diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/feeder.c
@@ -68,9 +68,6 @@
 	fte->idx = feedercnt;
 	SLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&feedertab, fte, link);
 	feedercnt++;
-
-	/* we've got our root feeder so don't veto pcm loading anymore */
-	pcm_veto_load = 0;
 }
 
 void
@@ -465,6 +462,10 @@
 	.desc =		NULL,
 	.data =		NULL,
 };
+/*
+ * Register the root feeder first so that pcm_addchan() and subsequent
+ * functions can use it.
+ */
 SYSINIT(feeder_root, SI_SUB_DRIVERS, SI_ORDER_FIRST, feeder_register_root,
     &feeder_root_class);
 SYSUNINIT(feeder_root, SI_SUB_DRIVERS, SI_ORDER_FIRST, feeder_unregisterall, NULL);
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.h
@@ -229,7 +229,6 @@
 
 #define DSP_DEFAULT_SPEED	8000
 
-extern int pcm_veto_load;
 extern int snd_unit;
 extern int snd_verbose;
 extern devclass_t pcm_devclass;
diff --git a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.c b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.c
--- a/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.c
+++ b/sys/dev/sound/pcm/sound.c
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@
 
 devclass_t pcm_devclass;
 
-int pcm_veto_load = 1;
-
 int snd_unit = -1;
 
 static int snd_unit_auto = -1;
@@ -462,12 +460,6 @@
 	struct snddev_info *d;
 	int i;
 
-	if (pcm_veto_load) {
-		device_printf(dev, "disabled due to an error while initialising: %d\n", pcm_veto_load);
-
-		return EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	d = device_get_softc(dev);
 	d->dev = dev;
 	d->lock = snd_mtxcreate(device_get_nameunit(dev), "sound cdev");