diff --git a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.c b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.c
index d3fe27a8ac3c..b62ee66d6d61 100644
--- a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.c
+++ b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.c
@@ -443,6 +443,7 @@ mib_fetch_ifmib(struct mibif *ifp)
 	size_t len;
 	void *newmib;
 	struct ifmibdata oldmib = ifp->mib;
+	struct ifreq irr;
 
 	if (fetch_generic_mib(ifp, &oldmib) == -1)
 		return (-1);
@@ -514,6 +515,18 @@ mib_fetch_ifmib(struct mibif *ifp)
 	}
 
   out:
+	strncpy(irr.ifr_name, ifp->name, sizeof(irr.ifr_name));
+	irr.ifr_buffer.buffer = MIBIF_PRIV(ifp)->alias;
+	irr.ifr_buffer.length = sizeof(MIBIF_PRIV(ifp)->alias);
+	if (ioctl(mib_netsock, SIOCGIFDESCR, &irr) == -1) {
+		MIBIF_PRIV(ifp)->alias[0] = 0;
+		if (errno != ENOMSG)
+			syslog(LOG_WARNING, "SIOCGIFDESCR (%s): %m", ifp->name);
+	} else if (irr.ifr_buffer.buffer == NULL) {
+		MIBIF_PRIV(ifp)->alias[0] = 0;
+		syslog(LOG_WARNING, "SIOCGIFDESCR (%s): too long (%zu)",
+		    ifp->name, irr.ifr_buffer.length);
+	}
 	ifp->mibtick = get_ticks();
 	return (0);
 }
diff --git a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.h b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.h
index 8d50528c53d6..d47bc0bf470f 100644
--- a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.h
+++ b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII.h
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
 #include "snmp_mibII.h"
 #include "mibII_tree.h"
 
+/* maximum size of the interface alias */
+static const u_int MIBIF_ALIAS_SIZE = 64 + 1;
+
 /*
  * Interface list and flags.
  */
@@ -77,6 +80,9 @@ struct mibif_private {
 	uint64_t	hc_opackets;
 	uint64_t	hc_imcasts;
 	uint64_t	hc_ipackets;
+
+	/* this should be made public */
+	char		alias[MIBIF_ALIAS_SIZE];
 };
 #define	MIBIF_PRIV(IFP) ((struct mibif_private *)((IFP)->private))
 
diff --git a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII_interfaces.c b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII_interfaces.c
index f425a2703f29..654e9c310b50 100644
--- a/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII_interfaces.c
+++ b/contrib/bsnmp/snmp_mibII/mibII_interfaces.c
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ op_ifxtable(struct snmp_context *ctx, struct snmp_value *value,
 		break;
 
 	  case LEAF_ifAlias:
-		ret = string_get(value, "", -1);
+		ret = string_get(value, MIBIF_PRIV(ifp)->alias, -1);
 		break;
 
 	  case LEAF_ifCounterDiscontinuityTime: