diff --git a/pkgtools/rc.subr/Makefile b/pkgtools/rc.subr/Makefile
index 8dccff5b240a..0f7a027c8990 100644
--- a/pkgtools/rc.subr/Makefile
+++ b/pkgtools/rc.subr/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-# $NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.35 2021/05/30 23:46:26 khorben Exp $
+# $NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.36 2021/08/30 21:45:02 khorben Exp $
 #
 
-PKGNAME=		rc.subr-20210517
+PKGNAME=		rc.subr-20210830
 CATEGORIES=		pkgtools
 
 MAINTAINER=		sbd@NetBSD.org
diff --git a/pkgtools/rc.subr/files/rc.subr b/pkgtools/rc.subr/files/rc.subr
index 822c51caa406..93f7323ac6b7 100644
--- a/pkgtools/rc.subr/files/rc.subr
+++ b/pkgtools/rc.subr/files/rc.subr
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# $NetBSD: rc.subr,v 1.17 2021/05/30 23:46:26 khorben Exp $
+# $NetBSD: rc.subr,v 1.18 2021/08/30 21:45:02 khorben Exp $
 #
 # Copyright (c) 1997-2002 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
 # All rights reserved.
@@ -869,6 +869,25 @@ load_rc_config()
 	fi
 }
 
+#
+# load_rc_config_var cmd var
+#	Read the rc.conf(5) var for cmd and set in the
+#	current shell, using load_rc_config in a subshell to prevent
+#	unwanted side effects from other variable assignments.
+#
+load_rc_config_var()
+{
+	if [ $# -ne 2 ]; then
+		err 3 'USAGE: load_rc_config_var cmd var'
+	fi
+	eval $(eval '(
+		load_rc_config '$1' >/dev/null;
+		if [ -n "${'$2'}" ] || [ "${'$2'-UNSET}" != "UNSET" ]; then
+			echo '$2'=\'\''${'$2'}\'\'';
+		fi
+	)' )
+}
+
 
 #
 # rc_usage commands