diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc b/libexec/rc/rc
index 92eb5c48aab7..2cb840e68919 100644
--- a/libexec/rc/rc
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@ checkyesno rc_parallel_start && _rc_parallel='-p'
 files=`rcorder ${skip} ${skip_firstboot} ${_rc_parallel} /etc/rc.d/* 2>/dev/null`
 
 _rc_elem_done=' '
+oldifs="$IFS"
 IFS=$'\n'
 for _rc_group in ${files}; do
-	unset IFS
+	IFS="$oldifs"
 	for _rc_elem in ${_rc_group}; do
 		run_rc_script ${_rc_elem} ${_boot} &
 		_rc_elem_done="${_rc_elem_done}${_rc_elem} "
@@ -119,7 +120,7 @@ for _rc_group in ${files}; do
 done
 
 unset files local_rc
-unset IFS
+IFS="$oldifs"
 
 # Now that disks are mounted, for each dir in $local_startup
 # search for init scripts that use the new rc.d semantics.
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ fi
 files=`rcorder ${skip} ${skip_firstboot} /etc/rc.d/* ${local_rc} ${_rc_parallel} 2>/dev/null`
 IFS=$'\n'
 for _rc_group in ${files}; do
-	unset IFS
+	IFS="$oldifs"
 	for _rc_elem in ${_rc_group}; do
 		case "$_rc_elem_done" in
 		*" $_rc_elem "*) continue ;;
@@ -149,7 +150,7 @@ for _rc_group in ${files}; do
 	wait
 	IFS=$'\n'
 done
-unset IFS
+IFS="$oldifs"
 
 # Remove the firstboot sentinel, and reboot if it was requested.
 # Be a bit paranoid about removing it to handle the common failure