diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_environment.c b/sys/kern/kern_environment.c
index 97897066b5c..08af003df13 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_environment.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_environment.c
@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ char	*kern_envp;
 
 static char	*kernenv_next(char *cp);
 
+/*
+ * Look up an environment variable by name.
+ */
 char *
 getenv(const char *name)
 {
@@ -64,6 +67,23 @@ getenv(const char *name)
     return(NULL);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Return a string value from an environment variable.
+ */
+int
+getenv_string(const char *name, char *data, int size)
+{
+    char *tmp;
+
+    tmp = getenv(name);
+    if (tmp == NULL) {
+	strncpy(data, tmp, size);
+	data[size - 1] = 0;
+	return (1);
+    } else
+	return (0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Return an integer value from an environment variable.
  */
@@ -83,7 +103,7 @@ getenv_int(const char *name, int *data)
 /*
  * Return a quad_t value from an environment variable.
  */
-quad_t
+int
 getenv_quad(const char *name, quad_t *data)
 {
     const char	*value;
diff --git a/sys/sys/systm.h b/sys/sys/systm.h
index 7a43f0f3270..56b5958e273 100644
--- a/sys/sys/systm.h
+++ b/sys/sys/systm.h
@@ -192,7 +192,8 @@ int	cr_cansee __P((struct ucred *u1, struct ucred *u2));
 
 char	*getenv __P((const char *name));
 int	getenv_int __P((const char *name, int *data));
-quad_t	getenv_quad __P((const char *name, quad_t *data));
+int	getenv_string __P((const char *name, char *data, int size));
+int	getenv_quad __P((const char *name, quad_t *data));
 
 #ifdef APM_FIXUP_CALLTODO 
 struct timeval;