diff --git a/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.8 b/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.8
--- a/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.8
+++ b/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.8
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@
 .Nm
 will neither create nor delete
 .Pa /etc/wall_cmos_clock .
-On a newly installed system the hardware clock will keep UTC.
+On a newly installed system, the hardware clock will keep UTC.
+This option is enabled automatically on non-x86 hardware.
 .El
 .Pp
 It is possible to short-circuit the menu system by specifying the
diff --git a/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.c b/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.c
--- a/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/tzsetup/tzsetup.c
@@ -826,23 +826,28 @@
 	char		prompt[128];
 	int		fd;
 #endif
-	int		c, rv, skiputc;
+	int		c, rv;
+	bool		skiputc;
+	char		*dztpath;
+#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__amd64__)
 	char		vm_guest[16] = "";
 	size_t		len = sizeof(vm_guest);
-	char		*dztpath;
 
+	skiputc = false;
+
+	/* Default skiputc to true for VM guests */
+	if (sysctlbyname("kern.vm_guest", vm_guest, &len, NULL, 0) == 0 &&
+	    strcmp(vm_guest, "none") != 0)
+		skiputc = true;
+#else
+	skiputc = true;
+#endif
 	dztpath = NULL;
-	skiputc = 0;
 
 #ifdef HAVE_BSDDIALOG
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 #endif
 
-	/* Default skiputc to 1 for VM guests */
-	if (sysctlbyname("kern.vm_guest", vm_guest, &len, NULL, 0) == 0 &&
-	    strcmp(vm_guest, "none") != 0)
-		skiputc = 1;
-
 	while ((c = getopt(argc, argv, "C:d:nrs")) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'C':
@@ -861,7 +866,7 @@
 #endif
 			break;
 		case 's':
-			skiputc = 1;
+			skiputc = true;
 			break;
 		default:
 			usage();
@@ -951,7 +956,7 @@
 	if (bsddialog_init() == BSDDIALOG_ERROR)
 		errx(1, "Error bsddialog: %s\n", bsddialog_geterror());
 
-	if (skiputc == 0) {
+	if (!skiputc) {
 		snprintf(prompt, sizeof(prompt),
 		    "Is this machine's CMOS clock set to UTC?  "
 		    "If it is set to local time,\n"