diff --git a/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th b/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th
index 110ec1c9253e..fbb6c16b5c04 100644
--- a/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th
+++ b/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th
@@ -742,11 +742,12 @@ create init_text8 255 allot
 			else
 				-rot 2drop
 
-				\ disable timeout if less than zero
+				\ boot immediately if less than zero
 				dup 0< if
 					drop
-					0 menu_timeout_enabled !
-					0 ( assigned to menu_timeout below )
+					menu-create
+					0 25 at-xy
+					0 boot
 				then
 			then
 		then
diff --git a/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th.8 b/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th.8
index 45388f541852..55cbfd1e109b 100644
--- a/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th.8
+++ b/sys/boot/forth/menu.4th.8
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd May 18, 2011
+.Dd Aug 29, 2011
 .Dt MENU.4TH 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -96,11 +96,15 @@ will wait before executing
 by default) unless a key is pressed.
 If set to
 .Dq Li NO
-(case-insensitive) or
-.Dq Li -1 ,
+(case-insensitive)
 .Ic menu-display
 will wait for user input and never execute
 .Ic menu_timeout_command .
+If set to
+.Dq Li -1 ,
+.Ic menu-display
+will boot immediately, preventing both interruption of the autoboot process and
+escaping to the loader prompt.
 Default is
 .Dq Li 10 .
 See