diff --git a/sys/dev/mpr/mpr.c b/sys/dev/mpr/mpr.c
--- a/sys/dev/mpr/mpr.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mpr/mpr.c
@@ -1873,7 +1873,7 @@
 
 	SYSCTL_ADD_STRING(sysctl_ctx, SYSCTL_CHILDREN(sysctl_tree),
 	    OID_AUTO, "msg_version", CTLFLAG_RD, sc->msg_version,
-	    strlen(sc->msg_version), "message interface version");
+	    strlen(sc->msg_version), "message interface version (deprecated)");
 
 	SYSCTL_ADD_INT(sysctl_ctx, SYSCTL_CHILDREN(sysctl_tree),
 	    OID_AUTO, "io_cmds_active", CTLFLAG_RD,
diff --git a/sys/dev/mpr/mpr_user.c b/sys/dev/mpr/mpr_user.c
--- a/sys/dev/mpr/mpr_user.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mpr/mpr_user.c
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@
 			rpl = (MPI2_DEFAULT_REPLY *)cm->cm_reply;
 			sz = rpl->MsgLength * 4;
 
-			if (sz > data->ReplySize) {
+			if (bootverbose && sz > data->ReplySize) {
 				mpr_printf(sc, "%s: user reply buffer (%d) "
 				    "smaller than returned buffer (%d)\n",
 				    __func__, data->ReplySize, sz);
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@
 		rpl = (MPI2_DEFAULT_REPLY *)cm->cm_reply;
 		sz = rpl->MsgLength * 4;
 
-		if (sz > data->ReplySize) {
+		if (bootverbose && sz > data->ReplySize) {
 			mpr_printf(sc, "%s: user reply buffer (%d) smaller "
 			    "than returned buffer (%d)\n", __func__,
 			    data->ReplySize, sz);
diff --git a/sys/dev/mps/mps.c b/sys/dev/mps/mps.c
--- a/sys/dev/mps/mps.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mps/mps.c
@@ -1723,7 +1723,7 @@
 
 	SYSCTL_ADD_STRING(sysctl_ctx, SYSCTL_CHILDREN(sysctl_tree),
 	    OID_AUTO, "msg_version", CTLFLAG_RD, sc->msg_version,
-	    strlen(sc->msg_version), "message interface version");
+	    strlen(sc->msg_version), "message interface version (deprecated)");
 
 	SYSCTL_ADD_INT(sysctl_ctx, SYSCTL_CHILDREN(sysctl_tree),
 	    OID_AUTO, "io_cmds_active", CTLFLAG_RD,
diff --git a/sys/dev/mps/mps_user.c b/sys/dev/mps/mps_user.c
--- a/sys/dev/mps/mps_user.c
+++ b/sys/dev/mps/mps_user.c
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@
 			rpl = (MPI2_DEFAULT_REPLY *)cm->cm_reply;
 			sz = rpl->MsgLength * 4;
 
-			if (sz > data->ReplySize) {
+			if (bootverbose && sz > data->ReplySize) {
 				mps_printf(sc, "%s: user reply buffer (%d) "
 				    "smaller than returned buffer (%d)\n",
 				    __func__, data->ReplySize, sz);
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@
 		rpl = (MPI2_DEFAULT_REPLY *)cm->cm_reply;
 		sz = rpl->MsgLength * 4;
 
-		if (sz > data->ReplySize) {
+		if (bootverbose && sz > data->ReplySize) {
 			mps_printf(sc, "%s: user reply buffer (%d) smaller "
 			    "than returned buffer (%d)\n", __func__,
 			    data->ReplySize, sz);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/mpsutil/mps_cmd.c b/usr.sbin/mpsutil/mps_cmd.c
--- a/usr.sbin/mpsutil/mps_cmd.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/mpsutil/mps_cmd.c
@@ -723,25 +723,39 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+/* Return the length in bytes of the device's MPI2_IOC_FACTS reply */
+static size_t
+mps_get_ioc_factslen(int fd)
+{
+	MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REQUEST req;
+	const size_t factslen = 4;
+	char factsbuf[4] = {0};
+	MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REPLY *facts = (MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REPLY*)factsbuf;
+	int error;
+
+	bzero(&req, sizeof(req));
+	req.Function = MPI2_FUNCTION_IOC_FACTS;
+	error = mps_pass_command(fd, &req, sizeof(MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REQUEST),
+	    factsbuf, factslen, NULL, 0, NULL, 0, 10);
+
+	if (error)
+		return (0);
+
+	/* The card's response is measured in dwords */
+	return (facts->MsgLength * 4);
+}
+
 MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REPLY *
 mps_get_iocfacts(int fd)
 {
 	MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REPLY *facts;
 	MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REQUEST req;
-	char msgver[8], sysctlname[128];
-	size_t len, factslen;
+	size_t factslen;
 	int error;
 
-	snprintf(sysctlname, sizeof(sysctlname), "dev.%s.%d.msg_version",
-	    is_mps ? "mps" : "mpr", mps_unit);
-
-	factslen = sizeof(MPI2_IOC_FACTS_REPLY);
-	len = sizeof(msgver);
-	error = sysctlbyname(sysctlname, msgver, &len, NULL, 0);
-	if (error == 0) {
-		if (strncmp(msgver, "2.6", sizeof(msgver)) == 0)
-			factslen += 4;
-	}
+	factslen = mps_get_ioc_factslen(fd);
+	if (factslen == 0)
+		return (NULL);
 
 	facts = malloc(factslen);
 	if (facts == NULL) {
@@ -749,7 +763,7 @@
 		return (NULL);
 	}
 
-	bzero(&req, factslen);
+	bzero(&req, sizeof(req));
 	req.Function = MPI2_FUNCTION_IOC_FACTS;
 
 #if 1