSIZ, ifp) != NULL) {
-			/* zap trailing CR and/or LF */
-			while ((s = strrchr(line, '\n')) != NULL)
-				*s = '\0';
-			while ((s = strrchr(line, '\r')) != NULL)
-				*s = '\0';
-			/* remove # comments */
-			s = strchr(line, '#');
-			if (s)
-				*s = '\0';
-			/* remove any whitespace and " characters */
-			s = line;
-			while (*s) {
-				if (*s == ' ' || *s == '\t' || *s == '"') {
-					while (*s) {
-						s[0] = s[1];
-						s++;
-					}
-					/* start over */
-					s = line;
-					continue;
-				}
-				s++;
-			}
-			/* anything left? */
-			if (*line == '\0')
-				continue;
-			fprintf(ofp, "\"%s\\0\"\n", line);
-		}
-		fclose(ifp);
-	}
-	fprintf(ofp, "\"\\0\"\n};\n");
-	fclose(ofp);
-	moveifchanged(path("hints.c.new"), path("hints.c"));
-}
-
 static void
 sanitize_envline(char *result, const char *src)
 {
@@ -295,6 +243,87 @@ sanitize_envline(char *result, const char *src)
 	*dst = 0;
 }
 
+static void
+process_into_file(char *line, FILE *ofp)
+{
+	char result[BUFSIZ];
+
+	sanitize_envline(result, line);
+	/* anything left? */
+	if (*result == '\0')
+		return;
+	fprintf(ofp, "\"%s\\0\"\n", result);
+}
+
+static void
+process_into_nvlist(char *line, nvlist_t *nvl)
+{
+	char result[BUFSIZ], *s;
+
+	sanitize_envline(result, line);
+	/* anything left? */
+	if (*result == '\0')
+		return;
+	s = strchr(result, '=');
+	*s = 0;
+	if (nvlist_exists(nvl, result))
+		nvlist_free(nvl, result);
+	nvlist_add_string(nvl, result, s + 1);
+}
+
+static void
+dump_nvlist(nvlist_t *nvl, FILE *ofp)
+{
+	const char *name;
+	void *cookie;
+
+	if (nvl == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	while (!nvlist_empty(nvl)) {
+		cookie = NULL;
+		name = nvlist_next(nvl, NULL, &cookie);
+		fprintf(ofp, "\"%s=%s\\0\"\n", name,
+		     cnvlist_get_string(cookie));
+
+		cnvlist_free_string(nvl, cookie);
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Build hints.c from the skeleton
+ */
+void
+makehints(void)
+{
+	FILE *ifp, *ofp;
+	nvlist_t *nvl;
+	char line[BUFSIZ];
+	struct hint *hint;
+
+	ofp = fopen(path("hints.c.new"), "w");
+	if (ofp == NULL)
+		err(1, "%s", path("hints.c.new"));
+	fprintf(ofp, "#include <sys/types.h>\n");
+	fprintf(ofp, "#include <sys/systm.h>\n");
+	fprintf(ofp, "\n");
+	fprintf(ofp, "char static_hints[] = {\n");
+	nvl = nvlist_create(0);
+	STAILQ_FOREACH(hint, &hints, hint_next) {
+		ifp = fopen(hint->hint_name, "r");
+		if (ifp == NULL)
+			err(1, "%s", hint->hint_name);
+		while (fgets(line, BUFSIZ, ifp) != NULL)
+			process_into_nvlist(line, nvl);
+		dump_nvlist(nvl, ofp);
+		fclose(ifp);
+	}
+	nvlist_destroy(nvl);
+	fprintf(ofp, "\"\\0\"\n};\n");
+	fclose(ofp);
+	moveifchanged(path("hints.c.new"), path("hints.c"));
+}
+
 /*
  * Build env.c from the skeleton
  */
@@ -302,7 +331,8 @@ void
 makeenv(void)
 {
 	FILE *ifp, *ofp;
-	char line[BUFSIZ], result[BUFSIZ], *linep;
+	nvlist_t *nvl;
+	char line[BUFSIZ];
 	struct envvar *envvar;
 
 	ofp = fopen(path("env.c.new"), "w");
@@ -312,27 +342,20 @@ makeenv(void)
 	fprintf(ofp, "#include <sys/systm.h>\n");
 	fprintf(ofp, "\n");
 	fprintf(ofp, "char static_env[] = {\n");
+	nvl = nvlist_create(0);
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(envvar, &envvars, envvar_next) {
 		if (envvar->env_is_file) {
 			ifp = fopen(envvar->env_str, "r");
 			if (ifp == NULL)
 				err(1, "%s", envvar->env_str);
-			while (fgets(line, BUFSIZ, ifp) != NULL) {
-				sanitize_envline(result, line);
-				/* anything left? */
-				if (*result == '\0')
-					continue;
-				fprintf(ofp, "\"%s\\0\"\n", result);
-			}
+			while (fgets(line, BUFSIZ, ifp) != NULL)
+				process_into_nvlist(line, nvl);
+			dump_nvlist(nvl, ofp);
 			fclose(ifp);
-		} else {
-			linep = envvar->env_str;
-			sanitize_envline(result, linep);
-			if (*result == '\0')
-				continue;
-			fprintf(ofp, "\"%s\\0\"\n", result);
-		}
+		} else
+			process_into_file(envvar->env_str, ofp);
 	}
+	nvlist_destroy(nvl);
 	fprintf(ofp, "\"\\0\"\n};\n");
 	fclose(ofp);
 	moveifchanged(path("env.c.new"), path("env.c"));