diff --git a/etc/rc.d/fsck b/etc/rc.d/fsck
index 23bbe2e5fe64..bd3122a20110 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/fsck
+++ b/etc/rc.d/fsck
@@ -31,7 +31,21 @@ fsck_start()
 			fsck -p
 		fi
 
-		case $? in
+		err=$?
+		if [ ${err} -eq 3 ]; then
+			echo "Warning! Some of the devices might not be" \
+			    "available; retrying"
+			root_hold_wait
+			check_startmsgs && echo "Restarting file system checks:"
+			if checkyesno background_fsck; then
+				fsck -F -p
+			else
+				fsck -p
+			fi
+			err=$?
+		fi
+
+		case ${err} in
 		0)
 			;;
 		2)
@@ -68,7 +82,7 @@ fsck_start()
 			stop_boot
 			;;
 		*)
-			echo "Unknown error; help!"
+			echo "Unknown error ${err}; help!"
 			stop_boot
 			;;
 		esac
diff --git a/etc/rc.d/mountcritlocal b/etc/rc.d/mountcritlocal
index 798130d2b239..f52c565d65c6 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/mountcritlocal
+++ b/etc/rc.d/mountcritlocal
@@ -37,37 +37,12 @@ mountcritlocal_start()
 	done
 	mount_excludes=${mount_excludes%,}
 
-	# Originally, root mount hold had to be released before mounting
-	# the root filesystem.  This delayed the boot, so it was changed
-	# to only wait if the root device isn't readily available.  This
-	# can result in this script executing before all the devices - such
-	# as graid(8) - are available.  Thus, should the mount fail,
-	# we will wait for the root mount hold release and retry.
 	mount -a -t ${mount_excludes}
 	err=$?
 	if [ ${err} -ne 0 ]; then
-		echo
 		echo 'Mounting /etc/fstab filesystems failed,' \
 		    'will retry after root mount hold release'
-
-		waited=0
-		while [ ${waited} -lt ${root_hold_delay} ]; do
-			holders="$(sysctl -n vfs.root_mount_hold)"
-			if [ -z "${holders}" ]; then
-				break;
-			fi
-			if [ ${waited} -eq 0 ]; then
-				echo -n "Waiting ${root_hold_delay}s" \
-				"for the root mount holders: ${holders}"
-			else
-				echo -n .
-			fi
-			if [ ${waited} -eq ${root_hold_delay} ]; then
-				break 2
-			fi
-			sleep 1
-			waited=$(($waited + 1))
-		done
+		root_hold_wait
 		mount -a -t ${mount_excludes}
 		err=$?
 	fi
diff --git a/etc/rc.subr b/etc/rc.subr
index d04e25371c16..8da111acec8f 100644
--- a/etc/rc.subr
+++ b/etc/rc.subr
@@ -1954,6 +1954,37 @@ geli_make_list()
 	echo ${devices2}
 }
 
+# Originally, root mount hold had to be released before mounting
+# the root filesystem.  This delayed the boot, so it was changed
+# to only wait if the root device isn't readily available.  This
+# can result in rc scripts executing before all the devices - such
+# as graid(8), or USB disks - can be accessed.  This function can
+# be used to explicitly wait for root mount holds to be released.
+root_hold_wait()
+{
+	local wait waited holders
+
+	waited=0
+	while true; do
+		holders="$(sysctl -n vfs.root_mount_hold)"
+		if [ -z "${holders}" ]; then
+			break;
+		fi
+		if [ ${waited} -eq 0 ]; then
+			echo -n "Waiting ${root_hold_delay}s" \
+			"for the root mount holders: ${holders}"
+		else
+			echo -n .
+		fi
+		if [ ${waited} -ge ${root_hold_delay} ]; then
+			echo
+			break
+		fi
+		sleep 1
+		waited=$(($waited + 1))
+	done
+}
+
 # Find scripts in local_startup directories that use the old syntax
 #
 find_local_scripts_old() {