diff --git a/etc/defaults/rc.conf b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
index 380f0d3b32f..a674acb9753 100644
--- a/etc/defaults/rc.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults/rc.conf
@@ -368,6 +368,8 @@ ntp_db_leapfile="/var/db/ntpd.leap-seconds.list"
 				# Working copy (updated weekly) leapfile
 ntp_leapfile_sources="https://www.ietf.org/timezones/data/leap-seconds.list"
 				# Source from which to fetch leapfile
+ntp_leapfile_fetch_opts="-mq"	# Options to use for ntp leapfile fetch,
+				# e.g. --no-verify-peer
 ntp_leapfile_expiry_days=30	# Check for new leapfile 30 days prior to
 				# expiry.
 ntp_leapfile_fetch_verbose="NO"	# Be verbose during NTP leapfile fetch
diff --git a/etc/rc.d/ntpd b/etc/rc.d/ntpd
index f014110de81..7f28358d7a8 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/ntpd
+++ b/etc/rc.d/ntpd
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ ntpd_fetch_leapfile() {
 		$verbose Within ntp leapfile expiry limit, initiating fetch
 		for url in $ntp_leapfile_sources ; do
 			$verbose fetching $url
-			fetch -mqo $ntp_tmp_leapfile $url && break
+			fetch $ntp_leapfile_fetch_opts -o $ntp_tmp_leapfile $url && break
 		done
 		ntp_ver_no_tmp=$(get_ntp_leapfile_ver $ntp_tmp_leapfile)
 		if [ "$ntp_ver_no_tmp" -gt "$ntp_ver_no_db" ]; then