diff --git a/net-mgmt/net-snmp/files/snmpd.in b/net-mgmt/net-snmp/files/snmpd.in
index 7f75cacad813..6e89d9cb1c5b 100644
--- a/net-mgmt/net-snmp/files/snmpd.in
+++ b/net-mgmt/net-snmp/files/snmpd.in
@@ -1,74 +1,94 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 # PROVIDE: snmpd
 # REQUIRE: DAEMON
 #
 # Add the following line to /etc/rc.conf to enable snmpd:
 #
 # snmpd_enable="YES"
 # snmpd_flags="<set as needed>"
 # snmpd_conffile="<set as needed>"
 #
 # Add the following line to make snmpd drop privileges after initialization.
-# This might invalidate existing SNMPv3 users.
+# This might invalidate existing SNMPv3 users.  Make sure that configuration
+# files are readable by the snmpd user.
 #
 # snmpd_sugid="YES"
 #
 
 . /etc/rc.subr
 
 name=snmpd
 rcvar=snmpd_enable
 
 load_rc_config snmpd
 
 snmpd_enable=${snmpd_enable:-"NO"}
 snmpd_flush_cache=${snmpd_flush_cache-"NO"}
 snmpd_sugid=${snmpd_sugid:-"NO"}
 
 pidfile=${snmpd_pidfile:-"/var/run/net_snmpd.pid"}
 
 command=%%PREFIX%%/sbin/${name}
 
 start_precmd=net_snmpd_precmd
 
-net_snmpd_precmd () {
-	local flag conffile snmpd_conffile_set
+check_conffile()
+{
+	local conffile
+
+	conffile=$1
+
+	if [ ! -f "${conffile}" ]; then
+		warn "snmpd configuration file $conffile not found"
+		return
+	fi
+	su -m snmpd -c "test -r ${conffile}"
+	if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
+		warn "snmpd configuration file $conffile not readable by snmpd user"
+	fi
+}
+
+net_snmpd_precmd() {
+	local flag conffile snmpd_conffile_set readable
 
 	if checkyesno snmpd_flush_cache; then
 		rm -vf /var/net-snmp/.snmp-exec-cache
 	fi
 
 	for flag in ${snmpd_flags}; do
 		case "${flag}" in
 		-p*)
 			err 1 "\$snmpd_flags includes -p option." \
 				"Please use \$snmpd_pidfile instead."
 			;;
 		-c*)
 			err 1 "\$snmpd_flags includes -c option." \
 				"Please use \$snmpd_conffile instead."
 			;;
 		esac
 	done
 
+	# -c does not override the default config file.
+	check_conffile %%PREFIX%%/share/snmp/snmpd.conf
 	for conffile in ${snmpd_conffile}; do
+		check_conffile ${conffile}
 		if [ -f "${conffile}" -a -s "${conffile}" ]; then
-		       snmpd_conffile_set="${snmpd_conffile_set},${conffile}"
+			snmpd_conffile_set="${snmpd_conffile_set},${conffile}"
 		else
-		       err 1 "snmpd configuration file $conffile not found."
+			err 1 "snmpd configuration file $conffile not found."
 		fi
 	done
 
 	# snmpd syntax requires that the listening address (if defined) be the last argument
 	if [ -n "${snmpd_conffile_set}" ]; then
 		rc_flags="-c ${snmpd_conffile_set#,} ${rc_flags}"
 	fi
 	if checkyesno snmpd_sugid; then
 		rc_flags="-u snmpd -g snmpd ${rc_flags}"
 	fi
 
 	rc_flags="-p ${pidfile} ${rc_flags}"
 }
 
 run_rc_command "$1"