diff --git a/usr.sbin/config.new/config.h b/usr.sbin/config.new/config.h
index 634228fd7c7d..bc5c730348eb 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config.new/config.h
+++ b/usr.sbin/config.new/config.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)config.h	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
- *	$Id: config.h,v 1.5 1994/06/22 10:44:06 pk Exp $
+ *	$Id: config.h,v 1.6 1995/01/25 20:44:39 cgd Exp $
  */
 
 /*
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ int	minmaxusers;		/* minimum "maxusers" parameter */
 int	defmaxusers;		/* default "maxusers" parameter */
 int	maxmaxusers;		/* default "maxusers" parameter */
 int	maxusers;		/* configuration's "maxusers" parameter */
+int	maxpartitions;		/* configuration's "maxpartitions" parameter */
 struct	nvlist *options;	/* options */
 struct	nvlist *mkoptions;	/* makeoptions */
 struct	hashtab *devbasetab;	/* devbase lookup */
diff --git a/usr.sbin/config.new/gram.y b/usr.sbin/config.new/gram.y
index 731343f7a3e2..15616c67da22 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config.new/gram.y
+++ b/usr.sbin/config.new/gram.y
@@ -42,11 +42,12 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)gram.y	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
- *	$Id: gram.y,v 1.5 1994/06/22 10:44:09 pk Exp $
+ *	$Id: gram.y,v 1.6 1995/01/25 20:44:41 cgd Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
 #include <ctype.h>
+#include <paths.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ static	int	adepth;
 
 static	void	cleanup __P((void));
 static	void	setmachine __P((const char *, const char *));
+static	void	setmaxpartitions __P((int));
 
 %}
 
@@ -90,8 +92,8 @@ static	void	setmachine __P((const char *, const char *));
 }
 
 %token	AND AT COMPILE_WITH CONFIG DEFINE DEVICE DUMPS ENDFILE
-%token	XFILE FLAGS INCLUDE XMACHINE MAJOR MAKEOPTIONS MAXUSERS MINOR
-%token	ON OPTIONS PSEUDO_DEVICE ROOT SWAP VECTOR
+%token	XFILE FLAGS INCLUDE XMACHINE MAJOR MAKEOPTIONS MAXUSERS MAXPARTITIONS
+%token	MINOR ON OPTIONS PSEUDO_DEVICE ROOT SWAP VECTOR
 %token	<val> FFLAG NUMBER
 %token	<str> PATHNAME WORD
 
@@ -126,6 +128,7 @@ Configuration:
 	hdrs machine_spec		/* "machine foo" from machine descr. */
 	dev_defs dev_eof		/* ../../conf/devices */
 	dev_defs dev_eof		/* devices.foo */
+	maxpart_spec dev_defs dev_eof	/* ../../conf/devices */
 	specs;				/* rest of machine description */
 
 hdrs:
@@ -144,7 +147,13 @@ machine_spec:
 dev_eof:
 	ENDFILE				= { enddefs(lastfile); checkfiles(); };
 
+maxpart_blanks:
+	maxpart_blanks '\n' |
+	/* empty */;
 
+maxpart_spec:
+	maxpart_blanks MAXPARTITIONS NUMBER	= { setmaxpartitions($3); } |
+	error = { stop("cannot proceed without maxpartitions specifier"); };
 
 /*
  * Various nonterminals shared between the grammars.
@@ -393,10 +402,20 @@ setmachine(mch, mcharch)
 	if (machinearch != NULL)
 		(void)sprintf(archbuf, "../../%s/conf/files.%s.newconf",
 		    machinearch, machinearch);
+	else
+		strncpy(archbuf, _PATH_DEVNULL, MAXPATHLEN);
 	(void)sprintf(buf, "files.%s.newconf", machine);
 
 	if (include(buf, ENDFILE) ||
-	    (machinearch != NULL && include(archbuf, '\n')) ||
+	    include(archbuf, ENDFILE) ||
 	    include("../../../conf/files.newconf", ENDFILE))
 		exit(1);
 }
+
+static void
+setmaxpartitions(n)
+	int n;
+{
+
+	maxpartitions = n;
+}
diff --git a/usr.sbin/config.new/main.c b/usr.sbin/config.new/main.c
index 9c397bbd6f1b..810319c266fc 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config.new/main.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/config.new/main.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)main.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
- *	$Id: main.c,v 1.6 1995/01/25 03:58:57 cgd Exp $
+ *	$Id: main.c,v 1.7 1995/01/25 20:44:42 cgd Exp $
  */
 
 #ifndef lint
@@ -391,12 +391,12 @@ cfcrosscheck(cf, what, nv)
 		if (dev == NULL)
 			panic("cfcrosscheck(%s)", nv->nv_name);
 		if (has_instances(dev, STAR) ||
-		    has_instances(dev, minor(nv->nv_int) >> 3))
+		    has_instances(dev, minor(nv->nv_int) / maxpartitions))
 			continue;
 		for (pd = allpseudo; pd != NULL; pd = pd->i_next)
 			if (pd->i_base == dev &&
-			    minor(nv->nv_int) >> 3 < dev->d_umax &&
-			    minor(nv->nv_int) >> 3 >= 0)
+			    (minor(nv->nv_int) / maxpartitions) < dev->d_umax &&
+			    (minor(nv->nv_int) / maxpartitions) >= 0)
 				goto loop;
 		(void)fprintf(stderr,
 		    "%s%d: %s says %s on %s, but there's no %s\n",
diff --git a/usr.sbin/config.new/scan.l b/usr.sbin/config.new/scan.l
index 7399b6aa5e48..b4a7f4ee9e0b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config.new/scan.l
+++ b/usr.sbin/config.new/scan.l
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)scan.l	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
- *	$Id: scan.l,v 1.5 1994/08/08 19:24:54 deraadt Exp $
+ *	$Id: scan.l,v 1.6 1995/01/25 20:44:43 cgd Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ machine		{ return XMACHINE; }
 major		{ return MAJOR; }
 makeoptions	{ return MAKEOPTIONS; }
 maxusers	{ return MAXUSERS; }
+maxpartitions	{ return MAXPARTITIONS; }
 minor		{ return MINOR; }
 on		{ return ON; }
 options		{ return OPTIONS; }
diff --git a/usr.sbin/config.new/sem.c b/usr.sbin/config.new/sem.c
index 97ffb6e8a012..0d83a10473be 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/config.new/sem.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/config.new/sem.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
  * SUCH DAMAGE.
  *
  *	from: @(#)sem.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
- *	$Id: sem.c,v 1.6 1994/07/01 09:15:53 pk Exp $
+ *	$Id: sem.c,v 1.7 1995/01/25 20:44:44 cgd Exp $
  */
 
 #include <sys/param.h>
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ exclude(nv, name, what)
 }
 
 /* 
- * Map things like "ra0b" => makedev(major("ra"), 0*8 + 'b'-'a').
+ * Map things like "ra0b" => makedev(major("ra"), 0*maxpartitions + 'b'-'a').
  * Handle the case where the device number is given but there is no
  * corresponding name, and map NULL to the default.
  */
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ resolve(nvp, name, what, dflt, part)
 	int unit;
 	char buf[NAMESIZE];
 
-	if ((u_int)(part -= 'a') >= 7)
+	if ((u_int)(part -= 'a') >= maxpartitions)
 		panic("resolve");
 	if ((nv = *nvp) == NULL) {
 		dev_t	d = NODEV;
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ resolve(nvp, name, what, dflt, part)
 		 */
 		if (dflt->nv_int != NODEV) {
 			maj = major(dflt->nv_int);
-			min = (minor(dflt->nv_int) & ~7) | part;
+			min = (minor(dflt->nv_int) / maxpartitions) + part;
 			d = makedev(maj, min);
 		}
 		*nvp = nv = newnv(NULL, NULL, NULL, d);
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ resolve(nvp, name, what, dflt, part)
 			(void)sprintf(buf, "<%d/%d>", maj, min);
 		else
 			(void)sprintf(buf, "%s%d%c", dev->d_name,
-			    min >> 3, (min & 7) + 'a');
+			    min / maxpartitions, (min % maxpartitions) + 'a');
 		nv->nv_str = intern(buf);
 		return (0);
 	}
@@ -485,7 +485,8 @@ resolve(nvp, name, what, dflt, part)
 	 */
 	l = strlen(nv->nv_str);
 	cp = &nv->nv_str[l];
-	if (l > 1 && *--cp >= 'a' && *cp <= 'h' && isdigit(cp[-1])) {
+	if (l > 1 && *--cp >= 'a' && *cp <= 'a'+maxpartitions &&
+	    isdigit(cp[-1])) {
 		l--;
 		part = *cp - 'a';
 	}
@@ -501,7 +502,7 @@ resolve(nvp, name, what, dflt, part)
 		return (1);
 	}
 	nv->nv_name = dev->d_name;
-	nv->nv_int = makedev(dev->d_major, unit * 8 + part);
+	nv->nv_int = makedev(dev->d_major, unit * maxpartitions + part);
 	return (0);
 }