diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/fmtmsg.c b/lib/libc/gen/fmtmsg.c
index c6ecbd5f7653..d2c67a6cb014 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/fmtmsg.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/fmtmsg.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ def:
 		if (output == NULL)
 			return (MM_NOCON);
 		if (*output != '\0') {
-			if ((fp = fopen("/dev/console", "a")) == NULL) {
+			if ((fp = fopen("/dev/console", "ae")) == NULL) {
 				free(output);
 				return (MM_NOCON);
 			}
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getcap.c b/lib/libc/gen/getcap.c
index c321d122db12..f2f3777ab14e 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getcap.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getcap.c
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ cgetnext(char **bp, char **db_array)
 	if (dbp == NULL)
 		dbp = db_array;
 
-	if (pfp == NULL && (pfp = fopen(*dbp, "r")) == NULL) {
+	if (pfp == NULL && (pfp = fopen(*dbp, "re")) == NULL) {
 		(void)cgetclose();
 		return (-1);
 	}
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ cgetnext(char **bp, char **db_array)
 						(void)cgetclose();
 						return (0);
 					} else if ((pfp =
-					    fopen(*dbp, "r")) == NULL) {
+					    fopen(*dbp, "re")) == NULL) {
 						(void)cgetclose();
 						return (-1);
 					} else
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getgrent.c b/lib/libc/gen/getgrent.c
index 18f64a8fef75..f9480c3a22fc 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getgrent.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getgrent.c
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ files_setgrent(void *retval, void *mdata, va_list ap)
 		if (st->fp != NULL)
 			rewind(st->fp);
 		else if (stayopen)
-			st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "r");
+			st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "re");
 		break;
 	case ENDGRENT:
 		if (st->fp != NULL) {
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ files_group(void *retval, void *mdata, va_list ap)
 	if (*errnop != 0)
 		return (NS_UNAVAIL);
 	if (st->fp == NULL &&
-	    ((st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "r")) == NULL)) {
+	    ((st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "re")) == NULL)) {
 		*errnop = errno;
 		return (NS_UNAVAIL);
 	}
@@ -1251,7 +1251,7 @@ compat_setgrent(void *retval, void *mdata, va_list ap)
 		if (st->fp != NULL)
 			rewind(st->fp);
 		else if (stayopen)
-			st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "r");
+			st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "re");
 		set_setent(dtab, mdata);
 		(void)_nsdispatch(NULL, dtab, NSDB_GROUP_COMPAT, "setgrent",
 		    compatsrc, 0);
@@ -1335,7 +1335,7 @@ compat_group(void *retval, void *mdata, va_list ap)
 	if (*errnop != 0)
 		return (NS_UNAVAIL);
 	if (st->fp == NULL &&
-	    ((st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "r")) == NULL)) {
+	    ((st->fp = fopen(_PATH_GROUP, "re")) == NULL)) {
 		*errnop = errno;
 		rv = NS_UNAVAIL;
 		goto fin;
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getnetgrent.c b/lib/libc/gen/getnetgrent.c
index 51b3e3758b61..4c564613c2e7 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getnetgrent.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getnetgrent.c
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ setnetgrent(const char *group)
 		if (((stat(_PATH_NETGROUP, &_yp_statp) < 0) &&
 		    errno == ENOENT) || _yp_statp.st_size == 0)
 			_use_only_yp = _netgr_yp_enabled = 1;
-		if ((netf = fopen(_PATH_NETGROUP,"r")) != NULL ||_use_only_yp){
+		if ((netf = fopen(_PATH_NETGROUP,"re")) != NULL ||_use_only_yp){
 		/*
 		 * Icky: grab the first character of the netgroup file
 		 * and turn on NIS if it's a '+'. rewind the stream
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ setnetgrent(const char *group)
 				return;
 			}
 #else
-		if ((netf = fopen(_PATH_NETGROUP, "r"))) {
+		if ((netf = fopen(_PATH_NETGROUP, "re"))) {
 #endif
 			if (parse_netgrp(group))
 				endnetgrent();
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getttyent.c b/lib/libc/gen/getttyent.c
index f2fc298a4fd5..b82c30abe366 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getttyent.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getttyent.c
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ setttyent(void)
 	if (tf) {
 		rewind(tf);
 		return (1);
-	} else if ( (tf = fopen(_PATH_TTYS, "r")) )
+	} else if ( (tf = fopen(_PATH_TTYS, "re")) )
 		return (1);
 	return (0);
 }
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getusershell.c b/lib/libc/gen/getusershell.c
index ce50069d258f..53536e136f82 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getusershell.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getusershell.c
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ _local_initshells(rv, cb_data, ap)
 		sl_free(sl, 1);
 	sl = sl_init();
 
-	if ((fp = fopen(_PATH_SHELLS, "r")) == NULL)
+	if ((fp = fopen(_PATH_SHELLS, "re")) == NULL)
 		return NS_UNAVAIL;
 
 	cp = line;
diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/getutxent.c b/lib/libc/gen/getutxent.c
index a2e938a988f5..20e8859f6cd7 100644
--- a/lib/libc/gen/getutxent.c
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/getutxent.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ setutxdb(int db, const char *file)
 
 	if (uf != NULL)
 		fclose(uf);
-	uf = fopen(file, "r");
+	uf = fopen(file, "re");
 	if (uf == NULL)
 		return (-1);