--- b/etc/rc.d/pf	
+++ b/etc/rc.d/pf	
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@ pf_status()
 {
  if ! [ -c /dev/pf ] ; then
    echo "pf.ko is not loaded"
+   return 1
  else
    $pf_program -s info
+   $pf_program -s Running >/dev/null
  fi
 }
 
--- b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl.8	
+++ b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl.8	
@@ -412,6 +412,8 @@ Show filter information (statistics and counters).
 When used together with
 .Fl v ,
 source tracking statistics are also shown.
+.It Fl s Cm Running
+Show the running status and provide a non-zero exit status when disabled.
 .It Fl s Cm labels
 Show per-rule statistics (label, evaluations, packets total, bytes total,
 packets in, bytes in, packets out, bytes out, state creations) of
--- b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl.c	
+++ b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl.c	
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ int  pfctl_show_nat(int, int, char *);
 int   pfctl_show_src_nodes(int, int);
 int   pfctl_show_states(int, const char *, int);
 int   pfctl_show_status(int, int);
+int   pfctl_show_running(int);
 int   pfctl_show_timeouts(int, int);
 int   pfctl_show_limits(int, int);
 void  pfctl_debug(int, u_int32_t, int);
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ static const char * const clearopt_list[] = {
 static const char * const showopt_list[] = {
  "nat", "queue", "rules", "Anchors", "Sources", "states", "info",
  "Interfaces", "labels", "timeouts", "memory", "Tables", "osfp",
- "all", NULL
+ "Running", "all", NULL
 };
 
 static const char * const tblcmdopt_list[] = {
@@ -244,7 +245,6 @@ usage(void)
  "\t[-k host | network | label | id] [-o level] [-p device]\n"
  "\t[-s modifier] [-t table -T command [address ...]] [-x level]\n",
      __progname);
-
  exit(1);
 }
 
@@ -1154,6 +1154,20 @@ pfctl_show_status(int dev, int opts)
  return (0);
 }
 
+int
+pfctl_show_running(int dev)
+{
+ struct pf_status status;
+
+ if (ioctl(dev, DIOCGETSTATUS, &status)) {
+   warn("DIOCGETSTATUS");
+   return (-1);
+ }
+
+ print_running(&status);
+ return (!status.running);
+}
+
 int
 pfctl_show_timeouts(int dev, int opts)
 {
@@ -2268,6 +2282,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
    case 's':
      pfctl_show_states(dev, ifaceopt, opts);
      break;
+   case 'R':
+     error = pfctl_show_running(dev);
+     break;
    case 'S':
      pfctl_show_src_nodes(dev, opts);
      break;
--- b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl_parser.c	
+++ b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl_parser.c	
@@ -614,6 +614,12 @@ print_status(struct pf_status *s, int opts)
  }
 }
 
+void
+print_running(struct pf_status *status)
+{
+ printf("%s\n", status->running ? "Enabled" : "Disabled");
+}
+
 void
 print_src_node(struct pf_src_node *sn, int opts)
 {
--- b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl_parser.h	
+++ b/sbin/pfctl/pfctl_parser.h	
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ void  print_src_node(struct pf_src_node *, int);
 void print_rule(struct pf_rule *, const char *, int, int);
 void print_tabledef(const char *, int, int, struct node_tinithead *);
 void print_status(struct pf_status *, int);
+void print_running(struct pf_status *);
 
 int  eval_pfaltq(struct pfctl *, struct pf_altq *, struct node_queue_bw *,
      struct node_queue_opt *);