diff --git a/sys/conf/param.c b/sys/conf/param.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 704e3f53aab2..000000000000
--- a/sys/conf/param.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,97 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright (c) 1980, 1986, 1989, 1993
- *	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
- * (c) UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
- * All or some portions of this file are derived from material licensed
- * to the University of California by American Telephone and Telegraph
- * Co. or Unix System Laboratories, Inc. and are reproduced herein with
- * the permission of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
- *
- * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
- * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
- * are met:
- * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
- *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
- * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
- *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
- *    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
- * 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
- *    must display the following acknowledgement:
- *	This product includes software developed by the University of
- *	California, Berkeley and its contributors.
- * 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
- *    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
- *    without specific prior written permission.
- *
- * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
- * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
- * IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
- * ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
- * FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
- * DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
- * OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
- * HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
- * LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
- * OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
- * SUCH DAMAGE.
- *
- *	@(#)param.c	8.3 (Berkeley) 8/20/94
- * $FreeBSD$
- */
-
-#include "opt_param.h"
-
-#include <sys/param.h>
-
-/*
- * System parameter formulae.
- *
- * This file is copied into each directory where we compile
- * the kernel; it should be modified there to suit local taste
- * if necessary.
- *
- * Compiled with -DMAXUSERS=xx
- */
-
-#ifndef HZ
-#define	HZ 100
-#endif
-int	hz = HZ;
-int	tick = 1000000 / HZ;
-int	tickadj = howmany(30000, 60 * HZ);	/* can adjust 30ms in 60s */
-#define	NPROC (20 + 16 * MAXUSERS)
-#ifndef MAXFILES
-#define MAXFILES (NPROC*2)
-#endif
-int	maxproc = NPROC;			/* maximum # of processes */
-int	maxprocperuid = NPROC-1;		/* max # of procs per user */
-int	maxfiles = MAXFILES;			/* sys. wide open files limit */
-int	maxfilesperproc = MAXFILES;		/* per-proc open files limit */
-int	ncallout = 16 + NPROC + MAXFILES;	/* maximum # of timer events */
-
-/*
- * These may be set to nonzero here or by patching.
- * If they are nonzero at bootstrap time then they are
- * initialized to values dependent on the memory size.
- */
-#ifdef	NBUF
-int	nbuf = NBUF;
-#else
-int	nbuf = 0;
-#endif
-int	nswbuf = 0;
-
-/*
- * These have to be allocated somewhere; allocating
- * them here forces loader errors if this file is omitted
- * (if they've been externed everywhere else; hah!).
- */
-struct	buf *swbuf;
-
-/*
- * Total number of shared mutexes to protect all lockmgr locks.
- */
-#ifndef	LOCKMUTEX
-#define LOCKMUTEX	10
-#endif
-int	lock_nmtx = LOCKMUTEX;
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
index 3fbb617d605f..157fa1a8dc83 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_mib.c
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_MAXPROC, maxproc, CTLFLAG_RD,
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_MAXPROCPERUID, maxprocperuid, CTLFLAG_RW, 
     &maxprocperuid, 0, "Maximum processes allowed per userid");
 
+SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_MAXPROCPERUID, maxusers, CTLFLAG_RD, 
+    &maxusers, 0, "Hint for kernel tuning");
+
 SYSCTL_INT(_kern, KERN_ARGMAX, argmax, CTLFLAG_RD, 
     0, ARG_MAX, "Maximum bytes of argument to execve(2)");
 
diff --git a/sys/kern/subr_param.c b/sys/kern/subr_param.c
index 704e3f53aab2..272ca3c13a19 100644
--- a/sys/kern/subr_param.c
+++ b/sys/kern/subr_param.c
@@ -40,46 +40,38 @@
  */
 
 #include "opt_param.h"
+#include "opt_maxusers.h"
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
+#include <sys/systm.h>
+#include <sys/kernel.h>
 
 /*
  * System parameter formulae.
- *
- * This file is copied into each directory where we compile
- * the kernel; it should be modified there to suit local taste
- * if necessary.
- *
- * Compiled with -DMAXUSERS=xx
  */
 
 #ifndef HZ
 #define	HZ 100
 #endif
-int	hz = HZ;
-int	tick = 1000000 / HZ;
-int	tickadj = howmany(30000, 60 * HZ);	/* can adjust 30ms in 60s */
-#define	NPROC (20 + 16 * MAXUSERS)
+#define	NPROC (20 + 16 * maxusers)
+#ifndef NBUF
+#define NBUF 0
+#endif
 #ifndef MAXFILES
-#define MAXFILES (NPROC*2)
+#define	MAXFILES (maxproc * 2)
 #endif
-int	maxproc = NPROC;			/* maximum # of processes */
-int	maxprocperuid = NPROC-1;		/* max # of procs per user */
-int	maxfiles = MAXFILES;			/* sys. wide open files limit */
-int	maxfilesperproc = MAXFILES;		/* per-proc open files limit */
-int	ncallout = 16 + NPROC + MAXFILES;	/* maximum # of timer events */
 
-/*
- * These may be set to nonzero here or by patching.
- * If they are nonzero at bootstrap time then they are
- * initialized to values dependent on the memory size.
- */
-#ifdef	NBUF
-int	nbuf = NBUF;
-#else
-int	nbuf = 0;
-#endif
-int	nswbuf = 0;
+int	hz;
+int	tick;
+int	tickadj;			 /* can adjust 30ms in 60s */
+int	maxusers;			/* base tunable */
+int	maxproc;			/* maximum # of processes */
+int	maxprocperuid;			/* max # of procs per user */
+int	maxfiles;			/* sys. wide open files limit */
+int	maxfilesperproc;		/* per-proc open files limit */
+int	ncallout;			/* maximum # of timer events */
+int	nbuf;
+int	nswbuf;
 
 /*
  * These have to be allocated somewhere; allocating
@@ -95,3 +87,33 @@ struct	buf *swbuf;
 #define LOCKMUTEX	10
 #endif
 int	lock_nmtx = LOCKMUTEX;
+
+/*
+ * Boot time overrides
+ */
+void
+init_param(void)
+{
+
+	/* Base parameters */
+	maxusers = MAXUSERS;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.maxusers", &maxusers);
+	hz = HZ;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.hz", &hz);
+	tick = 1000000 / hz;
+	tickadj = howmany(30000, 60 * hz);	/* can adjust 30ms in 60s */
+
+	/* The following can be overridden after boot via sysctl */
+	maxproc = NPROC;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.maxproc", &maxproc);
+	maxfiles = MAXFILES;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.maxfiles", &maxfiles);
+	maxprocperuid = maxproc - 1;
+	maxfilesperproc = maxfiles;
+
+	/* Cannot be changed after boot */
+	nbuf = NBUF;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.nbuf", &nbuf);
+	ncallout = 16 + maxproc + maxfiles;
+	TUNABLE_INT_FETCH("kern.ncallout", &ncallout);
+}
diff --git a/sys/sys/systm.h b/sys/sys/systm.h
index cdf984adf444..031e0ae4125c 100644
--- a/sys/sys/systm.h
+++ b/sys/sys/systm.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ extern struct vnode *rootvp;	/* vnode equivalent to above */
 extern int boothowto;		/* reboot flags, from console subsystem */
 extern int bootverbose;		/* nonzero to print verbose messages */
 
+extern int maxusers;		/* system tune hint */
+
 #ifdef	INVARIANTS		/* The option is always available */
 #define	KASSERT(exp,msg)	do { if (!(exp)) panic msg; } while (0)
 #else
@@ -105,6 +107,7 @@ void	*phashinit __P((int count, struct malloc_type *type, u_long *nentries));
 
 void	cpu_boot __P((int));
 void	cpu_rootconf __P((void));
+void	init_param __P((void));
 void	tablefull __P((const char *));
 int	kvprintf __P((char const *, void (*)(int, void*), void *, int,
 		      _BSD_VA_LIST_)) __printflike(1, 0);