diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/ntpd b/libexec/rc/rc.d/ntpd
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/ntpd
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/ntpd
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 {
 	# If the admin set what uid to use, we don't change it.
 	if [ -n "${ntpd_user}" ]; then
+		logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "user ${ntpd_user} is not found, exiting"
 		return 1
 	fi
 
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
 	    *-f* | *--driftfile* | *-i* | *--jaildir*   | \
 	    *-k* | *--keyfile*   | *-l* | *--logfile*   | \
 	    *-p* | *--pidfile*   | *-s* | *--statsdir* )
+		logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "user ${ntpd_user} cannot access files listed in command line, exiting"
 		return 1;;
 	esac
 
@@ -66,15 +68,32 @@
 	# privileges.  Detect whether MAC is compiled into the kernel, load
 	# the policy module if not already present, then check whether the
 	# policy has been disabled via tunable or sysctl.
-	[ -n "$(sysctl -qn security.mac.version)" ] || return 1
-	sysctl -qn security.mac.ntpd >/dev/null || kldload -qn mac_ntpd || return 1
-	[ "$(sysctl -qn security.mac.ntpd.enabled)" == "1" ] || return 1
+	if [ -z "$(sysctl -qn security.mac.version)" ]; then
+		logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "kernel does not support MAC, exiting"
+		return 1
+	fi
+	if ! sysctl -qn security.mac.ntpd >/dev/null; then
+		if ! kldload -qn mac_ntpd; then
+			logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "failed to load mac_ntpd, exiting"
+			return 1
+		fi
+	fi
+	if [ ! "$(sysctl -qn security.mac.ntpd.enabled)" == "1" ]; then
+		logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "security.mac.ntpd.enabled is not enabled, exiting"
+		return 1
+	fi
 
 	# On older existing systems, the ntp dir may by owned by root, change
 	# it to ntpd to give the daemon create/write access to the driftfile.
 	if [ "$(stat -f %u ${_ntp_default_dir})" = "0" ]; then
-		chown ntpd:ntpd "${_ntp_default_dir}" || return 1
-		chmod 0755 "${_ntp_default_dir}" || return 1
+		if ! chown ntpd:ntpd "${_ntp_default_dir}"; then
+			logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "chown ${_ntp_default_dir} failed, exiting"
+			return 1
+		fi
+		if ! chmod 0755 "${_ntp_default_dir}"; then
+			logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.err "chmod ${_ntp_default_dir} failed, exiting"
+			return 1
+		fi
 		logger -s -t "rc.d/ntpd" -p daemon.notice \
 		    "${_ntp_default_dir} updated to owner ntpd:ntpd, mode 0755"
 	fi