diff --git a/etc/defaults/rc.conf b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
index 7fd9a5272cde..6e2775a2e622 100644
--- a/etc/defaults/rc.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ pccardd_flags=""	# Additional flags for pccardd.
 pccard_conf="/etc/defaults/pccard.conf"	# pccardd(8) config file
 local_startup="/usr/local/etc/rc.d /usr/X11R6/etc/rc.d"	# startup script dirs.
 rc_conf_files="/etc/rc.conf /etc/rc.conf.local"
+fsck_y_enable="NO" 	# Set to YES to do fsck -y if the initial preen fails.
 
 ##############################################################
 ###  Network configuration sub-section  ######################
diff --git a/etc/rc b/etc/rc
index fefeed38d506..3155f34a4e24 100644
--- a/etc/rc
+++ b/etc/rc
@@ -157,8 +157,24 @@ autoboot)
 		exit 1
 		;;
 	8)
-		echo 'Automatic file system check failed... help!'
-		exit 1
+		case ${fsck_y_enable} in
+		[Yy][Ee][Ss])
+			echo 'File system preen failed, trying fsck -y . . .'
+			fsck -y
+			case $? in
+			0)
+				;;
+			*)
+			echo 'Automatic file system check failed . . . help!'
+				exit 1
+				;;
+			esac
+			;;
+		*)
+			echo 'Automatic file system check failed . . . help!'
+			exit 1
+			;;
+		esac
 		;;
 	12)
 		echo 'Reboot interrupted'
diff --git a/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5 b/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
index 1f7d16f7ed50..15389e732eb3 100644
--- a/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd July 3, 2000
+.Dd February 4, 2001
 .Dt RC.CONF 5
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -575,6 +575,12 @@ By default, the files specified are
 .Pa /etc/rc.conf
 and
 .Pa /etc/rc.conf.local
+.It Ar fsck_y_enable
+(bool) if set to
+.Ar YES ,
+.Xr fsck 8
+will be run with the -y flag if the initial preen
+of the filesystems fails.
 .It Ar syslogd_enable
 (bool) If set to
 .Ar YES ,