diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.conf b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.conf
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@
 pflog_logfile="/var/log/pflog"	# where pflogd should store the logfile
 pflog_program="/sbin/pflogd"	# where the pflogd program lives
 pflog_flags=""			# additional flags for pflogd
+dnctl_enable="NO"
+dnctl_program="/sbin/dnctl"
+dnctl_rules="/etc/dnctl.conf"
 ftpproxy_enable="NO"		# Set to YES to enable ftp-proxy(8) for pf
 ftpproxy_flags=""		# additional flags for ftp-proxy(8)
 pfsync_enable="NO"		# Expose pf state to other hosts for syncing
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/Makefile b/libexec/rc/rc.d/Makefile
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/Makefile
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/Makefile
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_IPFW} != "no"
-CONFS+=		ipfw
+CONFS+=		ipfw \
+		dnctl
 .if ${MK_NETGRAPH} != "no"
 CONFS+=		ipfw_netflow
 .endif
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/dnctl b/libexec/rc/rc.d/dnctl
new file mode 100755
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/dnctl
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+#
+
+# PROVIDE: dnctl
+# BEFORE: pf ipfw
+# KEYWORD: nojailvnet
+
+. /etc/rc.subr
+
+name="dnctl"
+desc="Dummynet packet queuing and scheduling"
+rcvar="${name}_enable"
+load_rc_config $name
+start_cmd="${name}_start"
+required_files="$dnctl_rules"
+required_modules="dummynet"
+
+dnctl_start()
+{
+	startmsg -n "Enabling ${name}"
+	$dnctl_program "$dnctl_rules"
+	startmsg '.'
+}
+
+run_rc_command $*
diff --git a/sbin/ipfw/main.c b/sbin/ipfw/main.c
--- a/sbin/ipfw/main.c
+++ b/sbin/ipfw/main.c
@@ -682,7 +682,13 @@
 	}
 #endif
 
-	if (strcmp(av[0], "dnctl") == 0)
+	const char *dnctl_binary = "dnctl";
+	const size_t binary_size = strlen(dnctl_binary);
+	const size_t my_size = strlen(av[0]);
+	if (strcmp(av[0], dnctl_binary) == 0 || \
+	   (my_size > binary_size && \
+	    av[0][my_size - binary_size - 1] == '/' && \
+	    strcmp(av[0] + my_size - binary_size, dnctl_binary)))
 		g_co.prog = cmdline_prog_dnctl;
 	else
 		g_co.prog = cmdline_prog_ipfw;