diff --git a/etc/defaults/rc.conf b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
index 12aaf31bcec9..54facb84804e 100644
--- a/etc/defaults/rc.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
@@ -619,6 +619,9 @@ ldconfig_paths="/usr/lib/compat /usr/local/lib /usr/local/lib/compat/pkg"
 			# shared library search paths
 ldconfig32_paths="/usr/lib32 /usr/lib32/compat"
 			# 32-bit compatibility shared library search paths
+ldconfigsoft_paths="/usr/libsoft /usr/libsoft/compat /usr/local/libsoft"
+			# soft float compatibility shared library search paths
+			# Note: temporarily with extra stuff for transition
 ldconfig_paths_aout="/usr/lib/compat/aout /usr/local/lib/aout"
 			# a.out shared library search paths
 ldconfig_local_dirs="/usr/local/libdata/ldconfig"
@@ -626,6 +629,9 @@ ldconfig_local_dirs="/usr/local/libdata/ldconfig"
 ldconfig_local32_dirs="/usr/local/libdata/ldconfig32"
 			# Local directories with 32-bit compatibility ldconfig
 			# configuration files.
+ldconfig_localsoft_dirs="/usr/local/libdata/ldconfigsoft"
+			# Local directories with soft float compatibility ldconfig
+			# configuration files.
 kern_securelevel_enable="NO"	# kernel security level (see security(7))
 kern_securelevel="-1"	# range: -1..3 ; `-1' is the most insecure
 			# Note that setting securelevel to 0 will result
diff --git a/etc/rc.d/ldconfig b/etc/rc.d/ldconfig
index 2dbb5b41f063..08a2237265b3 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/ldconfig
+++ b/etc/rc.d/ldconfig
@@ -61,6 +61,28 @@ ldconfig_start()
 			;;
 		esac
 
+		case `sysctl -n hw.machine_arch` in
+		armv6)
+			for i in ${ldconfig_localsoft_dirs}; do
+				if [ -d "${i}" ]; then
+					_files=`find ${i} -type f`
+					if [ -n "${_files}" ]; then
+						ldconfigsoft_paths="${ldconfigsoft_paths} `cat ${_files} | sort -u`"
+					fi
+				fi
+			done
+			_LDC=""
+			for i in ${ldconfigsoft_paths}; do
+				if [ -r "${i}" ]; then
+					_LDC="${_LDC} ${i}"
+				fi
+			done
+			check_startmsgs &&
+			    echo 'Soft Float compatibility ldconfig path:' ${_LDC}
+			${ldconfig} -soft -m ${_ins} ${_LDC}
+			;;
+		esac
+
 		# Legacy aout support for i386 only
 		case `sysctl -n hw.machine_arch` in
 		i386)
diff --git a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
index 31d8083df7a8..85d97e68cdb0 100644
--- a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
+++ b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 
 #define	_PATH_LD32_HINTS	"/var/run/ld32.so.hints"
 #define	_PATH_ELF32_HINTS	"/var/run/ld-elf32.so.hints"
+#define	_PATH_ELFSOFT_HINTS	"/var/run/ld-elf-soft.so.hints"
 
 #undef major
 #undef minor
@@ -111,6 +112,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	int		rval = 0;
 	int		is_aout = 0;
 	int		is_32 = 0;
+	int		is_soft = 0;
 
 	while (argc > 1) {
 		if (strcmp(argv[1], "-aout") == 0) {
@@ -125,12 +127,18 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			is_32 = 1;
 			argc--;
 			argv++;
+		} else if (strcmp(argv[1], "-soft") == 0) {
+			is_soft = 1;
+			argc--;
+			argv++;
 		} else {
 			break;
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (is_32)
+	if (is_soft)
+		hints_file = _PATH_ELFSOFT_HINTS;	/* Never will have a.out softfloat */
+	else if (is_32)
 		hints_file = is_aout ? _PATH_LD32_HINTS : _PATH_ELF32_HINTS;
 	else
 		hints_file = is_aout ? _PATH_LD_HINTS : _PATH_ELF_HINTS;