diff --git a/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8 b/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8
index bd5f1f254aa0..a58cfd02025f 100644
--- a/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8
+++ b/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.8
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@
 .Nd get or set kernel state
 .Sh SYNOPSIS
 .Nm
-.Op Fl bNnox
+.Op Fl beNnox
 .Ar name Ns Op = Ns Ar value
 .Ar ...
 .Nm
-.Op Fl bNnox
+.Op Fl beNnox
 .Fl a
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
 The
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ the command line.
 Force the value of the variable(s) to be output in raw, binary format.
 No names are printed and no terminating newlines are output.
 This is mostly useful with a single variable.
+.It Fl e
+Separate the name and the value of the variable(s) with `='.
+This is useful for producing output which can be fed back to the
+.Nm
+utility.
+This option is ignored if either
+.Fl N
+or
+.Fl n
+is specified, or a variable is being set.
 .It Fl N
 Show only variable names, not their values.
 This is particularly useful with shells that offer programmable
diff --git a/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.c b/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.c
index 1d225500a4cd..5ffb810a4b5b 100644
--- a/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.c
+++ b/sbin/sysctl/sysctl.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ static const char rcsid[] =
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 
-static int	aflag, bflag, Nflag, nflag, oflag, xflag;
+static int	aflag, bflag, eflag, Nflag, nflag, oflag, xflag;
 
 static int	oidfmt(int *, int, char *, u_int *);
 static void	parse(char *);
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ usage(void)
 {
 
 	(void)fprintf(stderr, "%s\n%s\n",
-	    "usage: sysctl [-bNnox] variable[=value] ...",
-	    "       sysctl [-bNnox] -a");
+	    "usage: sysctl [-beNnox] variable[=value] ...",
+	    "       sysctl [-beNnox] -a");
 	exit(1);
 }
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	setbuf(stdout,0);
 	setbuf(stderr,0);
 
-	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "AabNnowxX")) != -1) {
+	while ((ch = getopt(argc, argv, "AabeNnowxX")) != -1) {
 		switch (ch) {
 		case 'A':
 			/* compatibility */
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		case 'b':
 			bflag = 1;
 			break;
+		case 'e':
+			eflag = 1;
+			break;
 		case 'N':
 			Nflag = 1;
 			break;
@@ -380,7 +383,7 @@ static int
 show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 {
 	u_char buf[BUFSIZ], *val, *p;
-	char name[BUFSIZ], *fmt;
+	char name[BUFSIZ], *fmt, *sep;
 	int qoid[CTL_MAXNAME+2];
 	int i;
 	size_t j, len;
@@ -401,6 +404,11 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 		return (0);
 	}
 
+	if (eflag)
+		sep = "=";
+	else
+		sep = ": ";
+
 	/* find an estimate of how much we need for this var */
 	j = 0;
 	i = sysctl(oid, nlen, 0, &j, 0, 0);
@@ -431,13 +439,13 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 	switch (*fmt) {
 	case 'A':
 		if (!nflag)
-			printf("%s: ", name);
+			printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 		printf("%s", p);
 		return (0);
 		
 	case 'I':
 		if (!nflag)
-			printf("%s: ", name);
+			printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 		fmt++;
 		val = "";
 		while (len >= sizeof(int)) {
@@ -453,7 +461,7 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 
 	case 'L':
 		if (!nflag)
-			printf("%s: ", name);
+			printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 		fmt++;
 		val = "";
 		while (len >= sizeof(long)) {
@@ -469,7 +477,7 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 
 	case 'P':
 		if (!nflag)
-			printf("%s: ", name);
+			printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 		printf("%p", *(void **)p);
 		return (0);
 
@@ -488,7 +496,7 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 			func = NULL;
 		if (func) {
 			if (!nflag)
-				printf("%s: ", name);
+				printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 			return ((*func)(len, p));
 		}
 		/* FALL THROUGH */
@@ -496,7 +504,7 @@ show_var(int *oid, int nlen)
 		if (!oflag && !xflag)
 			return (1);
 		if (!nflag)
-			printf("%s: ", name);
+			printf("%s%s", name, sep);
 		printf("Format:%s Length:%d Dump:0x", fmt, len);
 		while (len-- && (xflag || p < val + 16))
 			printf("%02x", *p++);