diff --git libexec/rc/rc.d/random libexec/rc/rc.d/random
index c34f0d1f86b4..aa2d227f61ef 100755
--- libexec/rc/rc.d/random
+++ libexec/rc/rc.d/random
@@ -54,10 +54,12 @@ random_start()
 
 	echo -n 'Feeding entropy: '
 
+	checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -uw /
 	if [ ! -w /dev/random ] ; then
 		warn "/dev/random is not writeable"
 		return 1
 	fi
+	checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -ur /
 
 	# Reseed /dev/random with previously stored entropy.
 	case ${entropy_dir:=/var/db/entropy} in
@@ -74,8 +76,10 @@ random_start()
 	[Nn][Oo])
 		;;
 	*)
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -uw /
 		feed_dev_random "${entropy_file}" /var/db/entropy-file
 		save_dev_random "${entropy_file}"
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -ur /
 		;;
 	esac
 
@@ -83,7 +87,9 @@ random_start()
 	[Nn][Oo])
 		;;
 	*)
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -uw /
 		save_dev_random "${entropy_boot_file}"
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -ur /
 		;;
 	esac
 
@@ -100,6 +106,7 @@ random_stop()
 		;;
 	*)
 		echo -n 'Writing entropy file: '
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -uw /
 		rm -f ${entropy_file} 2> /dev/null
 		oumask=`umask`
 		umask 077
@@ -123,6 +130,7 @@ random_stop()
 			;;
 		esac
 		umask ${oumask}
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -ur /
 		;;
 	esac
 	case ${entropy_boot_file:=/boot/entropy} in
@@ -130,6 +138,7 @@ random_stop()
 		;;
 	*)
 		echo -n 'Writing early boot entropy file: '
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -uw /
 		rm -f ${entropy_boot_file} 2> /dev/null
 		oumask=`umask`
 		umask 077
@@ -146,6 +155,7 @@ random_stop()
 			;;
 		esac
 		umask ${oumask}
+		checkyesno root_rw_mount || mount -ur /
 		;;
 	esac
 }