diff --git a/etc/rc.d/devd b/etc/rc.d/devd
index 597697937135..c7288e446292 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/devd
+++ b/etc/rc.d/devd
@@ -30,9 +30,10 @@ devd_prestart()
 {
 	find_pidfile
 
-	# If devd is disabled, turn it off in the kernel to avoid memory leaks.
+	# If devd is disabled, turn it off in the kernel to avoid unnecessary
+	# memory usage.
 	if ! checkyesno ${rcvar}; then
-	    $SYSCTL hw.bus.devctl_disable=1
+	    $SYSCTL hw.bus.devctl_queue=0
 	fi
 }
 
diff --git a/sbin/devd/devd.cc b/sbin/devd/devd.cc
index 77f74c60cea0..ce2a4f3482da 100644
--- a/sbin/devd/devd.cc
+++ b/sbin/devd/devd.cc
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
 #define PIPE "/var/run/devd.pipe"
 #define CF "/etc/devd.conf"
-#define SYSCTL "hw.bus.devctl_disable"
+#define SYSCTL "hw.bus.devctl_queue"
 
 /*
  * Since the client socket is nonblocking, we must increase its send buffer to
@@ -1164,9 +1164,9 @@ check_devd_enabled()
 	len = sizeof(val);
 	if (sysctlbyname(SYSCTL, &val, &len, NULL, 0) != 0)
 		errx(1, "devctl sysctl missing from kernel!");
-	if (val) {
-		warnx("Setting " SYSCTL " to 0");
-		val = 0;
+	if (val == 0) {
+		warnx("Setting " SYSCTL " to 1000");
+		val = 1000;
 		sysctlbyname(SYSCTL, NULL, NULL, &val, sizeof(val));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/share/man/man4/devctl.4 b/share/man/man4/devctl.4
index 50afee70442e..b86cf23b6b69 100644
--- a/share/man/man4/devctl.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/devctl.4
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd February 11, 2003
+.Dd March 26, 2014
 .Dt DEVCTL 4
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ If you try to read this device a character at a time, you will lose
 the rest of the data.
 Listening programs are expected to cope.
 .Pp
-The sysctl and boot parameter
-.Va hw.bus.devctl_disable
-is used to disable
+The sysctl
+.Va hw.bus.devctl_queue
+can be used to control queue length. It is set to 0 to disable
 .Nm
 when no
 .Xr devd 8
diff --git a/tools/tools/sysdoc/tunables.mdoc b/tools/tools/sysdoc/tunables.mdoc
index 505c4a7d0f59..1c5569bee9a2 100644
--- a/tools/tools/sysdoc/tunables.mdoc
+++ b/tools/tools/sysdoc/tunables.mdoc
@@ -232,16 +232,6 @@ See
 .Xr tuning 7 
 for more information.
 
----
-hw.bus.devctl_disable
-bool
-
-This can be used to turn off
-.Xr devctl 4
-when no
-.Xr devd 8 
-is running.
-
 ---
 hw.bus.devices