diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/carp.c b/sbin/ifconfig/carp.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/carp.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/carp.c
@@ -73,14 +73,9 @@
 carp_status(int s)
 {
 	struct carpreq carpr[CARP_MAXVHID];
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
-
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
 
 	if (ifconfig_carp_get_info(lifh, name, carpr, CARP_MAXVHID) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < carpr[0].carpr_count; i++) {
 		printf("\tcarp: %s vhid %d advbase %d advskew %d",
@@ -91,8 +86,6 @@
 		else
 			printf("\n");
 	}
-close:
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifbridge.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifbridge.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifbridge.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifbridge.c
@@ -156,19 +156,14 @@
 static void
 bridge_status(int s)
 {
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 	struct ifconfig_bridge_status *bridge;
 	struct ifbropreq *params;
 	const char *pad, *prefix;
 	uint8_t lladdr[ETHER_ADDR_LEN];
 	uint16_t bprio;
 
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	if (ifconfig_bridge_get_bridge_status(lifh, name, &bridge) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	params = bridge->params;
 
@@ -227,8 +222,6 @@
 	}
 
 	ifconfig_bridge_free_bridge_status(bridge);
-close:
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifclone.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifclone.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifclone.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifclone.c
@@ -57,17 +57,11 @@
 static void
 list_cloners(void)
 {
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 	char *cloners;
 	size_t cloners_count;
 
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	if (ifconfig_list_cloners(lifh, &cloners, &cloners_count) < 0)
 		errc(1, ifconfig_err_errno(lifh), "unable to list cloners");
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 
 	for (const char *name = cloners;
 	    name < cloners + cloners_count * IFNAMSIZ;
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.h
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@
  * $FreeBSD$
  */
 
+#pragma once
+
+#include <libifconfig.h>
+
 #define	__constructor	__attribute__((constructor))
 
 struct afswtch;
@@ -128,6 +132,7 @@
 };
 void	opt_register(struct option *);
 
+extern	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 extern	struct ifreq ifr;
 extern	char name[IFNAMSIZ];	/* name of interface */
 extern	int allmedia;
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
@@ -78,8 +78,12 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
+#include <libifconfig.h>
+
 #include "ifconfig.h"
 
+ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
+
 /*
  * Since "struct ifreq" is composed of various union members, callers
  * should pay special attention to interpret the value.
@@ -427,6 +431,10 @@
 	f_inet = f_inet6 = f_ether = f_addr = NULL;
 	matchgroup = nogroup = NULL;
 
+	lifh = ifconfig_open();
+	if (lifh == NULL)
+		err(EXIT_FAILURE, "ifconfig_open");
+
 	envformat = getenv("IFCONFIG_FORMAT");
 	if (envformat != NULL)
 		setformat(envformat);
@@ -699,6 +707,7 @@
 
 done:
 	freeformat();
+	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 	exit(exit_code);
 }
 
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/ifgroup.c b/sbin/ifconfig/ifgroup.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/ifgroup.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/ifgroup.c
@@ -86,16 +86,11 @@
 static void
 getifgroups(int s)
 {
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 	struct ifgroupreq ifgr;
 	size_t cnt;
 
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	if (ifconfig_get_groups(lifh, name, &ifgr) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	cnt = 0;
 	for (size_t i = 0; i < ifgr.ifgr_len / sizeof(struct ifg_req); ++i) {
@@ -112,8 +107,6 @@
 		printf("\n");
 
 	free(ifgr.ifgr_groups);
-close:
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/iflagg.c b/sbin/ifconfig/iflagg.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/iflagg.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/iflagg.c
@@ -219,7 +219,6 @@
 lagg_status(int s)
 {
 	struct lagg_protos protos[] = LAGG_PROTOS;
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 	struct ifconfig_lagg_status *lagg;
 	struct lagg_reqall *ra;
 	struct lagg_reqflags *rf;
@@ -228,12 +227,8 @@
 	struct lacp_opreq *lp;
 	const char *proto;
 
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	if (ifconfig_lagg_get_lagg_status(lifh, name, &lagg) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	ra = lagg->ra;
 	rf = lagg->rf;
@@ -297,8 +292,6 @@
 	}
 
 	ifconfig_lagg_free_lagg_status(lagg);
-close:
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 }
 
 static
diff --git a/sbin/ifconfig/sfp.c b/sbin/ifconfig/sfp.c
--- a/sbin/ifconfig/sfp.c
+++ b/sbin/ifconfig/sfp.c
@@ -61,15 +61,10 @@
 	struct ifconfig_sfp_info_strings strings;
 	struct ifconfig_sfp_vendor_info vendor_info;
 	struct ifconfig_sfp_status status;
-	ifconfig_handle_t *lifh;
 	size_t channel_count;
 
-	lifh = ifconfig_open();
-	if (lifh == NULL)
-		return;
-
 	if (ifconfig_sfp_get_sfp_info(lifh, name, &info) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	ifconfig_sfp_get_sfp_info_strings(&info, &strings);
 
@@ -79,7 +74,7 @@
 	    strings.sfp_conn);
 
 	if (ifconfig_sfp_get_sfp_vendor_info(lifh, name, &vendor_info) == -1)
-		goto close;
+		return;
 
 	printf("\tvendor: %s PN: %s SN: %s DATE: %s\n",
 	    vendor_info.name, vendor_info.pn, vendor_info.sn, vendor_info.date);
@@ -118,7 +113,7 @@
 		struct ifconfig_sfp_dump dump;
 
 		if (ifconfig_sfp_get_sfp_dump(lifh, name, &dump) == -1)
-			goto close;
+			return;
 
 		if (ifconfig_sfp_id_is_qsfp(info.sfp_id)) {
 			printf("\n\tSFF8436 DUMP (0xA0 128..255 range):\n");
@@ -133,7 +128,4 @@
 			    "\t", HD_OMIT_COUNT | HD_OMIT_CHARS);
 		}
 	}
-
-close:
-	ifconfig_close(lifh);
 }