diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/Makefile b/sbin/ifconfig/Makefile
index 77491f25207f..461de7100487 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/Makefile
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/Makefile
@@ -15,10 +15,16 @@ SRCS=	ifconfig.c		# base support
 #     of the toolchain.
 #
 SRCS+=	af_link.c		# LLC support
+.if ${MK_INET_SUPPORT} != "no"
 SRCS+=	af_inet.c		# IPv4 support
+.endif
+.if ${MK_INET6_SUPPORT} != "no"
 SRCS+=	af_inet6.c		# IPv6 support
+.endif
 SRCS+=	af_atalk.c		# AppleTalk support
+.if ${MK_INET6_SUPPORT} != "no"
 SRCS+=	af_nd6.c		# ND6 support
+.endif
 
 SRCS+=	ifclone.c		# clone device support
 SRCS+=	ifmac.c			# MAC support
@@ -38,6 +44,12 @@ SRCS+=	ifpfsync.c		# pfsync(4) support
 SRCS+=	ifbridge.c		# bridge support
 SRCS+=	iflagg.c		# lagg support
 
+.if ${MK_INET6_SUPPORT} != "no"
+CFLAGS+= -DINET6
+.endif
+.if ${MK_INET_SUPPORT} != "no"
+CFLAGS+= -DINET
+.endif
 .if ${MK_IPX_SUPPORT} != "no" && !defined(RELEASE_CRUNCH)
 SRCS+=	af_ipx.c		# IPX support
 DPADD+=	${LIBIPX}
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet.c b/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet.c
index 2e27114af13a..6b4d73576382 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet.c
@@ -200,5 +200,7 @@ static struct afswtch af_inet = {
 static __constructor void
 inet_ctor(void)
 {
+	if (!feature_present("inet"))
+		return;
 	af_register(&af_inet);
 }
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet6.c b/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet6.c
index 8fc143a5571d..2337c345647c 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet6.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/af_inet6.c
@@ -541,6 +541,9 @@ inet6_ctor(void)
 #define	N(a)	(sizeof(a) / sizeof(a[0]))
 	size_t i;
 
+	if (!feature_present("inet6"))
+		return;
+
 	for (i = 0; i < N(inet6_cmds);  i++)
 		cmd_register(&inet6_cmds[i]);
 	af_register(&af_inet6);
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/af_nd6.c b/sbin/ifconfig/af_nd6.c
index e6b920af7bd4..5260c505c0d3 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/af_nd6.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/af_nd6.c
@@ -225,5 +225,9 @@ static struct afswtch af_nd6 = {
 static __constructor void
 nd6_ctor(void)
 {
+
+	if (!feature_present("inet6"))
+		return;
+
 	af_register(&af_nd6);
 }
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8 b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
index e28178a4b16b..45cf59b68919 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.8
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 .\"     From: @(#)ifconfig.8	8.3 (Berkeley) 1/5/94
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd March 20, 2011
+.Dd May 31, 2011
 .Dt IFCONFIG 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
 .Op Fl n
 .Ar interface
 .Op Cm create
-.Op Ar address_family
+.Ar address_family
 .Oo
 .Ar address
 .Op Ar dest_address
@@ -165,8 +165,10 @@ and
 .Dq link .
 .\" and
 .\" .Dq ns .
-The default is
-.Dq inet .
+The default if available is
+.Dq inet
+or otherwise
+.Dq link .
 .Dq ether
 and
 .Dq lladdr
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
index 7c5d3519f224..2963b9f092df 100644
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
@@ -220,8 +220,10 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		ifindex = 0;
 		if (argc == 1) {
 			afp = af_getbyname(*argv);
-			if (afp == NULL)
+			if (afp == NULL) {
+				warnx("Address family '%s' unknown.", *argv);
 				usage();
+			}
 			if (afp->af_name != NULL)
 				argc--, argv++;
 			/* leave with afp non-zero */
@@ -484,7 +486,28 @@ ifconfig(int argc, char *const *argv, int iscreate, const struct afswtch *uafp)
 	int s;
 
 	strncpy(ifr.ifr_name, name, sizeof ifr.ifr_name);
-	afp = uafp != NULL ? uafp : af_getbyname("inet");
+	afp = NULL;
+	if (uafp != NULL)
+		afp = uafp;
+	/*
+	 * This is the historical "accident" allowing users to configure IPv4
+	 * addresses without the "inet" keyword which while a nice feature has
+	 * proven to complicate other things.  We cannot remove this but only
+	 * make sure we will never have a similar implicit default for IPv6 or
+	 * any other address familiy.  We need a fallback though for
+	 * ifconfig IF up/down etc. to work without INET support as people
+	 * never used ifconfig IF link up/down, etc. either.
+	 */
+#ifdef INET
+	if (afp == NULL && feature_present("inet"))
+		afp = af_getbyname("inet");
+#endif
+	if (afp == NULL)
+		afp = af_getbyname("link");
+	if (afp == NULL) {
+		warnx("Please specify an address_family.");
+		usage();
+	}
 top:
 	ifr.ifr_addr.sa_family =
 		afp->af_af == AF_LINK || afp->af_af == AF_UNSPEC ?