diff --git a/share/man/man4/vt.4 b/share/man/man4/vt.4
index 809ca0724beb..19d60f0bc28e 100644
--- a/share/man/man4/vt.4
+++ b/share/man/man4/vt.4
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 In
 .Xr loader.conf 5 :
 .Cd hw.vga.textmode=1
+.Cd kern.vty=vt
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
 The
 .Nm
@@ -171,6 +172,12 @@ prompt or in
 Set to 1 to use virtual terminals in text mode instead of graphics mode.
 Features that require graphics mode, like loadable fonts, will be
 disabled.
+.It Va kern.vty
+Set to vt to choose the
+.Nm
+driver for the system console, if the
+.Xr syscons 4
+driver is also compiled in and is the default.
 .El
 .Sh FILES
 .Bl -tag -width /usr/share/syscons/keymaps/* -compact
diff --git a/sys/dev/syscons/syscons.c b/sys/dev/syscons/syscons.c
index 59b16af026df..6a19523ee2ea 100644
--- a/sys/dev/syscons/syscons.c
+++ b/sys/dev/syscons/syscons.c
@@ -266,6 +266,8 @@ static struct cdevsw consolectl_devsw = {
 int
 sc_probe_unit(int unit, int flags)
 {
+    if (!vty_enabled(VTY_SC))
+        return ENXIO;
     if (!scvidprobe(unit, flags, FALSE)) {
 	if (bootverbose)
 	    printf("%s%d: no video adapter found.\n", SC_DRIVER_NAME, unit);
@@ -491,6 +493,9 @@ sc_attach_unit(int unit, int flags)
     struct cdev *dev;
     int vc;
 
+    if (!vty_enabled(VTY_SC))
+        return ENXIO;
+
     flags &= ~SC_KERNEL_CONSOLE;
 
     if (sc_console_unit == unit) {
@@ -575,6 +580,8 @@ sc_attach_unit(int unit, int flags)
 static void
 scmeminit(void *arg)
 {
+    if (!vty_enabled(VTY_SC))
+        return;
     if (sc_malloc)
 	return;
     sc_malloc = TRUE;
@@ -1588,7 +1595,7 @@ sc_cnprobe(struct consdev *cp)
     int unit;
     int flags;
 
-    if (getenv("hw.syscons.disable")) {
+    if (!vty_enabled(VTY_SC)) {
 	cp->cn_pri = CN_DEAD;
 	return;
     }
diff --git a/sys/dev/syscons/sysmouse.c b/sys/dev/syscons/sysmouse.c
index f2163fcb120a..e66849787929 100644
--- a/sys/dev/syscons/sysmouse.c
+++ b/sys/dev/syscons/sysmouse.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 #include <sys/tty.h>
 #include <sys/ttydefaults.h>
 #include <sys/kernel.h>
+#include <sys/cons.h>
 #include <sys/consio.h>
 #include <sys/mouse.h>
 
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ static struct ttydevsw smdev_ttydevsw = {
 static void
 sm_attach_mouse(void *unused)
 {
-	if (getenv("hw.syscons.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_SC))
 		return;
 	sysmouse_tty = tty_alloc(&smdev_ttydevsw, NULL);
 	tty_makedev(sysmouse_tty, NULL, "sysmouse");
diff --git a/sys/dev/vt/vt_consolectl.c b/sys/dev/vt/vt_consolectl.c
index be3ef7560a2e..32e3ba6a9ce5 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vt/vt_consolectl.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vt/vt_consolectl.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static void
 consolectl_drvinit(void *unused)
 {
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 	make_dev(&consolectl_cdevsw, 0, UID_ROOT, GID_WHEEL, 0600,
 	    "consolectl");
diff --git a/sys/dev/vt/vt_core.c b/sys/dev/vt/vt_core.c
index e0bde1f47d0c..21d530ac42c5 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vt/vt_core.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vt/vt_core.c
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ static void
 vt_update_static(void *dummy)
 {
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 	if (main_vd->vd_driver != NULL)
 		printf("VT: running with driver \"%s\".\n",
@@ -959,7 +959,7 @@ vtterm_cnprobe(struct terminal *tm, struct consdev *cp)
 	struct vt_device *vd = vw->vw_device;
 	struct winsize wsz;
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 
 	if (vd->vd_flags & VDF_INITIALIZED)
@@ -1996,7 +1996,7 @@ vt_upgrade(struct vt_device *vd)
 	struct vt_window *vw;
 	unsigned int i;
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < VT_MAXWINDOWS; i++) {
@@ -2064,7 +2064,7 @@ vt_allocate(struct vt_driver *drv, void *softc)
 	struct vt_device *vd;
 	struct winsize wsz;
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 
 	if (main_vd->vd_driver == NULL) {
diff --git a/sys/dev/vt/vt_sysmouse.c b/sys/dev/vt/vt_sysmouse.c
index 91862126596f..21b2400816f2 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vt/vt_sysmouse.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vt/vt_sysmouse.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ static void
 sysmouse_drvinit(void *unused)
 {
 
-	if (getenv("kern.vt.disable"))
+	if (!vty_enabled(VTY_VT))
 		return;
 	mtx_init(&sysmouse_lock, "sysmouse", NULL, MTX_DEF);
 	cv_init(&sysmouse_sleep, "sysmrd");
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_cons.c b/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
index ad2ba201551c..8d23befd0577 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_cons.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
 #include "opt_ddb.h"
+#include "opt_syscons.h"
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <sys/systm.h>
@@ -648,3 +649,45 @@ sysbeep(int pitch __unused, int period __unused)
 
 #endif
 
+/*
+ * Temporary support for sc(4) to vt(4) transition.
+ */
+static char vty_name[16] = "";
+SYSCTL_STRING(_kern, OID_AUTO, vty, CTLFLAG_RDTUN, vty_name, 0,
+    "Console vty driver");
+
+int
+vty_enabled(unsigned vty)
+{
+	static unsigned vty_selected = 0;
+
+	if (vty_selected == 0) {
+		TUNABLE_STR_FETCH("kern.vty", vty_name, sizeof(vty_name));
+		do {
+#if defined(DEV_SC)
+			if (strcmp(vty_name, "sc") == 0) {
+				vty_selected = VTY_SC;
+				break;
+			}
+#endif
+#if defined(DEV_VT)
+			if (strcmp(vty_name, "vt") == 0) {
+				vty_selected = VTY_VT;
+				break;
+			}
+#endif
+#if defined(DEV_SC)
+			vty_selected = VTY_SC;
+#elif defined(DEV_VT)
+			vty_selected = VTY_VT;
+#endif
+		} while (0);
+
+		if (vty_selected == VTY_VT)
+			strcpy(vty_name, "vt");
+		else if (vty_selected == VTY_SC)
+			strcpy(vty_name, "sc");
+	}
+	return ((vty_selected & vty) != 0);
+}
+
diff --git a/sys/sys/cons.h b/sys/sys/cons.h
index 8442bf3a76e9..485f8c06bd0d 100644
--- a/sys/sys/cons.h
+++ b/sys/sys/cons.h
@@ -133,6 +133,11 @@ int	cnunavailable(void);
 void	constty_set(struct tty *tp);
 void	constty_clear(void);
 
+/* sc(4) / vt(4) coexistence shim */
+#define	VTY_SC 0x01
+#define	VTY_VT 0x02
+int	vty_enabled(unsigned int);
+
 #endif /* _KERNEL */
 
 #endif /* !_MACHINE_CONS_H_ */