diff --git a/sys/x86/x86/mca.c b/sys/x86/x86/mca.c
--- a/sys/x86/x86/mca.c
+++ b/sys/x86/x86/mca.c
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <sys/sched.h>
 #include <sys/smp.h>
 #include <sys/sysctl.h>
+#include <sys/syslog.h>
 #include <sys/systm.h>
 #include <sys/taskqueue.h>
 #include <machine/intr_machdep.h>
@@ -143,6 +144,11 @@
     "Bank to use for artificial MCAs (testing purpose only)");
 #endif
 
+static bool mca_uselog = false;
+SYSCTL_BOOL(_hw_mca, OID_AUTO, uselog, CTLFLAG_RWTUN, &mca_uselog, 0,
+    "Should the system send non-fatal machine check errors to the log "
+    "(instead of the console)?");
+
 static STAILQ_HEAD(, mca_internal) mca_freelist;
 static int mca_freecount;
 static STAILQ_HEAD(, mca_internal) mca_records;
@@ -476,7 +482,7 @@
 
 /* Dump details about a single machine check. */
 static void
-mca_log(enum scan_mode mode, const struct mca_record *rec)
+mca_log(enum scan_mode mode, const struct mca_record *rec, bool fatal)
 {
 	int error, numskipped;
 	uint16_t mca_error;
@@ -711,7 +717,8 @@
 		    event_type));
 		event_type = MCA_T_UNKNOWN;
 	}
-	if (!uncor) {
+	numskipped = 0;
+	if (!fatal && !uncor) {
 		mtx_lock_spin(&mca_lock);
 		mca_stats[event_type]++;
 		if (mca_log_interval.tv_sec > 0 && mca_stats[event_type] > 50 &&
@@ -723,17 +730,31 @@
 		numskipped = mca_log_skipped;
 		mca_log_skipped = 0;
 		mtx_unlock_spin(&mca_lock);
+	}
+
+	error = sbuf_finish(&sb);
+	if (fatal || !mca_uselog) {
 		if (numskipped > 0)
 			printf("MCA: %d events skipped due to rate limit\n",
 			    numskipped);
+		if (error)
+			printf("MCA: error logging message (sbuf error %d)\n",
+			    error);
+		else
+			sbuf_putbuf(&sb);
+	} else {
+		if (numskipped > 0)
+			log(LOG_ERR,
+			    "MCA: %d events skipped due to rate limit\n",
+			    numskipped);
+		if (error)
+			log(LOG_ERR,
+			    "MCA: error logging message (sbuf error %d)\n",
+			    error);
+		else
+			log(uncor ? LOG_CRIT : LOG_ERR, "%s", sbuf_data(&sb));
 	}
 
-	error = sbuf_finish(&sb);
-	if (error)
-		printf("MCA: error logging message (sbuf error %d)\n", error);
-	else
-		sbuf_putbuf(&sb);
-
 done:
 	sbuf_delete(&sb);
 	if (using_shared_buf)
@@ -898,7 +919,7 @@
 		if (rec == NULL) {
 			mtx_unlock_spin(&mca_lock);
 			printf("MCA: Unable to allocate space for an event.\n");
-			mca_log(mode, record);
+			mca_log(mode, record, false);
 			return;
 		}
 		STAILQ_REMOVE_HEAD(&mca_freelist, link);
@@ -1055,7 +1076,7 @@
 			if (*recoverablep)
 				mca_record_entry(mode, &rec);
 			else
-				mca_log(mode, &rec);
+				mca_log(mode, &rec, true);
 		}
 
 #ifdef DEV_APIC
@@ -1139,7 +1160,7 @@
 	mtx_unlock_spin(&mca_lock);
 
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(mca, &tmplist, link)
-		mca_log(mode, &mca->rec);
+		mca_log(mode, &mca->rec, false);
 
 	mtx_lock_spin(&mca_lock);
 	while ((mca = STAILQ_FIRST(&tmplist)) != NULL) {