diff --git a/sys/sys/kbio.h b/sys/sys/kbio.h
--- a/sys/sys/kbio.h
+++ b/sys/sys/kbio.h
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
 };
 typedef struct accentmap accentmap_t;
 
-#ifdef _KERNEL
+//#ifdef _KERNEL
 struct oacc_t {
 	u_char		accchar;
 	u_char		map[NUM_ACCENTCHARS][2];
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
 	struct oacc_t	acc[NUM_DEADKEYS];
 };
 typedef struct oaccentmap oaccentmap_t;
-#endif /* _KERNEL */
+//#endif /* _KERNEL */
 
 struct keyarg {
 	u_short		keynum;
@@ -257,10 +257,10 @@
 /* XXX: Should have accentmap_t as an argument, but that's too big for ioctl()! */
 #define GIO_DEADKEYMAP 	 _IO('k', 8)
 #define PIO_DEADKEYMAP 	 _IO('k', 9)
-#ifdef _KERNEL
+//#ifdef _KERNEL
 #define OGIO_DEADKEYMAP	_IOR('k', 8, oaccentmap_t)
 #define OPIO_DEADKEYMAP	_IOW('k', 9, oaccentmap_t)
-#endif /* _KERNEL */
+//#endif /* _KERNEL */
 #define GIO_KEYMAPENT 	_IOWR('k', 10, keyarg_t)
 #define PIO_KEYMAPENT 	_IOW('k', 11, keyarg_t)
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/kbdcontrol.c b/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/kbdcontrol.c
--- a/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/kbdcontrol.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/kbdcontrol.c
@@ -818,11 +818,27 @@
 	STAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&pathlist, pe, next);
 }
 
+static void
+to_old_accentmap(accentmap_t *from, oaccentmap_t *to)
+{
+	int i, j;
+
+	to->n_accs = from->n_accs;
+	for (i = 0; i < NUM_DEADKEYS; i++) {
+		for (j = 0; j < NUM_ACCENTCHARS; j++) {
+			to->acc[i].map[j][0] = from->acc[i].map[j][0];
+			to->acc[i].map[j][1] = from->acc[i].map[j][1];
+			to->acc[i].accchar = from->acc[i].accchar;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 static void
 load_keymap(char *opt, int dumponly)
 {
 	keymap_t keymap;
 	accentmap_t accentmap;
+	oaccentmap_t oaccentmap;
 	struct pathent *pe;
 	FILE	*file;
 	int	j;
@@ -882,9 +898,27 @@
 	}
 	if ((accentmap.n_accs > 0) 
 		&& (ioctl(0, PIO_DEADKEYMAP, &accentmap) < 0)) {
-		warn("setting accentmap");
-		fclose(file);
-		return;
+		to_old_accentmap(&accentmap, &oaccentmap);
+		if (ioctl(0, OPIO_DEADKEYMAP, &oaccentmap) < 0) {
+			warn("setting accentmap");
+			fclose(file);
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+to_new_accentmap(oaccentmap_t *from, accentmap_t *to)
+{
+	int i, j;
+
+	to->n_accs = from->n_accs;
+	for (i = 0; i < NUM_DEADKEYS; i++) {
+		for (j = 0; j < NUM_ACCENTCHARS; j++) {
+			to->acc[i].map[j][0] = from->acc[i].map[j][0];
+			to->acc[i].map[j][1] = from->acc[i].map[j][1];
+			to->acc[i].accchar = from->acc[i].accchar;
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -893,12 +927,17 @@
 {
 	keymap_t keymap;
 	accentmap_t accentmap;
+	oaccentmap_t oaccentmap;
 	int i;
 
 	if (ioctl(0, GIO_KEYMAP, &keymap) < 0)
 		err(1, "getting keymap");
-	if (ioctl(0, GIO_DEADKEYMAP, &accentmap) < 0)
-		memset(&accentmap, 0, sizeof(accentmap));
+	if (ioctl(0, GIO_DEADKEYMAP, &accentmap) < 0) {
+		if (ioctl(0, OGIO_DEADKEYMAP, &oaccentmap) == 0)
+			to_new_accentmap(&oaccentmap, &accentmap);
+		else
+			memset(&accentmap, 0, sizeof(accentmap));
+	}
     	printf(
 "#                                                         alt\n"
 "# scan                       cntrl          alt    alt   cntrl lock\n"