diff --git a/sbin/sysinstall/termcap.c b/sbin/sysinstall/termcap.c
index cdb8d5ec7b5..beb09a0a094 100644
--- a/sbin/sysinstall/termcap.c
+++ b/sbin/sysinstall/termcap.c
@@ -21,16 +21,21 @@
 
 #include "sysinstall.h"
 
-static void
-emergency()
-{
-putenv("TERMCAP=\
-cons25|ansis|ansi80x25:\
+static char color_termcap[] = "\
+:pa#64:Co#8:Sf=\\E[3%dm:Sb=\\E[4%dm:op=\\E[37;40m:md=\\E[1m:mh=\\E[30;1m:";
+static char color_entry[] = "\
+cons25|ansis|ansi80x25:";
+
+static char mono_termcap[] = "\
+:us=\E[4m:ue=\E[m:";
+static char mono_entry[] = "\
+cons25-m|ansis-mono|ansi80x25-mono:";
+
+static char common_termcap[] = "\
 :ac=l\\332m\\300k\\277j\\331u\\264t\\303v\\301w\\302q\\304x\\263n\\305`^Da\\260f\\370g\\361~\\371.^Y-^Xh\\261I^U0\\333y\\363z\\362:\
 :al=\\E[L:am:bs:cd=\\E[J:ce=\\E[K:cl=\\E[H\\E[J:cm=\\E[%i%d;%dH:co#80:\
 :dc=\\E[P:dl=\\E[M:do=\\E[B:bt=\\E[Z:ho=\\E[H:ic=\\E[@:li#25:\
 :ms:nd=\\E[C:pt:rs=\\E[x\\E[m\\Ec:so=\\E[7m:se=\\E[m:up=\\E[A:\
-:pa#64:Co#8:Sf=\\E[3%dm:Sb=\\E[4%dm:op=\\E[37;40m:\
 :k1=\\E[M:k2=\\E[N:k3=\\E[O:k4=\\E[P:k5=\\E[Q:k6=\\E[R:k7=\\E[S:k8=\\E[T:\
 :k9=\\E[U:k;=\\E[V:F1=\\E[W:F2=\\E[X:\
 :kb=^H:kh=\\E[H:ku=\\E[A:kd=\\E[B:kl=\\E[D:kr=\\E[C:\
@@ -38,7 +43,19 @@ cons25|ansis|ansi80x25:\
 :kN=\\E[G:kP=\\E[I:@7=\\E[F:kI=\\E[L:kD=\\177:kB=\\E[Z:\
 :IC=\\E[%d@:DC=\\E[%dP:SF=\\E[%dS:SR=\\E[%dT:AL=\\E[%dL:DL=\\E[%dM:\
 :DO=\\E[%dB:LE=\\E[%dD:RI=\\E[%dC:UP=\\E[%dA:bw:\
-:mb=\\E[5m:md=\\E[1m:mh=\\E[30;1m:mr=\\E[7m:me=\\E[m:bl=^G:ut:it#8:");
+:mb=\\E[5m:mr=\\E[7m:me=\\E[m:bl=^G:ut:it#8:";
+
+static int
+emergency(int color)
+{
+	char tempbuf[sizeof(common_termcap)+sizeof(color_termcap)+sizeof(mono_entry)];
+
+	strcpy(tempbuf, color ? color_entry : mono_entry);
+	strcat(tempbuf, common_termcap);
+	strcat(tempbuf, color ? color_termcap : mono_termcap);
+	if (setenv("TERMCAP", tempbuf, 1) < 0)
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 int
@@ -48,17 +65,20 @@ set_termcap()
 
 	term = getenv("TERM");
 	if (term == NULL) {
-		int             color_display;
+		int     color_display, no_termcap = 0;
 
 		if (access("/etc/termcap.small",R_OK)) {
-			emergency();
+			no_termcap = 1;
 		} else if (setenv("TERMCAP", "/etc/termcap.small", 1) < 0)
 			return -1;
+
 		if (ioctl(STDERR_FILENO, GIO_COLOR, &color_display) < 0) {
 			char            buf[64];
 			int             len;
 
 			/* serial console */
+			if (no_termcap)
+				return -1;
 			fprintf(stderr, "Enter your terminal type (must be present in /etc/termcap.small): ");
 			if (fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), stdin) == NULL)
 				return -1;
@@ -78,6 +98,10 @@ set_termcap()
 			if (setenv("TERM", "cons25-m", 1) < 0)
 				return -1;
 		}
+		if (no_termcap) {
+			if (emergency(color_display) < 0)
+				return -1;
+		}
 	}
 	return 0;
 }