diff --git a/libexec/rc/rc.d/moused b/libexec/rc/rc.d/moused
index 35a26bd57275..e267ae5b3cd8 100755
--- a/libexec/rc/rc.d/moused
+++ b/libexec/rc/rc.d/moused
@@ -1,82 +1,82 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 #
 #
 
 # PROVIDE: moused
 # REQUIRE: DAEMON FILESYSTEMS
 # KEYWORD: nojail shutdown
 
 . /etc/rc.subr
 
 name="moused"
 desc="Mouse daemon"
 rcvar="moused_enable"
 command="/usr/sbin/${name}"
 start_cmd="moused_start"
 pidprefix="/var/run/moused"
 pidfile="${pidprefix}.pid"
 pidarg=
 typearg=
 load_rc_config $name
 
 # doesn't make sense to run in a svcj: nojail keyword
 # XXX: How does moused communiacte with the kernel?
 # XXX: Does the kernel prevent this communcation in jails?
 moused_svcj="NO"
 
 # Set the pid file and variable name. The second argument, if it exists, is
 # expected to be the mouse device.
 #
 if [ -n "$2" ]; then
 	ms=`basename $2`
 	eval moused_${ms}_enable=\${moused_${ms}_enable-${moused_nondefault_enable}}
 	rcvar="moused_${ms}_enable"
 	pidfile="${pidprefix}.${ms}.pid"
 	pidarg="-I $pidfile"
 fi
 
 moused_start()
 {
 	local ms myflags myport mytype
 
 	# Set the mouse device and get any related variables. If
 	# a moused device has been specified on the commandline, then
 	# rc.conf(5) variables defined for that device take precedence
 	# over the generic moused_* variables. The only exception is
 	# the moused_port variable, which if not defined sets it to the
 	# passed in device name.
 	#
-	ms=`basename $1`
-	if [ -n "$ms" ]; then
+	if [ -n "$1" ]; then
+		ms=`basename $1`
 		eval myflags=\${moused_${ms}_flags-$moused_flags}
 		eval myport=\${moused_${ms}_port-/dev/$1}
 		eval mytype=\${moused_${ms}_type-$moused_type}
 		if [ -n "$mytype" ] && check_kern_features evdev_support; then
 			typearg="-t ${mytype}"
 		fi
 	else
 		ms="default"
 		myflags="$moused_flags"
 		myport="$moused_port"
 	fi
 
 	startmsg -n "Starting ${ms} moused"
 	/usr/sbin/moused ${myflags} -p ${myport} ${typearg} ${pidarg}
 	startmsg '.'
 
 	mousechar_arg=
 	case ${mousechar_start} in
 	[Nn][Oo] | '')
 		;;
 	*)
 		mousechar_arg="-M ${mousechar_start}"
 		;;
 	esac
 
 	for ttyv in /dev/ttyv* ; do
 		[ "$ttyv" = '/dev/ttyv*' ] && break
 		vidcontrol < ${ttyv} ${mousechar_arg} -m on
 	done
 }
 
 run_rc_command $*