diff --git a/UPDATING b/UPDATING
--- a/UPDATING
+++ b/UPDATING
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@
 	debugging, define WITH_MALLOC_PRODUCTION in /etc/src.conf and rebuild
 	world, or to merely disable the most expensive debugging functionality
 	at runtime, run "ln -s 'abort:false,junk:false' /etc/malloc.conf".)
-
+	
+20230221:
+	Introduce new kernel options KBD_DELAY1 and KBD_DELAY2. See atkbdc(4)
+	for details.
+	
 20230206:
 	sshd now defaults to having X11Forwarding disabled, following upstream.
 	Administrators who wish to enable X11Forwarding should add
diff --git a/share/man/man4/atkbdc.4 b/share/man/man4/atkbdc.4
--- a/share/man/man4/atkbdc.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/atkbdc.4
@@ -90,6 +90,12 @@
 and 5
 for
 .Fa Y .
+.It Em KBD_DELAY1=X, KBD_DELAY2=Y
+DELAY1 sets the intitial key repeat delay to 
+.Fa X .
+The default value is 500ms. DELAY2 sets the key repeat delay to
+.Fa Y .
+The default value is 200ms.
 .It Em KBDIO_DEBUG=N
 Sets the debug level to
 .Fa N .
diff --git a/share/man/man4/ukbd.4 b/share/man/man4/ukbd.4
--- a/share/man/man4/ukbd.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/ukbd.4
@@ -136,6 +136,15 @@
 .D1 Cd "options KBD_DISABLE_KEYMAP_LOADING"
 .Pp
 Do not allow the user to change the keymap.
+.Pp
+.D1 Cd "options KBD_DELAY1=200"
+.Pp
+Set the keyboard initial key repeat delay.
+.Pp
+.D1 Cd "options KBD_DELAY2=15"
+.Pp
+Set the keyboard key repeat delay.
+.Pp
 Note that these options also affect the AT keyboard driver,
 .Xr atkbd 4 .
 .Sh SYSCTL VARIABLES
diff --git a/sys/conf/NOTES b/sys/conf/NOTES
--- a/sys/conf/NOTES
+++ b/sys/conf/NOTES
@@ -1493,7 +1493,11 @@
 
 # These options are valid for other keyboard drivers as well.
 options 	KBD_DISABLE_KEYMAP_LOAD	# refuse to load a keymap
-options 	KBD_INSTALL_CDEV	# install a CDEV entry in /dev
+options		KBD_INSTALL_CDEV	# install a CDEV entry in /dev
+
+# Define keyboard latency (try 200/15 for a snappy interactive console)
+options		KBD_DELAY1=500		# define initial key delay
+options		KBD_DELAY2=100		# define key delay 
 
 device		kbdmux			# keyboard multiplexer
 options		KBDMUX_DFLT_KEYMAP	# specify the built-in keymap
diff --git a/sys/conf/options b/sys/conf/options
--- a/sys/conf/options
+++ b/sys/conf/options
@@ -803,8 +803,9 @@
 KBD_MAXRETRY		opt_kbd.h
 KBD_MAXWAIT		opt_kbd.h
 KBD_RESETDELAY		opt_kbd.h
+KBD_DELAY1		opt_kbd.h
+KBD_DELAY2		opt_kbd.h
 KBDIO_DEBUG		opt_kbd.h
-
 KBDMUX_DFLT_KEYMAP	opt_kbdmux.h
 
 # options for the Atheros driver
diff --git a/sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c b/sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c
--- a/sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c
+++ b/sys/dev/kbd/kbd.c
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@
 	kbd->kb_accentmap = NULL;
 	kbd->kb_fkeytab = NULL;
 	kbd->kb_fkeytab_size = 0;
-	kbd->kb_delay1 = KB_DELAY1;	/* these values are advisory only */
-	kbd->kb_delay2 = KB_DELAY2;
+	kbd->kb_delay1 = KBD_DELAY1;	/* these values are advisory only */
+	kbd->kb_delay2 = KBD_DELAY2;
 	kbd->kb_count = 0L;
 	bzero(kbd->kb_lastact, sizeof(kbd->kb_lastact));
 }
diff --git a/sys/dev/kbd/kbdreg.h b/sys/dev/kbd/kbdreg.h
--- a/sys/dev/kbd/kbdreg.h
+++ b/sys/dev/kbd/kbdreg.h
@@ -151,8 +151,12 @@
 	void		*kb_data;	/* the driver's private data */
 	int		kb_delay1;
 	int		kb_delay2;
-#define KB_DELAY1	500
-#define KB_DELAY2	100
+#ifndef KBD_DELAY1
+#define KBD_DELAY1	500
+#endif
+#ifndef KBD_DELAY2
+#define KBD_DELAY2	100
+#endif
 	unsigned long	kb_count;	/* # of processed key strokes */
 	u_char		kb_lastact[NUM_KEYS/2];
 	struct cdev *kb_dev;