diff -pbruN sbin/ifconfig.orig/ifconfig.c sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c
--- sbin/ifconfig.orig/ifconfig.c	Fri Jul 15 21:13:18 2005
+++ sbin/ifconfig/ifconfig.c	Fri Jul 15 21:55:43 2005
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ int	verbose;
 int	supmedia = 0;
 int	printname = 0;		/* Print the name of the created interface. */
 
+void    setifdesc(const char *, int, int);
 static	int ifconfig(int argc, char *const *argv, const struct afswtch *afp);
 static	void status(const struct afswtch *afp, int addrcount,
 		    struct sockaddr_dl *sdl, struct if_msghdr *ifm,
@@ -722,6 +723,14 @@ setifflags(const char *vname, int value,
 }
 
 void
+setifdesc(const char *val, int dummy __unused, int s)
+{
+	ifr.ifr_data = (caddr_t)val;
+	if (ioctl(s, SIOCSIFDESCR, &ifr) < 0)
+		warn("SIOCSIFDESCR");
+}
+		
+void
 setifcap(const char *vname, int value, int s, const struct afswtch *afp)
 {
 
@@ -825,6 +834,8 @@ status(const struct afswtch *afp, int ad
 	struct	rt_addrinfo info;
 	int allfamilies, s;
 	struct ifstat ifs;
+	struct ifreq ifrdesc;
+	char ifdescr[IFDESCRSIZE];
 
 	if (afp == NULL) {
 		allfamilies = 1;
@@ -847,6 +858,13 @@ status(const struct afswtch *afp, int ad
 		printf(" mtu %ld", ifm->ifm_data.ifi_mtu);
 	putchar('\n');
 
+	(void) memset(&ifrdesc, 0, sizeof(ifrdesc));
+        (void) strlcpy(ifrdesc.ifr_name, name, sizeof(ifrdesc.ifr_name));
+        ifrdesc.ifr_data = (caddr_t)&ifdescr;
+        if (ioctl(s, SIOCGIFDESCR, &ifrdesc) == 0 &&
+            strlen(ifrdesc.ifr_data))
+                printf("\tdescription: %s\n", ifrdesc.ifr_data);
+	
 	if (ioctl(s, SIOCGIFCAP, (caddr_t)&ifr) == 0) {
 		if (ifr.ifr_curcap != 0) {
 			printb("\toptions", ifr.ifr_curcap, IFCAPBITS);
@@ -1044,6 +1062,8 @@ static struct cmd basic_cmds[] = {
 	DEF_CMD("normal",	-IFF_LINK0,	setifflags),
 	DEF_CMD("compress",	IFF_LINK0,	setifflags),
 	DEF_CMD("noicmp",	IFF_LINK1,	setifflags),
+	DEF_CMD("description",	NEXTARG,        setifdesc),
+	DEF_CMD("descr", 	NEXTARG,	setifdesc),
 	DEF_CMD_ARG("mtu",			setifmtu),
 	DEF_CMD_ARG("name",			setifname),
 };
diff -pbruN sys/net.orig/if.c sys/net/if.c
--- sys/net.orig/if.c	Fri Jul 15 15:45:33 2005
+++ sys/net/if.c	Fri Jul 15 20:54:38 2005
@@ -1223,7 +1223,9 @@ ifhwioctl(u_long cmd, struct ifnet *ifp,
 {
 	struct ifreq *ifr;
 	struct ifstat *ifs;
+	char ifdescrbuf[IFDESCRSIZE];
 	int error = 0;
+	size_t bytesdone;
 	int new_flags;
 	size_t namelen, onamelen;
 	char new_name[IFNAMSIZ];
@@ -1485,6 +1487,24 @@ ifhwioctl(u_long cmd, struct ifnet *ifp,
 		    ifr->ifr_addr.sa_data, ifr->ifr_addr.sa_len);
 		break;
 
+	case SIOCGIFDESCR:
+		strlcpy(ifdescrbuf, ifp->if_description, IFDESCRSIZE);
+/*		error = copyoutstr(ifdescrbuf, ifr->ifr_data, IFDESCRSIZE,
+			&bytesdone);*/
+		error = copyout(ifdescrbuf, ifr->ifr_data, IFDESCRSIZE);
+		break;
+
+	case SIOCSIFDESCR:
+		if ((error = suser(td)) != 0)
+			return (error);
+		error = copyinstr(ifr->ifr_data, ifdescrbuf,
+			IFDESCRSIZE, &bytesdone);
+		if (error == 0) {
+			(void)memset(ifp->if_description, 0, IFDESCRSIZE);
+			strlcpy(ifp->if_description, ifdescrbuf, IFDESCRSIZE);
+		}
+		break;
+
 	default:
 		error = ENOIOCTL;
 		break;
@@ -1500,7 +1520,9 @@ ifioctl(struct socket *so, u_long cmd, c
 {
 	struct ifnet *ifp;
 	struct ifreq *ifr;
+/*	char ifdescrbuf[IFDESCRSIZE];*/
 	int error;
+/*	size_t bytesdone;*/
 	int oif_flags;
 
 	switch (cmd) {
diff -pbruN sys/net.orig/if.h sys/net/if.h
--- sys/net.orig/if.h	Fri Jul 15 15:45:33 2005
+++ sys/net/if.h	Fri Jul 15 15:53:18 2005
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ struct ifnet;
 #if __BSD_VISIBLE
 
 /*
+ + * Length of interface description, including terminating '\0'.
+ */
+#define        IFDESCRSIZE     64
+
+/*
  * Structure used to query names of interface cloners.
  */
 
diff -pbruN sys/net.orig/if_var.h sys/net/if_var.h
--- sys/net.orig/if_var.h	Fri Jul 15 15:45:33 2005
+++ sys/net/if_var.h	Fri Jul 15 15:54:19 2005
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ struct ifnet {
 	int	if_flags;		/* up/down, broadcast, etc. */
 	int	if_capabilities;	/* interface capabilities */
 	int	if_capenable;		/* enabled features */
+	char    if_description[IFDESCRSIZE]; /* interface description */
 	void	*if_linkmib;		/* link-type-specific MIB data */
 	size_t	if_linkmiblen;		/* length of above data */
 	struct	if_data if_data;
--- sys/sys/sockio.h.orig	Fri Jul 15 15:55:41 2005
+++ sys/sys/sockio.h	Fri Jul 15 15:56:10 2005
@@ -114,4 +114,8 @@
 #define	SIOCIFDESTROY	 _IOW('i', 121, struct ifreq)	/* destroy clone if */
 #define	SIOCIFGCLONERS	_IOWR('i', 120, struct if_clonereq) /* get cloners */
 
+#define        SIOCSIFDESCR     _IOW('i', 128, struct ifreq)   /* set ifnet descr */
+#define        SIOCGIFDESCR    _IOWR('i', 129, struct ifreq)   /* get ifnet descr */
+
+
 #endif /* !_SYS_SOCKIO_H_ */