diff --git a/commands/readclock/readclock.c b/commands/readclock/readclock.c
index 1b4d4120a..a71c64679 100644
--- a/commands/readclock/readclock.c
+++ b/commands/readclock/readclock.c
@@ -16,19 +16,18 @@
 #include <minix/rs.h>
 #include <sys/ipc.h>
 
-int nflag = 0;			/* Tell what, but don't do it. */
-int wflag = 0;			/* Set the CMOS clock. */
-int Wflag = 0;			/* Also set the CMOS clock register bits. */
-int y2kflag = 0;		/* Interpret 1980 as 2000 for clock with Y2K bug. */
-
 void errmsg(char *s);
-void get_time(struct tm *t);
-void set_time(struct tm *t);
+static void readclock(int type, struct tm *t, int flags);
 void usage(void);
 
+int quiet = 0;
+
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
+	int flags = RTCDEV_NOFLAGS;
+	int nflag = 0;	/* Tell what, but don't do it. */
+	int wflag = 0;	/* Set the CMOS clock. */
 	struct tm time1;
 	struct tm time2;
 	struct tm tmnow;
@@ -52,10 +51,14 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				wflag = 1;
 				break;
 			case 'W':
-				Wflag = 1;
+				flags |= RTCDEV_CMOSREG;
+				wflag = 1; /* -W implies -w */
 				break;
 			case '2':
-				y2kflag = 1;
+				flags |= RTCDEV_Y2KBUG;
+				break;
+			case 'q':
+				quiet = 1;
 				break;
 			default:
 				usage();
@@ -63,12 +66,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		}
 		argc--;
 	}
-	if (Wflag)
-		wflag = 1;	/* -W implies -w */
 
 	/* Read the CMOS real time clock. */
 	for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-		get_time(&time1);
+		readclock(RTCDEV_GET_TIME, &time1, flags);
 		now = time(NULL);
 
 		time1.tm_isdst = -1;	/* Do timezone calculations. */
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		if (rtc != -1)
 			break;
 
-		printf
+		if (!quiet) printf
 		    ("readclock: Invalid time read from CMOS RTC: %d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d\n",
 		    time2.tm_year + 1900, time2.tm_mon + 1, time2.tm_mday,
 		    time2.tm_hour, time2.tm_min, time2.tm_sec);
@@ -90,10 +91,12 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	if (!wflag) {
 		/* Set system time. */
 		if (nflag) {
-			printf("stime(%lu)\n", (unsigned long) rtc);
+			if (!quiet)
+				printf("stime(%lu)\n", (unsigned long) rtc);
 		} else {
 			if (stime(&rtc) < 0) {
-				errmsg("Not allowed to set time.");
+				if (!quiet)
+					errmsg("Not allowed to set time.");
 				exit(1);
 			}
 		}
@@ -102,19 +105,20 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			"%a %b %d %H:%M:%S %Z %Y", &tmnow) != 0) {
 			if (date[8] == '0')
 				date[8] = ' ';
-			printf("%s\n", date);
+			if (!quiet) printf("%s\n", date);
 		}
 	} else {
 		/* Set the CMOS clock to the system time. */
 		tmnow = *localtime(&now);
 		if (nflag) {
-			printf("%04d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d\n",
-			    tmnow.tm_year + 1900,
-			    tmnow.tm_mon + 1,
-			    tmnow.tm_mday,
-			    tmnow.tm_hour, tmnow.tm_min, tmnow.tm_sec);
+			if (!quiet)
+				printf("%04d-%02d-%02d %02d:%02d:%02d\n",
+				    tmnow.tm_year + 1900,
+				    tmnow.tm_mon + 1,
+				    tmnow.tm_mday,
+				    tmnow.tm_hour, tmnow.tm_min, tmnow.tm_sec);
 		} else {
-			set_time(&tmnow);
+			readclock(RTCDEV_SET_TIME, &tmnow, flags);
 		}
 	}
 	exit(0);
@@ -125,12 +129,12 @@ errmsg(char *s)
 {
 	static char *prompt = "readclock: ";
 
-	printf("%s%s\n", prompt, s);
+	if (!quiet) printf("%s%s\n", prompt, s);
 	prompt = "";
 }
 
-void
-get_time(struct tm *t)
+static void
+readclock(int type, struct tm *t, int flags)
 {
 	int r;
 	message m;
@@ -138,47 +142,16 @@ get_time(struct tm *t)
 
 	r = minix_rs_lookup("readclock.drv", &ep);
 	if (r != 0) {
-		errmsg("Couldn't locate readclock.drv\n");
+		if (!quiet) errmsg("Couldn't locate readclock.drv\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 
-	m.RTCDEV_TM = t;
-	m.RTCDEV_FLAGS = (y2kflag) ? RTCDEV_Y2KBUG : RTCDEV_NOFLAGS;
+	m.RTCDEV_TM = (char *) t;
+	m.RTCDEV_FLAGS = flags;
 
-	r = _syscall(ep, RTCDEV_GET_TIME, &m);
+	r = _syscall(ep, type, &m);
 	if (r != RTCDEV_REPLY || m.RTCDEV_STATUS != 0) {
-		errmsg("Call to readclock.drv failed\n");
-		exit(1);
-	}
-}
-
-void
-set_time(struct tm *t)
-{
-	int r;
-	message m;
-	endpoint_t ep;
-
-	r = minix_rs_lookup("readclock.drv", &ep);
-	if (r != 0) {
-		errmsg("Couldn't locate readclock.drv\n");
-		exit(1);
-	}
-
-	m.RTCDEV_TM = t;
-	m.RTCDEV_FLAGS = RTCDEV_NOFLAGS;
-
-	if (y2kflag) {
-		m.RTCDEV_FLAGS |= RTCDEV_Y2KBUG;
-	}
-
-	if (Wflag) {
-		m.RTCDEV_FLAGS |= RTCDEV_CMOSREG;
-	}
-
-	r = _syscall(ep, RTCDEV_SET_TIME, &m);
-	if (r != RTCDEV_REPLY || m.RTCDEV_STATUS != 0) {
-		errmsg("Call to readclock.drv failed\n");
+		if (!quiet) errmsg("Call to readclock.drv failed\n");
 		exit(1);
 	}
 }
@@ -186,6 +159,6 @@ set_time(struct tm *t)
 void
 usage(void)
 {
-	printf("Usage: readclock [-nwW2]\n");
+	if (!quiet) printf("Usage: readclock [-nqwW2]\n");
 	exit(1);
 }
diff --git a/etc/rc b/etc/rc
index 319676dc9..e241c2752 100755
--- a/etc/rc
+++ b/etc/rc
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ start)
 
     # Start real time clock driver & set system time, otherwise default date.
     up readclock.drv
-    readclock || date 201301010000
+    readclock -q || date 201301010000
 
     # Initialize files.
     >/etc/utmp				# /etc/utmp keeps track of logins
diff --git a/man/man8/readclock.8 b/man/man8/readclock.8
index 9fd7acda1..7094ed63a 100644
--- a/man/man8/readclock.8
+++ b/man/man8/readclock.8
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 .TH READCLOCK 8
 .SH NAME
-readclock \- read the AT's real time clock
+readclock \- read or set a real time clock
 .SH SYNOPSIS
-\fBreadclock\fP [\fB\-nwW2\fP]
+\fBreadclock\fP [\fB\-nqwW2\fP]
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .B Readclock
-reads the AT's real time clock and sets the machine's time.  It is usually
+reads the real time clock and sets the operating system time.  It is usually
 the second thing done in
 .BR /etc/rc ,
 the first thing is setting the time zone by sourcing
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ want to run the clock in GMT then you can put
 Play-act, don't set the time nor change the calibration data, just show what
 would be done.
 .TP
+.B \-q
+Quiet execution. Suppresses all output.
+.TP
 .B \-w
-Write the current time to the CMOS clock.  Dangerous, see
+Write the current time to the hardware clock.  Dangerous, see
 .BR BUGS .
 Don't forget to use
 .B "TZ=GMT"