diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_cons.c b/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
@@ -138,6 +138,17 @@
 
 }
 
+static void
+mute_console(void *data __unused)
+{
+	if ((boothowto & RB_MUTEMSGS) == RB_MUTEMSGS) {
+		printf("-- Muting boot messages --\n");
+		cn_mute = 1;
+	}
+}
+
+SYSINIT(mute_console, SI_SUB_COPYRIGHT, SI_ORDER_ANY, mute_console, NULL);
+
 void
 cninit(void)
 {
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
--- a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
@@ -942,6 +942,9 @@
 		newpanic = 1;
 	}
 
+	/* Unmute when panic */
+	cn_mute = 0;
+
 	if (newpanic) {
 		(void)vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), fmt, ap);
 		panicstr = buf;
diff --git a/sys/kern/subr_boot.c b/sys/kern/subr_boot.c
--- a/sys/kern/subr_boot.c
+++ b/sys/kern/subr_boot.c
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 	{ "boot_gdb",		RB_GDB},
 	{ "boot_multicons",	RB_MULTIPLE},
 	{ "boot_mute",		RB_MUTE},
+	{ "boot_mutemsgs",      RB_MUTEMSGS},
 	{ "boot_pause",		RB_PAUSE},
 	{ "boot_serial",	RB_SERIAL},
 	{ "boot_single",	RB_SINGLE},
@@ -133,10 +134,10 @@
 
 #if 0
 /* Need to see if this is better or worse than the meat of the #else */
-static const char howto_switches[] = "aCdrgDmphsv";
+static const char howto_switches[] = "aCdrgDmMphsv";
 static int howto_masks[] = {
 	RB_ASKNAME, RB_CDROM, RB_KDB, RB_DFLTROOT, RB_GDB, RB_MULTIPLE,
-	RB_MUTE, RB_PAUSE, RB_SERIAL, RB_SINGLE, RB_VERBOSE
+	RB_MUTE, RB_MUTEMSGS, RB_PAUSE, RB_SERIAL, RB_SINGLE, RB_VERBOSE
 };
 
 	opts = strchr(kargs, '-');
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@
 			case 'd': howto |= RB_KDB; break;
 			case 'D': howto |= RB_MULTIPLE; break;
 			case 'm': howto |= RB_MUTE; break;
+			case 'M': howto |= RB_MUTEMSGS; break;
 			case 'g': howto |= RB_GDB; break;
 			case 'h': howto |= RB_SERIAL; break;
 			case 'p': howto |= RB_PAUSE; break;
diff --git a/sys/sys/reboot.h b/sys/sys/reboot.h
--- a/sys/sys/reboot.h
+++ b/sys/sys/reboot.h
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 #define	RB_PAUSE	0x100000 /* pause after each output line during probe */
 #define	RB_REROOT	0x200000 /* unmount the rootfs and mount it again */
 #define	RB_POWERCYCLE	0x400000 /* Power cycle if possible */
+#define	RB_MUTEMSGS     0x800000 /* start up with console muted after banner */
 #define	RB_PROBE	0x10000000	/* Probe multiple consoles */
 #define	RB_MULTIPLE	0x20000000	/* use multiple consoles */