diff --git a/etc/newsyslog.conf b/etc/newsyslog.conf
index 67aa11726d6a..b750836e421c 100644
--- a/etc/newsyslog.conf
+++ b/etc/newsyslog.conf
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 /var/log/cron				600  3	   100	*     JC
 /var/log/daily.log			640  7	   *	@T00  JN
 /var/log/debug.log			600  7     100  *     JC
+/var/log/init.log			644  3	   100	*     J
 /var/log/kerberos.log			600  7	   100	*     J
 /var/log/lpd-errs			644  7	   100	*     JC
 /var/log/maillog			640  7	   *	@T00  JC
diff --git a/sbin/init/init.8 b/sbin/init/init.8
index 1d7bc2e78403..fa9f7f0df8e4 100644
--- a/sbin/init/init.8
+++ b/sbin/init/init.8
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 .\"     @(#)init.8	8.3 (Berkeley) 4/18/94
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd February 11, 2012
+.Dd March 14, 2012
 .Dt INIT 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -293,22 +293,22 @@ as follows:
 file
 .El
 .Sh FILES
-.Bl -tag -width /etc/rc.shutdown -compact
+.Bl -tag -width /var/log/init.log -compact
 .It Pa /dev/console
 system console device
 .It Pa /dev/tty*
 terminal ports found in
 .Xr ttys 5
-.It Pa /var/run/utx.active
-record of current users on the system
-.It Pa /var/log/utx.log
-record of all logins and logouts
 .It Pa /etc/ttys
 the terminal initialization information file
 .It Pa /etc/rc
 system startup commands
 .It Pa /etc/rc.shutdown
 system shutdown commands
+.It Pa /var/log/init.log
+log of
+.Xr rc 8
+output if the system console device is not available
 .El
 .Sh DIAGNOSTICS
 .Bl -diag
diff --git a/sbin/init/init.c b/sbin/init/init.c
index 8ee7a8d51f7e..a24371cbc235 100644
--- a/sbin/init/init.c
+++ b/sbin/init/init.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ static void transition(state_t);
 static state_t requested_transition;
 static state_t current_state = death_single;
 
-static void setctty(const char *);
+static void open_console(void);
 static const char *get_shell(void);
 static void write_stderr(const char *message);
 
@@ -568,19 +568,35 @@ transition(state_t s)
  * Only called by children of init after forking.
  */
 static void
-setctty(const char *name)
+open_console(void)
 {
 	int fd;
 
-	revoke(name);
-	if ((fd = open(name, O_RDWR)) == -1) {
-		stall("can't open %s: %m", name);
+	/* Try to open /dev/console. */
+	revoke(_PATH_CONSOLE);
+	if ((fd = open(_PATH_CONSOLE, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK)) != -1) {
+		if (login_tty(fd) == 0)
+			return;
+		close(fd);
+	}
+
+	/* No luck.  Log output to file if possible. */
+	if ((fd = open(_PATH_DEVNULL, O_RDWR)) == -1) {
+		stall("cannot open null device.");
 		_exit(1);
 	}
-	if (login_tty(fd) == -1) {
-		stall("can't get %s for controlling terminal: %m", name);
-		_exit(1);
+	if (fd != STDIN_FILENO) {
+		dup2(fd, STDIN_FILENO);
+		close(fd);
 	}
+	fd = open(_PATH_INITLOG, O_WRONLY | O_APPEND | O_CREAT, 0644);
+	if (fd == -1)
+		dup2(STDIN_FILENO, STDOUT_FILENO);
+	else if (fd != STDOUT_FILENO) {
+		dup2(fd, STDOUT_FILENO);
+		close(fd);
+	}
+	dup2(STDOUT_FILENO, STDERR_FILENO);
 }
 
 static const char *
@@ -638,7 +654,7 @@ single_user(void)
 		/*
 		 * Start the single user session.
 		 */
-		setctty(_PATH_CONSOLE);
+		open_console();
 
 #ifdef SECURE
 		/*
@@ -798,7 +814,7 @@ run_script(const char *script)
 		sigaction(SIGTSTP, &sa, (struct sigaction *)0);
 		sigaction(SIGHUP, &sa, (struct sigaction *)0);
 
-		setctty(_PATH_CONSOLE);
+		open_console();
 
 		char _sh[]		= "sh";
 		char _autoboot[]	= "autoboot";
@@ -1572,7 +1588,7 @@ runshutdown(void)
 		sigaction(SIGTSTP, &sa, (struct sigaction *)0);
 		sigaction(SIGHUP, &sa, (struct sigaction *)0);
 
-		setctty(_PATH_CONSOLE);
+		open_console();
 
 		char _sh[]	= "sh";
 		char _reboot[]	= "reboot";
diff --git a/sbin/init/pathnames.h b/sbin/init/pathnames.h
index 335445bb0634..39eed4c868bb 100644
--- a/sbin/init/pathnames.h
+++ b/sbin/init/pathnames.h
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 #include <paths.h>
 
+#define	_PATH_INITLOG	"/var/log/init.log"
 #define	_PATH_SLOGGER	"/sbin/session_logger"
 #define	_PATH_RUNCOM	"/etc/rc"
 #define _PATH_RUNDOWN   "/etc/rc.shutdown"