diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
 	${_+_}cd ${SRCTOP}/usr.sbin/rmt; ${MAKE} etc-rmt
 	${INSTALL_SYMLINK} -T "package=runtime" ../var/run/os-release \
 		${DESTDIR}/etc/os-release
+	${INSTALL_SYMLINK} -T "package=runtime" ../var/db/machine-id \
+		${DESTDIR}/etc/machine-id
 .if ${MK_UNBOUND} != "no"
 	if [ ! -e ${DESTDIR}/etc/unbound ]; then \
 		${INSTALL_SYMLINK} -T "package=unbound" \
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.conf b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.conf
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.conf
@@ -694,6 +694,9 @@
 osrelease_enable="YES"	# Update /var/run/os-release on boot (or NO).
 osrelease_file="/var/run/os-release" # File to update for os-release.
 osrelease_perms="444"	# Default permission for os-release file.
+machine_id_enable="YES"	# Create /etc/machine-id on boot if missing (or NO).
+machine_id_file="/var/db/machine-id"	# File to update for machine-id.
+machine_id_perms="444"	# Default permissions for machine-id file.
 dmesg_enable="YES"	# Save dmesg(8) to /var/run/dmesg.boot
 watchdogd_enable="NO"	# Start the software watchdog daemon
 watchdogd_flags=""	# Flags to watchdogd (if enabled)
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
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 	local \
 	localpkg \
 	lockd \
+	machine_id \
 	mixer \
 	motd \
 	mountcritlocal \
diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/machine_id b/libexec/rc/rc.d/machine_id
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/machine_id
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+#
+
+# PROVIDE: machine_id
+# REQUIRE: mountcritremote FILESYSTEMS
+# BEFORE:  LOGIN
+
+. /etc/rc.subr
+
+: ${machine_id_file:=/var/db/machine-id}
+: ${machine_id_perms:=444}
+name="machine_id"
+desc="Update ${machine_id_file}"
+rcvar="machine_id_enable"
+start_cmd="machine_id_start"
+stop_cmd=":"
+
+
+machine_id_start()
+{
+	if [ ! -f ${machine_id_file} ] ; then
+		startmsg -n "Creating ${machine_id_file} "
+		t=$(mktemp -t machine-id)
+		/bin/uuidgen -r -o $t
+		install -C -o root -g wheel -m ${machine_id_perms} "$t" "${machine_id_file}"
+		rm -f "$t"
+		startmsg 'done.'
+	fi
+}
+
+load_rc_config $name
+run_rc_command "$1"