Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/abi
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/abi
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/abi
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@
 	local _tmpdir
 
 	echo -n ' linux'
-	load_kld -e 'linux(aout|elf)' linux
+	load_kld linux
 	case `sysctl -n hw.machine_arch` in
 	amd64)
-		load_kld -e 'linux64elf' linux64
+		load_kld linux64
 		;;
 	esac
 	if [ -x /compat/linux/sbin/ldconfigDisabled ]; then
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/bthidd
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/bthidd
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/bthidd
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@
 bthidd_prestart()
 {
 	if evdev_enabled; then
-		load_kld -m uinput uinput
+		load_kld uinput
 	fi
-	load_kld -m kbdmux kbdmux
-	load_kld -m vkbd vkbd
-	load_kld -m ng_btsocket ng_btsocket
+	load_kld kbdmux
+	load_kld vkbd
+	load_kld ng_btsocket
 	return 0
 }
 
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/cfumass
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/cfumass
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/cfumass
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 		return "${err}"
 	fi
 
-	load_kld -e cfumass cfumass
+	load_kld cfumass
 
 	# If the template is already switched to Mass Storage, then reset
 	# it to -1 to force the host to reenumerate it; otherwise it might
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/kld
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/kld
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/kld
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 
 	echo 'Loading kernel modules:'
 	for _kld in $kld_list ; do
-		load_kld -e ${_kld}.ko $_kld
+		load_kld $_kld
 	done
 }
 
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
 					continue
 				fi
 				if [ "${_file}" != "${_file%.uzip}" ]; then
-					load_kld -m g_uzip geom_uzip || return 3
+					load_kld geom_uzip || return 3
 					# sleep a bit to allow creation of /dev/mdX.uzip
 					sleep 2
 				fi
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig2
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig2
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mdconfig2
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
 		# been created.
 		if [ "${_type}" = "vnode" -a "${_fs}" != "/" ]; then
 			if [ "${_file}" != "${_file%.uzip}" ]; then
-				load_kld -m g_uzip geom_uzip || return 3
+				load_kld geom_uzip || return 3
 			fi
 			if is_readonly ${_fs}; then
 				warn "${_fs} is mounted read-only, skipping ${_md}."
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mountcritremote
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mountcritremote
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/mountcritremote
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 	case "`mount -d -a -t nfs 2> /dev/null`" in
 	*mount_nfs*)
 		# Handle absent nfs client support
-		load_kld -m nfs nfscl || return 1
+		load_kld nfscl || return 1
 		;;
 	esac
 	return 0
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.d/syscons
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.d/syscons
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.d/syscons
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@
 		for i in `kldstat | awk '$5 ~ "_saver\.ko$" { print $5 }'`; do
 			kldunload ${i}
 		done
-		load_kld -e _saver ${saver}_saver
+		load_kld ${saver}_saver
 		;;
 	esac
 
Index: head/libexec/rc/rc.subr
===================================================================
--- head/libexec/rc/rc.subr
+++ head/libexec/rc/rc.subr
@@ -1853,48 +1853,29 @@
 }
 
 # Code common to scripts that need to load a kernel module
-# if it isn't in the kernel yet. Syntax:
-#   load_kld [-e regex] [-m module] file
-# where -e or -m chooses the way to check if the module
-# is already loaded:
-#   regex is egrep'd in the output from `kldstat -v',
-#   module is passed to `kldstat -m'.
-# The default way is as though `-m file' were specified.
+# if it isn't in the kernel yet.  Syntax:
+#   load_kld file
 load_kld()
 {
-	local _loaded _mod _opt _re
+	local _opt
 
+	# Silently ignore legacy options; they are unnecessary
 	while getopts "e:m:" _opt; do
 		case "$_opt" in
-		e) _re="$OPTARG" ;;
-		m) _mod="$OPTARG" ;;
-		*) err 3 'USAGE: load_kld [-e regex] [-m module] file' ;;
+		e) ;;
+		m) ;;
+		*) err 3 'USAGE: load_kld file' ;;
 		esac
 	done
 	shift $(($OPTIND - 1))
 	if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
-		err 3 'USAGE: load_kld [-e regex] [-m module] file'
+		err 3 'USAGE: load_kld file'
 	fi
-	_mod=${_mod:-$1}
-	_loaded=false
-	if [ -n "$_re" ]; then
-		if kldstat -v | egrep -q -e "$_re"; then
-			_loaded=true
-		fi
+	if ! kldload -n "$1"; then
+		warn "Unable to load kernel module $1"
+		return 1
 	else
-		if kldstat -q -m "$_mod"; then
-			_loaded=true
-		fi
-	fi
-	if ! $_loaded; then
-		if ! kldload "$1"; then
-			warn "Unable to load kernel module $1"
-			return 1
-		else
-			info "$1 kernel module loaded."
-		fi
-	else
-		debug "load_kld: $1 kernel module already loaded."
+		info "$1 kernel module loaded."
 	fi
 	return 0
 }
Index: head/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
===================================================================
--- head/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
+++ head/share/man/man5/rc.conf.5
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd March 21, 2019
+.Dd April 7, 2019
 .Dt RC.CONF 5
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -249,9 +249,7 @@
 .It Va kld_list
 .Pq Vt str
 A whitespace-separated list of kernel modules to load right after
-the local disks are mounted, without any
-.Pa .ko
-extension or path.
+the local disks are mounted, with optional path.
 Loading modules at this point in the boot process is
 much faster than doing it via
 .Pa /boot/loader.conf