Index: etc/network.subr
===================================================================
--- etc/network.subr	(revision 277815)
+++ etc/network.subr	(working copy)
@@ -300,15 +300,22 @@
 #	outside this file.
 _ifconfig_getargs()
 {
-	local _ifn _af
+	local _ifn _af _default
 	_ifn=$1
 	_af=${2+_$2}
+	_default="$ifconfig_DEFAULT"
 
 	if [ -z "$_ifn" ]; then
 		return 1
 	fi
 
-	get_if_var $_ifn ifconfig_IF$_af "$ifconfig_DEFAULT"
+	if checkyesno wlan_autoconfig; then
+		if is_wireless_interface $_ifn; then
+			_default="$ifconfig_WLANDEFAULT"
+		fi
+	fi
+
+	get_if_var $_ifn ifconfig_IF$_af "$_default"
 }
 
 # ifconfig_getargs if [af]
@@ -1549,7 +1556,7 @@
 #
 list_net_interfaces()
 {
-	local type _tmplist _list _autolist _lo _if
+	local type _tmplist _list _autolist _lo _if _i
 	type=$1
 
 	# Get a list of ALL the interfaces and make lo0 first if it's there.
@@ -1635,6 +1642,16 @@
 	;;
 	esac
 
+	if checkyesno wlan_autoconfig; then
+		_i=0
+		for _if in ${_tmplist} ; do
+			if is_wireless_interface $_if; then
+				eval wlans_${_if}=\"wlan${_i}\"
+				_i=$(($_i + 1))
+			fi
+		done
+	fi
+
 	echo $_list
 
 	return 0
@@ -1688,6 +1705,17 @@
 	test "$media" = "Ethernet"
 }
 
+is_wireless_interface()
+{
+	local media
+
+	case `${IFCONFIG_CMD} $1 2>/dev/null` in
+	*media:?IEEE?802.11?Wireless*) media=802.11 ;;
+	esac
+
+	test "$media" = "802.11"
+}
+
 # network6_getladdr if [flag]
 #	Echo link-local address from $if if any.
 #	If flag is defined, tentative ones will be excluded.
Index: etc/defaults/rc.conf
===================================================================
--- etc/defaults/rc.conf	(revision 277815)
+++ etc/defaults/rc.conf	(working copy)
@@ -221,6 +221,11 @@
 #create_args_vlan0="vlan 102"	# vlan tag for vlan0 device
 #wlans_ath0="wlan0"		# wlan(4) interfaces for ath0 device
 #wlandebug_wlan0="scan+auth+assoc"	# Set debug flags with wlanddebug(8)
+wlan_autoconfig="NO"		# Auto-configure wlan(4) interfaces for all
+				# 802.11 devices
+				# NOTE: this can slow down init because extra
+				# fork(2) done for ifconfig(8) (required for
+				# media type detection)
 #ipv4_addrs_fxp0="192.168.0.1/24 192.168.1.1-5/28" # example IPv4 address entry.
 #
 #autobridge_interfaces="bridge0"	# List of bridges to check