diff --git a/sbin/ldconfig/elfhints.c b/sbin/ldconfig/elfhints.c
index f7139dfcb0a0..7e5c8e5081bb 100644
--- a/sbin/ldconfig/elfhints.c
+++ b/sbin/ldconfig/elfhints.c
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 #define MAXDIRS		1024		/* Maximum directories in path */
 #define MAXFILESIZE	(16*1024)	/* Maximum hints file size */
 
-static void	add_dir(const char *, const char *);
+static void	add_dir(const char *, const char *, int);
 static void	read_dirs_from_file(const char *, const char *);
 static void	read_elf_hints(const char *, int);
 static void	write_elf_hints(const char *);
@@ -55,23 +55,25 @@ static const char	*dirs[MAXDIRS];
 static int		 ndirs;
 
 static void
-add_dir(const char *hintsfile, const char *name)
+add_dir(const char *hintsfile, const char *name, int trusted)
 {
 	struct stat 	stbuf;
 	int		i;
 
 	/* Do some security checks */
-	if (stat(name, &stbuf) == -1) {
-		warn("%s", name);
-		return;
-	}
-	if (stbuf.st_uid != 0) {
-		warnx("%s: not owned by root", name);
-		return;
-	}
-	if ((stbuf.st_mode & S_IWOTH) != 0) {
-		warnx("%s: ignoring world-writable directory", name);
-        	return;
+	if (!trusted && !insecure) {
+		if (stat(name, &stbuf) == -1) {
+			warn("%s", name);
+			return;
+		}
+		if (stbuf.st_uid != 0) {
+			warnx("%s: ignoring directory not owned by root", name);
+			return;
+		}
+		if ((stbuf.st_mode & S_IWOTH) != 0) {
+			warnx("%s: ignoring world-writable directory", name);
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0;  i < ndirs;  i++)
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ read_dirs_from_file(const char *hintsfile, const char *listfile)
 
 		if ((sp = strdup(sp)) == NULL)
 			errx(1, "Out of memory");
-		add_dir(hintsfile, sp);
+		add_dir(hintsfile, sp, 0);
 	}
 
 	fclose(fp);
@@ -218,7 +220,7 @@ read_elf_hints(const char *hintsfile, int must_exist)
 
 	if (*dirlist != '\0')
 		while ((p = strsep(&dirlist, ":")) != NULL)
-			add_dir(hintsfile, p);
+			add_dir(hintsfile, p, 1);
 }
 
 void
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ update_elf_hints(const char *hintsfile, int argc, char **argv, int merge)
 		else if (S_ISREG(s.st_mode))
 			read_dirs_from_file(hintsfile, argv[i]);
 		else
-			add_dir(hintsfile, argv[i]);
+			add_dir(hintsfile, argv[i], 0);
 	}
 	write_elf_hints(hintsfile);
 }
diff --git a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.8 b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.8
index f008d90342a6..775f5d48c3ad 100644
--- a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.8
+++ b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.8
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm ldconfig
 .Op Fl aout | Fl elf
-.Op Fl Rmrsv
+.Op Fl Rimrsv
 .Op Fl f Ar hints_file
 .Op Ar directory | file Ar ...
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ line.  Blank lines and lines starting with the comment character
 are ignored.
 .Pp
 For security reasons, directories which are world-writable or which
-are not owned by root produce warning messages and are skipped.
+are not owned by root produce warning messages and are skipped, unless
+the -i option is present.
 .Pp
 The shared libraries which are found will be automatically available for loading
 if needed by the program being prepared for execution.
@@ -104,6 +105,8 @@ This is the default action when no parameters are given.
 .It Fl f Ar hints_file
 Read and/or update the specified hints file, instead of the standard file.
 This option is provided primarily for testing.
+.It Fl i
+Run in insecure mode. The security checks will not be performed.
 .It Fl m
 Instead of replacing the contents of the hints file
 with those found in the directories specified,
@@ -186,3 +189,8 @@ A
 .Nm
 utility first appeared in SunOS 4.0, it appeared in its current form
 in FreeBSD 1.1.
+.Sh BUGS
+Some security checks (for example, verifying root ownership of
+added directories) are not performed when
+.Fl aout
+is specified.
diff --git a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
index cde4f9a69648..5c655b45d6ce 100644
--- a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
+++ b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ char	*argv[];
 	hints_file = is_aout ? _PATH_LD_HINTS : _PATH_ELF_HINTS;
 	if (argc == 1)
 		rescan = 1;
-	else while((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rf:mrsv")) != -1) {
+	else while((c = getopt(argc, argv, "Rf:imrsv")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'R':
 			rescan = 1;
@@ -125,6 +125,9 @@ char	*argv[];
 		case 'f':
 			hints_file = optarg;
 			break;
+		case 'i':
+			insecure = 1;
+			break;
 		case 'm':
 			merge = 1;
 			break;
@@ -152,6 +155,7 @@ char	*argv[];
 		return 0;
 	}
 
+	/* Here begins the aout libs processing */
 	dir_list = strdup("");
 
 	if (justread || merge || rescan) {
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ static void
 usage()
 {
 	fprintf(stderr,
-	"usage: ldconfig [-aout | -elf] [-Rmrsv] [-f hints_file] [dir | file ...]\n");
+	"usage: ldconfig [-aout | -elf] [-Rimrsv] [-f hints_file] [dir | file ...]\n");
 	exit(1);
 }
 	
@@ -259,7 +263,6 @@ int	silent;
 {
 	DIR		*dd;
 	struct dirent	*dp;
-	struct stat	stbuf;
 	char		name[MAXPATHLEN];
 	int		dewey[MAXDEWEY], ndewey;
 
@@ -270,20 +273,6 @@ int	silent;
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	/* Do some security checks */
-	if (fstat(dirfd(dd), &stbuf) == -1) {
-		warn("%s", dir);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	if (stbuf.st_uid != 0) {
-		warnx("%s: not owned by root", dir);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	if ((stbuf.st_mode & S_IWOTH) != 0) {
-		warnx("%s: ignoring world-writable directory", dir);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
 	while ((dp = readdir(dd)) != NULL) {
 		register int n;
 		register char *cp;
diff --git a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.h b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.h
index 1ea712c8eb44..71172aa145a5 100644
--- a/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.h
+++ b/sbin/ldconfig/ldconfig.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 
+int	insecure;	/* -i flag, needed here for elfhints.c */
+
 __BEGIN_DECLS
 void	list_elf_hints __P((const char *));
 void	update_elf_hints __P((const char *, int, char **, int));