diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/bootinfo.c b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/bootinfo.c
index d3d95cab9dfb..9bb0f3e59c63 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/bootinfo.c
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/bootinfo.c
@@ -35,8 +35,93 @@
 #include <machine/bootinfo.h>
 #include "bootstrap.h"
 
+/*
+ * Return a 'boothowto' value corresponding to the kernel arguments in
+ * (kargs) and any relevant environment variables.
+ */
+static struct 
+{
+    const char	*ev;
+    int		mask;
+} howto_names[] = {
+    {"boot_askname",	RB_ASKNAME},
+    {"boot_cdrom",	RB_CDROM},
+    {"boot_userconfig",	RB_CONFIG},
+    {"boot_ddb",	RB_KDB},
+    {"boot_gdb",	RB_GDB},
+    {"boot_single",	RB_SINGLE},
+    {"boot_verbose",	RB_VERBOSE},
+    {NULL,	0}
+};
+
 extern char *ski_fmtdev(void *vdev);
 
+int
+bi_getboothowto(char *kargs)
+{
+    char	*cp;
+    int		howto;
+    int		active;
+    int		i;
+    
+    /* Parse kargs */
+    howto = 0;
+    if (kargs  != NULL) {
+	cp = kargs;
+	active = 0;
+	while (*cp != 0) {
+	    if (!active && (*cp == '-')) {
+		active = 1;
+	    } else if (active)
+		switch (*cp) {
+		case 'a':
+		    howto |= RB_ASKNAME;
+		    break;
+		case 'c':
+		    howto |= RB_CONFIG;
+		    break;
+		case 'C':
+		    howto |= RB_CDROM;
+		    break;
+		case 'd':
+		    howto |= RB_KDB;
+		    break;
+		case 'm':
+		    howto |= RB_MUTE;
+		    break;
+		case 'g':
+		    howto |= RB_GDB;
+		    break;
+		case 'h':
+		    howto |= RB_SERIAL;
+		    break;
+		case 'r':
+		    howto |= RB_DFLTROOT;
+		    break;
+		case 's':
+		    howto |= RB_SINGLE;
+		    break;
+		case 'v':
+		    howto |= RB_VERBOSE;
+		    break;
+		default:
+		    active = 0;
+		    break;
+		}
+	    cp++;
+	}
+    }
+    /* get equivalents from the environment */
+    for (i = 0; howto_names[i].ev != NULL; i++)
+	if (getenv(howto_names[i].ev) != NULL)
+	    howto |= howto_names[i].mask;
+    if (!strcmp(getenv("console"), "comconsole"))
+	howto |= RB_SERIAL;
+    if (!strcmp(getenv("console"), "nullconsole"))
+	howto |= RB_MUTE;
+    return(howto);
+}
+
 /*
  * Copy the environment into the load area starting at (addr).
  * Each variable is formatted as <name>=<value>, with a single nul
@@ -150,7 +235,7 @@ bi_copymodules(vm_offset_t addr)
  * - Module metadata are formatted and placed in kernel space.
  */
 int
-bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp)
+bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp, char *args)
 {
     char			*rootdevname;
     struct ski_devdesc		*rootdev;
@@ -161,6 +246,17 @@ bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp)
     vm_offset_t			ssym, esym;
     struct file_metadata	*md;
 
+    /*
+     * Version 1 bootinfo.
+     */
+    bi->bi_magic = BOOTINFO_MAGIC;
+    bi->bi_version = 1;
+
+    /*
+     * Calculate boothowto.
+     */
+    bi->bi_boothowto = bi_getboothowto(fp->f_args);
+
     /* 
      * Allow the environment variable 'rootdev' to override the supplied device 
      * This should perhaps go to MI code and/or have $rootdev tested/set by
diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/elf_freebsd.c b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/elf_freebsd.c
index 336048e92a2b..e1ec0d24257f 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/elf_freebsd.c
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/elf_freebsd.c
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@
 #define _KERNEL
 
 static int	elf_exec(struct preloaded_file *amp);
-int		bi_load(struct bootinfo *, struct preloaded_file *);
 
 struct file_format ia64_elf = { elf_loadfile, elf_exec };
 
diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/libski.h b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/libski.h
index e4d0932c8d73..d29227823d4a 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/libski/libski.h
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/libski/libski.h
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ extern ssize_t		ski_readin(int fd, vm_offset_t dest, size_t len);
 extern int		ski_boot(void);
 extern int		ski_autoload(void);
 
+struct bootinfo;
+struct preloaded_file;
+extern int		bi_load(struct bootinfo *, struct preloaded_file *);
+
 #define SSC_CONSOLE_INIT		20
 #define SSC_GETCHAR			21
 #define SSC_PUTCHAR			31
diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/bootinfo.c b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/bootinfo.c
index d3d95cab9dfb..9bb0f3e59c63 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/bootinfo.c
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/bootinfo.c
@@ -35,8 +35,93 @@
 #include <machine/bootinfo.h>
 #include "bootstrap.h"
 
+/*
+ * Return a 'boothowto' value corresponding to the kernel arguments in
+ * (kargs) and any relevant environment variables.
+ */
+static struct 
+{
+    const char	*ev;
+    int		mask;
+} howto_names[] = {
+    {"boot_askname",	RB_ASKNAME},
+    {"boot_cdrom",	RB_CDROM},
+    {"boot_userconfig",	RB_CONFIG},
+    {"boot_ddb",	RB_KDB},
+    {"boot_gdb",	RB_GDB},
+    {"boot_single",	RB_SINGLE},
+    {"boot_verbose",	RB_VERBOSE},
+    {NULL,	0}
+};
+
 extern char *ski_fmtdev(void *vdev);
 
+int
+bi_getboothowto(char *kargs)
+{
+    char	*cp;
+    int		howto;
+    int		active;
+    int		i;
+    
+    /* Parse kargs */
+    howto = 0;
+    if (kargs  != NULL) {
+	cp = kargs;
+	active = 0;
+	while (*cp != 0) {
+	    if (!active && (*cp == '-')) {
+		active = 1;
+	    } else if (active)
+		switch (*cp) {
+		case 'a':
+		    howto |= RB_ASKNAME;
+		    break;
+		case 'c':
+		    howto |= RB_CONFIG;
+		    break;
+		case 'C':
+		    howto |= RB_CDROM;
+		    break;
+		case 'd':
+		    howto |= RB_KDB;
+		    break;
+		case 'm':
+		    howto |= RB_MUTE;
+		    break;
+		case 'g':
+		    howto |= RB_GDB;
+		    break;
+		case 'h':
+		    howto |= RB_SERIAL;
+		    break;
+		case 'r':
+		    howto |= RB_DFLTROOT;
+		    break;
+		case 's':
+		    howto |= RB_SINGLE;
+		    break;
+		case 'v':
+		    howto |= RB_VERBOSE;
+		    break;
+		default:
+		    active = 0;
+		    break;
+		}
+	    cp++;
+	}
+    }
+    /* get equivalents from the environment */
+    for (i = 0; howto_names[i].ev != NULL; i++)
+	if (getenv(howto_names[i].ev) != NULL)
+	    howto |= howto_names[i].mask;
+    if (!strcmp(getenv("console"), "comconsole"))
+	howto |= RB_SERIAL;
+    if (!strcmp(getenv("console"), "nullconsole"))
+	howto |= RB_MUTE;
+    return(howto);
+}
+
 /*
  * Copy the environment into the load area starting at (addr).
  * Each variable is formatted as <name>=<value>, with a single nul
@@ -150,7 +235,7 @@ bi_copymodules(vm_offset_t addr)
  * - Module metadata are formatted and placed in kernel space.
  */
 int
-bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp)
+bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp, char *args)
 {
     char			*rootdevname;
     struct ski_devdesc		*rootdev;
@@ -161,6 +246,17 @@ bi_load(struct bootinfo *bi, struct preloaded_file *fp)
     vm_offset_t			ssym, esym;
     struct file_metadata	*md;
 
+    /*
+     * Version 1 bootinfo.
+     */
+    bi->bi_magic = BOOTINFO_MAGIC;
+    bi->bi_version = 1;
+
+    /*
+     * Calculate boothowto.
+     */
+    bi->bi_boothowto = bi_getboothowto(fp->f_args);
+
     /* 
      * Allow the environment variable 'rootdev' to override the supplied device 
      * This should perhaps go to MI code and/or have $rootdev tested/set by
diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/elf_freebsd.c b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/elf_freebsd.c
index 336048e92a2b..e1ec0d24257f 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/elf_freebsd.c
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/elf_freebsd.c
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@
 #define _KERNEL
 
 static int	elf_exec(struct preloaded_file *amp);
-int		bi_load(struct bootinfo *, struct preloaded_file *);
 
 struct file_format ia64_elf = { elf_loadfile, elf_exec };
 
diff --git a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/libski.h b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/libski.h
index e4d0932c8d73..d29227823d4a 100644
--- a/sys/boot/ia64/ski/libski.h
+++ b/sys/boot/ia64/ski/libski.h
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ extern ssize_t		ski_readin(int fd, vm_offset_t dest, size_t len);
 extern int		ski_boot(void);
 extern int		ski_autoload(void);
 
+struct bootinfo;
+struct preloaded_file;
+extern int		bi_load(struct bootinfo *, struct preloaded_file *);
+
 #define SSC_CONSOLE_INIT		20
 #define SSC_GETCHAR			21
 #define SSC_PUTCHAR			31