diff --git a/usr.sbin/virtual_oss/virtual_oss/main.c b/usr.sbin/virtual_oss/virtual_oss/main.c
--- a/usr.sbin/virtual_oss/virtual_oss/main.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/virtual_oss/virtual_oss/main.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <sys/nv.h>
 #include <sys/sndstat.h>
 #include <sys/soundcard.h>
+#include <sys/sysctl.h>
 
 #include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <errno.h>
@@ -1617,6 +1618,7 @@
 
 static int voss_dsp_perm = 0666;
 static int voss_do_background;
+static int voss_baseclone = 0;
 static const char *voss_pid_path;
 
 uint32_t voss_dsp_rx_refresh;
@@ -1883,8 +1885,19 @@
 		 * Detect /dev/dsp creation and try to disable system
 		 * basename cloning automatically:
 		 */
-		if (strcmp(ptr->oss_name, "dsp") == 0)
-			system("sysctl hw.snd.basename_clone=0");
+		if (strcmp(ptr->oss_name, "dsp") == 0) {
+			size_t size;
+
+			x = 0;
+			size = sizeof(int);
+			if (sysctlbyname("hw.snd.basename_clone",
+			    &voss_baseclone, &size, NULL, 0) < 0)
+				return ("Could not read hw.snd.basename_clone");
+			if (voss_baseclone &&
+			    sysctlbyname("hw.snd.basename_clone", NULL, 0,
+			    &x, size) < 0)
+				return ("Could not disable hw.snd.basename_clone");
+		}
 
 		/* create DSP character device */
 		pdev = cuse_dev_create(&vclient_oss_methods, ptr, NULL,
@@ -2619,5 +2632,10 @@
 	if (voss_ctl_device[0] != 0)
 		cuse_dev_destroy(pdev);
 
+	/* Restore hw.snd.basename_clone if it was unset by us. */
+	if (voss_baseclone && sysctlbyname("hw.snd.basename_clone", NULL, 0,
+	    &voss_baseclone, sizeof(int)) < 0)
+		err(EX_SOFTWARE, "Could not enable hw.snd.basename_clone");
+
 	return (0);
 }