Index: sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.h
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.h
+++ sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.h
@@ -46,4 +46,6 @@
 int ofw_reg_to_paddr(phandle_t _dev, int _regno, bus_addr_t *_paddr,
     bus_size_t *_size, pcell_t *_pci_hi);
 
+int ofw_parse_bootargs(void);
+
 #endif
Index: sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.c
+++ sys/dev/ofw/ofw_subr.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/bus.h>
 #include <sys/libkern.h>
+#include <sys/reboot.h>
 #include <sys/rman.h>
 
 #include <machine/bus.h>
@@ -180,3 +181,64 @@
 
 	return (0);
 }
+
+/* Parse cmd line args as env - copied from xlp_machdep. */
+/* XXX-BZ this should really be centrally provided for all (boot) code. */
+static void
+_parse_bootargs(char *cmdline)
+{
+	char *n, *v;
+
+	while ((v = strsep(&cmdline, " \n")) != NULL) {
+		if (*v == '\0')
+			continue;
+		if (*v == '-') {
+			while (*v != '\0') {
+				v++;
+				switch (*v) {
+				case 'a': boothowto |= RB_ASKNAME; break;
+				/* Someone should simulate that ;-) */
+				case 'C': boothowto |= RB_CDROM; break;
+				case 'd': boothowto |= RB_KDB; break;
+				case 'D': boothowto |= RB_MULTIPLE; break;
+				case 'm': boothowto |= RB_MUTE; break;
+				case 'g': boothowto |= RB_GDB; break;
+				case 'h': boothowto |= RB_SERIAL; break;
+				case 'p': boothowto |= RB_PAUSE; break;
+				case 'r': boothowto |= RB_DFLTROOT; break;
+				case 's': boothowto |= RB_SINGLE; break;
+				case 'v': boothowto |= RB_VERBOSE; break;
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			n = strsep(&v, "=");
+			if (v == NULL)
+				kern_setenv(n, "1");
+			else
+				kern_setenv(n, v);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * This is intended to be called early on, right after the OF system is
+ * initialized, so pmap may not be up yet.
+ */
+int
+ofw_parse_bootargs(void)
+{
+	phandle_t chosen;
+	char buf[2048];		/* early stack supposedly big enough */
+	int err;
+
+	chosen = OF_finddevice("/chosen");
+	if (chosen <= 0)
+		return (chosen);
+
+	if ((err = OF_getprop(chosen, "bootargs", buf, sizeof(buf))) != -1) {
+		_parse_bootargs(buf);
+		return (0);
+	}
+
+	return (err);
+}
Index: sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
===================================================================
--- sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
+++ sys/powerpc/powerpc/machdep.c
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@
 #include <ddb/ddb.h>
 
 #include <dev/ofw/openfirm.h>
+#include <dev/ofw/ofw_subr.h>
 
 int cold = 1;
 #ifdef __powerpc64__
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@
 extern void *ap_pcpu;
 
 struct pcpu __pcpu[MAXCPU];
+static char init_kenv[2048];
 
 static struct trapframe frame0;
 
@@ -292,7 +294,7 @@
 		bzero(__sbss_start, __sbss_end - __sbss_start);
 		bzero(__bss_start, _end - __bss_start);
 #endif
-		init_static_kenv(NULL, 0);
+		init_static_kenv(init_kenv, sizeof(init_kenv));
 	}
 	/* Store boot environment state */
 	OF_initial_setup((void *)fdt, NULL, (int (*)(void *))ofentry);
@@ -335,6 +337,8 @@
 
 	OF_bootstrap();
 
+	ofw_parse_bootargs();
+
 	/*
 	 * Initialize the console before printing anything.
 	 */