diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/arm/reloc.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/arm/reloc.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/arm/reloc.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/arm/reloc.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "rtld.h"
-#include "paths.h"
+#include "rtld_paths.h"
 
 #ifdef __ARM_FP
 /*
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/libmap.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/libmap.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/libmap.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/libmap.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "rtld.h"
 #include "libmap.h"
-#include "paths.h"
+#include "rtld_paths.h"
 #include "rtld_libc.h"
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(lm_list, lm);
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.1 b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.1
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.1
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.1
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@
 .Bd -ragged -offset indent
 .Pa /libexec/ld-elf.so.1
 .Op Fl b Ar exe
+.Op Fl d
 .Op Fl f Ar fd
 .Op Fl p
 .Op Fl u
@@ -352,6 +353,8 @@
 is only used to provide the
 .Va argv[0]
 value to the program.
+.It Fl d
+Turn off the emulation of the binary execute permission.
 .It Fl f Ar fd
 File descriptor
 .Ar fd
@@ -403,6 +406,9 @@
 and is naturally prone to race conditions.
 Environments which rely on such restrictions are weak
 and breakable on their own.
+It can be turned off with the
+.Fl d
+option.
 .Sh VERSIONING
 Newer
 .Nm
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "rtld.h"
 #include "libmap.h"
-#include "paths.h"
+#include "rtld_paths.h"
 #include "rtld_tls.h"
 #include "rtld_printf.h"
 #include "rtld_malloc.h"
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 static int open_binary_fd(const char *argv0, bool search_in_path,
     const char **binpath_res);
 static int parse_args(char* argv[], int argc, bool *use_pathp, int *fdp,
-    const char **argv0);
+    const char **argv0, bool *dir_ignore);
 static int parse_integer(const char *);
 static void *path_enumerate(const char *, path_enum_proc, const char *, void *);
 static void print_usage(const char *argv0);
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@
 #ifdef __powerpc__
     int old_auxv_format = 1;
 #endif
-    bool dir_enable, direct_exec, explicit_fd, search_in_path;
+    bool dir_enable, dir_ignore, direct_exec, explicit_fd, search_in_path;
 
     /*
      * On entry, the dynamic linker itself has not been relocated yet.
@@ -589,7 +589,8 @@
 
 	    dbg("opening main program in direct exec mode");
 	    if (argc >= 2) {
-		rtld_argc = parse_args(argv, argc, &search_in_path, &fd, &argv0);
+		rtld_argc = parse_args(argv, argc, &search_in_path, &fd,
+		  &argv0, &dir_ignore);
 		explicit_fd = (fd != -1);
 		binpath = NULL;
 		if (!explicit_fd)
@@ -621,7 +622,7 @@
 		} else if ((st.st_mode & S_IXOTH) != 0) {
 		    dir_enable = true;
 		}
-		if (!dir_enable) {
+		if (!dir_enable && !dir_ignore) {
 		    _rtld_error("No execute permission for binary %s",
 		        argv0);
 		    rtld_die();
@@ -5842,7 +5843,7 @@
  */
 static int
 parse_args(char* argv[], int argc, bool *use_pathp, int *fdp,
-    const char **argv0)
+    const char **argv0, bool *dir_ignore)
 {
 	const char *arg;
 	char machine[64];
@@ -5854,6 +5855,7 @@
 	dbg("Parsing command-line arguments");
 	*use_pathp = false;
 	*fdp = -1;
+	*dir_ignore = false;
 	seen_b = seen_f = false;
 
 	for (i = 1; i < argc; i++ ) {
@@ -5890,6 +5892,9 @@
 				*argv0 = argv[i];
 				seen_b = true;
 				break;
+			} else if (opt == 'd') {
+				*dir_ignore = true;
+				break;
 			} else if (opt == 'f') {
 				if (seen_b) {
 					_rtld_error("Both -b and -f specified");
@@ -5988,11 +5993,12 @@
 {
 
 	rtld_printf(
-	    "Usage: %s [-h] [-b <exe>] [-f <FD>] [-p] [--] <binary> [<args>]\n"
+	    "Usage: %s [-h] [-b <exe>] [-d] [-f <FD>] [-p] [--] <binary> [<args>]\n"
 	    "\n"
 	    "Options:\n"
 	    "  -h        Display this help message\n"
 	    "  -b <exe>  Execute <exe> instead of <binary>, arg0 is <binary>\n"
+	    "  -d        Ignore lack of exec permissions for the binary\n"
 	    "  -f <FD>   Execute <FD> instead of searching for <binary>\n"
 	    "  -p        Search in PATH for named binary\n"
 	    "  -u        Ignore LD_ environment variables\n"
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_malloc.c b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_malloc.c
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_malloc.c
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_malloc.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include "rtld.h"
 #include "rtld_printf.h"
-#include "paths.h"
+#include "rtld_paths.h"
 
 /*
  * Pre-allocate mmap'ed pages
diff --git a/libexec/rtld-elf/paths.h b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_paths.h
rename from libexec/rtld-elf/paths.h
rename to libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_paths.h
--- a/libexec/rtld-elf/paths.h
+++ b/libexec/rtld-elf/rtld_paths.h
@@ -26,15 +26,19 @@
  * $FreeBSD$
  */
 
-#ifndef PATHS_H
-#define PATHS_H
+#ifndef _RTLD_PATHS_H
+#define _RTLD_PATHS_H
 
 #undef _PATH_ELF_HINTS
 
+#ifndef	_COMPAT32_BASENAME_RTLD
+#define	_COMPAT32_BASENAME_RTLD		"ld-elf32.so.1"
+#endif
+
 #ifdef COMPAT_32BIT
 #define	_PATH_ELF_HINTS		"/var/run/ld-elf32.so.hints"
 #define	_PATH_LIBMAP_CONF	"/etc/libmap32.conf"
-#define	_BASENAME_RTLD		"ld-elf32.so.1"
+#define	_BASENAME_RTLD		_COMPAT32_BASENAME_RTLD
 #define	STANDARD_LIBRARY_PATH	"/lib32:/usr/lib32"
 #define	LD_			"LD_32_"
 #endif
@@ -55,6 +59,10 @@
 #define	_PATH_RTLD		"/libexec/" _BASENAME_RTLD
 #endif
 
+#ifndef _COMPAT32_PATH_RTLD
+#define	_COMPAT32_PATH_RTLD	"/libexec/" _COMPAT32_BASENAME_RTLD
+#endif
+
 #ifndef STANDARD_LIBRARY_PATH
 #define	STANDARD_LIBRARY_PATH	"/lib/casper:/lib:/usr/lib"
 #endif
@@ -69,10 +77,12 @@
 #define	SOFT_STANDARD_LIBRARY_PATH "/usr/libsoft"
 #define	LD_SOFT_		"LD_SOFT_"
 
+#ifdef IN_RTLD
 extern const char *ld_elf_hints_default;
 extern const char *ld_path_libmap_conf;
 extern const char *ld_path_rtld;
 extern const char *ld_standard_library_path;
 extern const char *ld_env_prefix;
+#endif
 
-#endif /* PATHS_H */
+#endif /* _RTLD_PATHS_H */
diff --git a/usr.bin/ldd/Makefile b/usr.bin/ldd/Makefile
--- a/usr.bin/ldd/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/ldd/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 PROG?=		ldd
 SRCS=		ldd.c
 
+CFLAGS+=	-I${SRCTOP}/libexec/rtld-elf
 LIBADD=		elf
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/ldd/ldd.c b/usr.bin/ldd/ldd.c
--- a/usr.bin/ldd/ldd.c
+++ b/usr.bin/ldd/ldd.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <gelf.h>
 #include <libelf.h>
+#include <rtld_paths.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
@@ -134,7 +135,8 @@
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	char *fmt1, *fmt2;
-	int rval, c, aflag;
+	const char *rtld;
+	int aflag, c, fd, rval, status, is_shlib, rv, type;
 
 	aflag = 0;
 	fmt1 = fmt2 = NULL;
@@ -167,8 +169,6 @@
 
 	rval = 0;
 	for (; argc > 0; argc--, argv++) {
-		int fd, status, is_shlib, rv, type;
-
 		if ((fd = open(*argv, O_RDONLY, 0)) < 0) {
 			warn("%s", *argv);
 			rval |= 1;
@@ -236,15 +236,23 @@
 			if (is_shlib == 0) {
 				execl(*argv, *argv, (char *)NULL);
 				warn("%s", *argv);
-			} else {
+			} else if (fmt1 == NULL && fmt2 == NULL) {
 				dlopen(*argv, RTLD_TRACE);
 				warnx("%s: %s", *argv, dlerror());
+			} else {
+				rtld = _PATH_RTLD;
+#if __ELF_WORD_SIZE > 32 && defined(ELF32_SUPPORTED)
+				if (type == TYPE_ELF32)
+					rtld = _COMPAT32_PATH_RTLD;
+#endif
+				execl(rtld, rtld, "-d", "--",
+				    *argv, (char *)NULL);
 			}
 			_exit(1);
 		}
 	}
 
-	return rval;
+	return (rval);
 }
 
 static void