diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.conf b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
index 017ae6484f0f..e60ddda369cd 100644
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.conf
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
@@ -679,6 +679,10 @@ harvest_mask="511"	# Entropy device harvests all but the very invasive sources.
 dmesg_enable="YES"	# Save dmesg(8) to /var/run/dmesg.boot
 watchdogd_enable="NO"	# Start the software watchdog daemon
 watchdogd_flags=""	# Flags to watchdogd (if enabled)
+watchdogd_timeout=""	# watchdogd timeout, overrides -t in watchdogd_flags
+watchdogd_shutdown_timeout=""	# Timeout to use after watchdogd is stopped.
+				# Has effect only for system shutdown.
+				# Overrides -x in watchdogd_flags.
 devfs_rulesets="/etc/defaults/devfs.rules /etc/devfs.rules" # Files containing
 							    # devfs(8) rules.
 devfs_system_ruleset=""	# The name (NOT number) of a ruleset to apply to /dev
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/jail b/libexec/rc/rc.d/jail
index 4a5213e309d4..1a3b551c9a4c 100755
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/jail
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/jail
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ parse_options()
 		if [ -z "${_exec_start}" ]; then
 			_exec_start="/bin/sh /etc/rc"
 			if [ -z "${_exec_stop}" ]; then
-				_exec_stop="/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown"
+				_exec_stop="/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail"
 			fi
 		fi
 	fi
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/watchdogd b/libexec/rc/rc.d/watchdogd
index 1de2d9319280..b48696cc8504 100755
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/watchdogd
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/watchdogd
@@ -38,9 +38,55 @@ desc="Watchdog daemon"
 rcvar="watchdogd_enable"
 command="/usr/sbin/${name}"
 pidfile="/var/run/${name}.pid"
+start_precmd="watchdogd_prestart"
+stop_precmd="watchdogd_prestop"
+stop_postcmd="watchdogd_poststop"
+watchdog_command="/usr/sbin/watchdog"
+
+watchdogd_prestart()
+{
+	if [ -n "${watchdogd_timeout}" ] ; then
+		rc_flags="${rc_flags} -t ${watchdogd_timeout}"
+	fi
+	if [ -n "$watchdogd_shutdown_timeout" ] ; then
+		rc_flags="${rc_flags} -x ${watchdogd_shutdown_timeout}"
+	fi
+	return 0
+}
+
+watchdogd_prestop()
+{
+	sig_stop="${watchdogd_sig_stop:-TERM}"
+}
+
+watchdogd_poststop()
+{
+	if [ ${watchdogd_shutdown_timeout:-0} -gt 0 ] ; then
+		case "${rc_shutdown}" in
+		"reboot")
+			info "watchdog timer is set to" \
+				${watchdogd_shutdown_timeout} "before shutdown"
+			return 0
+			;;
+		"single")
+			info "watchdog timer is disabled before going to" \
+				"single user mode"
+			${watchdog_command} -t 0
+			;;
+		"")
+			info "watchdog timer is disabled after administrative" \
+				"${name} stop"
+			${watchdog_command} -t 0
+			;;
+		*)
+			warn "unknown shutdown mode '${rc_shutdown}'"
+			warn "watchdog timer is set to ${watchdogd_shutdown_timeout}"
+			return 0
+			;;
+		esac
+	fi
+	return 0
+}
 
 load_rc_config $name
-
-sig_stop="${watchdogd_sig_stop:-TERM}"
-
 run_rc_command "$1"
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.shutdown b/libexec/rc/rc.shutdown
index 15779c784091..0f60ffbad9cc 100644
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.shutdown
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.shutdown
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ HOME=/
 PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/sbin
 export HOME PATH
 
+rc_shutdown=${1:-"unspecified"}
+
 . /etc/rc.subr
 
 load_rc_config
diff --git a/sbin/init/init.8 b/sbin/init/init.8
index 976b3307a016..d852c32ef487 100644
--- a/sbin/init/init.8
+++ b/sbin/init/init.8
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 .\"     @(#)init.8	8.3 (Berkeley) 4/18/94
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd August 15, 2018
+.Dd August 6, 2019
 .Dt INIT 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -270,6 +270,15 @@ The timeout can be configured via the
 variable
 .Va kern.init_shutdown_timeout .
 .Pp
+.Nm init
+passes
+.Dq Li single
+as the argument to the shutdown script if return to single-user mode
+is requested.
+Otherwise,
+.Dq Li reboot
+argument is used.
+.Pp
 The role of
 .Nm
 is so critical that if it dies, the system will reboot itself
diff --git a/share/examples/jails/jail.xxx.conf b/share/examples/jails/jail.xxx.conf
index 8efa77dba173..7354c8f0b65f 100644
--- a/share/examples/jails/jail.xxx.conf
+++ b/share/examples/jails/jail.xxx.conf
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ xxx {
 
 	# Standard recipe
 	exec.start += "/bin/sh /etc/rc";
-	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown";
+	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail";
 	exec.consolelog = "/var/log/jail_xxx_console.log";
 	mount.devfs;	# mount devfs
 
diff --git a/share/examples/jails/jib b/share/examples/jails/jib
index 731686f8c2a1..effe47691709 100755
--- a/share/examples/jails/jib
+++ b/share/examples/jails/jib
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 # 
 # 	# Standard recipe
 # 	exec.start += "/bin/sh /etc/rc";
-# 	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown";
+# 	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail";
 # 	exec.consolelog = "/var/log/jail_xxx_console.log";
 # 	mount.devfs;
 #
diff --git a/share/examples/jails/jng b/share/examples/jails/jng
index 12d0eb6d138a..53bcada3f262 100755
--- a/share/examples/jails/jng
+++ b/share/examples/jails/jng
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 # 
 # 	# Standard recipe
 # 	exec.start += "/bin/sh /etc/rc";
-# 	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown";
+# 	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail";
 # 	exec.consolelog = "/var/log/jail_xxx_console.log";
 # 	mount.devfs;
 #
diff --git a/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5 b/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
index aef98cbe2e5d..50230e11ddb5 100644
--- a/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
@@ -3738,6 +3738,41 @@ is set to
 these are the flags passed to the
 .Xr watchdogd 8
 daemon.
+.It Va watchdogd_timeout
+.Pq Vt int
+If
+.Va watchdogd_enable
+is set to
+.Dq Li YES ,
+this is a timeout that will be used by the
+.Xr watchdogd 8
+daemon.
+If this option is set, it overrides
+.Fl t
+in
+.Va watchdogd_flags .
+.It Va watchdogd_shutdown_timeout
+.Pq Vt int
+If
+.Va watchdogd_enable
+is set to
+.Dq Li YES ,
+this is a timeout that will be set by the
+.Xr watchdogd 8
+daemon when it exits during the system shutdown.
+This timeout will not be set when returning to the single-user mode
+or when the watchdogd service is stopped individually using the
+.Xr service 8
+command or the rc.d script.
+Note that the timeout will be applied if
+.Xr watchdogd 8
+is stopped outside of
+.Xr rc 8
+framework.
+If this option is set, it overrides
+.Fl x
+in
+.Va watchdogd_flags .
 .It Va devfs_rulesets
 .Pq Vt str
 List of files containing sets of rules for
diff --git a/share/man/man8/rc.8 b/share/man/man8/rc.8
index 0106faa48019..f1e24b284f53 100644
--- a/share/man/man8/rc.8
+++ b/share/man/man8/rc.8
@@ -189,6 +189,14 @@ also exists (because it was created by a script), then delete it and reboot.
 .Ss Operation of Nm rc.shutdown
 .Bl -enum
 .It
+Set
+.Va rc_shutdown
+to the value of the first argument passed to
+.Nm rc.shutdown
+or to
+.Dq Li unspecified
+if no argument was passed.
+.It
 Source
 .Pa /etc/rc.subr
 to load various
diff --git a/usr.sbin/jail/jail.8 b/usr.sbin/jail/jail.8
index 0b367f60ee14..774e432cc300 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/jail/jail.8
+++ b/usr.sbin/jail/jail.8
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd May 18, 2019
+.Dd August 6, 2019
 .Dt JAIL 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ A value of
 .Dq inherit
 will keep the same environment, and
 .Dq new
-will give the jail it's own environment (still originally inherited when
+will give the jail its own environment (still originally inherited when
 the jail is created).
 .It Va linux.osname , linux.osrelease , linux.oss_version
 The Linux OS name, OS release, and OSS version associated with this jail.
@@ -754,7 +754,7 @@ and after any
 .Va exec.prestop
 commands have completed.
 A typical command to run is
-.Dq sh /etc/rc.shutdown .
+.Dq sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail .
 .It Va exec.poststop
 Command(s) to run in the system environment after a jail is removed.
 .It Va exec.clean
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ testjail {
 	ip4.addr = 192.0.2.100;
 	interface = em0;
 	exec.start = "/bin/sh /etc/rc";
-	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown";
+	exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail";
 }
 .Ed
 .Pp
diff --git a/usr.sbin/jail/jail.conf.5 b/usr.sbin/jail/jail.conf.5
index 0241a0612abd..fa9b45c64583 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/jail/jail.conf.5
+++ b/usr.sbin/jail/jail.conf.5
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd February 13, 2014
+.Dd August 6, 2019
 .Dt JAIL.CONF 5
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ in the middle of a string or a token.
 # Typical static defaults:
 # Use the rc scripts to start and stop jails.  Mount jail's /dev.
 exec.start = "/bin/sh /etc/rc";
-exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown";
+exec.stop = "/bin/sh /etc/rc.shutdown jail";
 exec.clean;
 mount.devfs;