diff --git a/sbin/setkey/setkey.8 b/sbin/setkey/setkey.8
--- a/sbin/setkey/setkey.8
+++ b/sbin/setkey/setkey.8
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd October 19, 2022
+.Dd April 3, 2023
 .Dt SETKEY 8
 .Os
 .\"
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@
 .Op Fl v
 .Fl f Ar filename
 .Nm
+.Op Fl v
+.Fl e Ar script
+.Nm
 .Op Fl Pgltv
 .Fl D
 .Nm
@@ -65,11 +68,14 @@
 .Nm
 utility takes a series of operations from the standard input
 (if invoked with
-.Fl c )
-or the file named
+.Fl c ) ,
+from the file named
 .Ar filename
 (if invoked with
-.Fl f Ar filename ) .
+.Fl f Ar filename ) ,
+or from the command line argument following the option
+(if invoked with
+.Fl e Ar script ) .
 .Bl -tag -width indent
 .It Fl D
 Dump the SAD entries.
diff --git a/sbin/setkey/setkey.c b/sbin/setkey/setkey.c
--- a/sbin/setkey/setkey.c
+++ b/sbin/setkey/setkey.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@
 
 	printf("usage: setkey [-v] -c\n");
 	printf("       setkey [-v] -f filename\n");
+	printf("       setkey [-v] -e \"<script>\"\n");
 	printf("       setkey [-Pagltv] -D\n");
 	printf("       setkey [-Pv] -F\n");
 	printf("       setkey [-h] -x\n");
@@ -129,13 +130,27 @@
 
 	thiszone = gmt2local(0);
 
-	while ((c = getopt(ac, av, "acdf:ghltvxDFP")) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt(ac, av, "acde:f:ghltvxDFP")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'c':
 			f_mode = MODE_SCRIPT;
 			fp = stdin;
 			break;
+		case 'e':
+			if (fp != stdin) {
+				err(-1, "only one -f/-e option is accepted");
+			}
+			f_mode = MODE_SCRIPT;
+			fp = fmemopen(optarg, strlen(optarg), "r");
+			if (fp == NULL) {
+				err(-1, "fmemopen");
+				/*NOTREACHED*/
+			}
+			break;
 		case 'f':
+			if (fp != stdin) {
+				err(-1, "only one -f/-e option is accepted");
+			}
 			f_mode = MODE_SCRIPT;
 			if ((fp = fopen(optarg, "r")) == NULL) {
 				err(-1, "fopen");