diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/local_unbound b/libexec/rc/rc.d/local_unbound
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/local_unbound
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/local_unbound
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 : ${local_unbound_anchor:=${local_unbound_workdir}/root.key}
 : ${local_unbound_forwarders:=}
 : ${local_unbound_tls:=}
+: ${local_unbound_pidfile:=${pidfile}}
+pidfile=${local_unbound_pidfile}
 
 do_as_unbound()
 {