diff --git a/usr.bin/config/defs.h b/usr.bin/config/defs.h
index 5043e1f4ebe9..ff157d72ca3f 100644
--- a/usr.bin/config/defs.h
+++ b/usr.bin/config/defs.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: defs.h,v 1.6 2005/10/04 13:06:45 cube Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: defs.h,v 1.7 2005/10/04 20:13:39 cube Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1992, 1993
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ struct devi {
 	int	i_cfflags;	/* flags from config line */
 	int	i_lineno;	/* line # in config, for later errors */
 	const char *i_srcfile;	/* file it appears in */
+	int	i_level;	/* position between negated instances */
 	int	i_active;
 #define	DEVI_ORPHAN	0	/* instance has no active parent */
 #define	DEVI_ACTIVE	1	/* instance has an active parent */
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@ int	maxbdevm;			/* max number of block major */
 int	maxcdevm;			/* max number of character major */
 int	do_devsw;			/* 0 if pre-devsw config */
 int	oktopackage;			/* 0 before setmachine() */
+int	devilevel;			/* used for devi->i_level */
 
 TAILQ_HEAD(, files)	allfiles;	/* list of all kernel source files */
 TAILQ_HEAD(, objects)	allobjects;	/* list of all kernel object and
diff --git a/usr.bin/config/main.c b/usr.bin/config/main.c
index a9069af46764..cdf1b5a6d461 100644
--- a/usr.bin/config/main.c
+++ b/usr.bin/config/main.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.4 2005/10/02 21:22:56 cube Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: main.c,v 1.5 2005/10/04 20:13:39 cube Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1992, 1993
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static	int	badstar(void);
 static	int	mksymlinks(void);
 static	int	mkident(void);
 static	int	devbase_has_dead_instances(const char *, void *, void *);
-static	int	devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *, int, int);
+static	int	devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *, int, int, int);
 static	int	check_dead_devi(const char *, void *, void *);
 static	void	kill_orphans(void);
 static	void	do_kill_orphans(struct devbase *, struct attr *,
@@ -1486,18 +1486,21 @@ extract_config(const char *kname, const char *cname, int cfd)
 struct dhdi_params {
 	struct devbase *d;
 	int unit;
+	int level;
 };
 
 static int
 devbase_has_dead_instances(const char *key, void *value, void *aux)
 {
-	struct devi *i = value;
+	struct devi *i;
 	struct dhdi_params *dhdi = aux;
 
-	if (i->i_base == dhdi->d &&
-	    (dhdi->unit == WILD || dhdi->unit == i->i_unit ||
-	     i->i_unit == STAR))
-		return 1;
+	for (i = value; i != NULL; i = i->i_alias)
+		if (i->i_base == dhdi->d &&
+		    (dhdi->unit == WILD || dhdi->unit == i->i_unit ||
+		     i->i_unit == STAR) &&
+		    i->i_level >= dhdi->level)
+			return 1;
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1507,7 +1510,7 @@ devbase_has_dead_instances(const char *key, void *value, void *aux)
  */
 
 static int
-devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *dev, int unit, int state)
+devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *dev, int unit, int state, int level)
 {
 	struct deva *da;
 	struct devi *i;
@@ -1515,10 +1518,11 @@ devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *dev, int unit, int state)
 	if (dev->d_ispseudo) {
 		if (dev->d_ihead != NULL)
 			return 1;
-		else if (state == DEVI_IGNORED)
-			return (ht_lookup(deaddevitab, dev->d_name) != NULL);
-		else
+		else if (state != DEVI_IGNORED)
 			return 0;
+		if ((i = ht_lookup(deaddevitab, dev->d_name)) == NULL)
+			return 0;
+		return (i->i_level >= level);
 	}
 
 	for (da = dev->d_ahead; da != NULL; da = da->d_bsame)
@@ -1530,7 +1534,7 @@ devbase_has_any_instance(struct devbase *dev, int unit, int state)
 				return 1;
 
 	if (state == DEVI_IGNORED) {
-		struct dhdi_params dhdi = { dev, unit };
+		struct dhdi_params dhdi = { dev, unit, level };
 		/* also check dead devices */
 		return ht_enumerate(deaddevitab, devbase_has_dead_instances,
 		    &dhdi);
@@ -1559,20 +1563,23 @@ check_dead_devi(const char *key, void *value, void *aux)
 {
 	struct cdd_params *cdd = aux;
 	struct devi *i = value;
-	struct pspec *p = i->i_pspec;
+	struct pspec *p;
 
 	if (i->i_base != cdd->d)
 		return 0;
 
-	if ((p == NULL && cdd->at == NULL) ||
-	    (p != NULL && p->p_iattr == cdd->at &&
-	     (p->p_atdev == NULL || p->p_atdev == cdd->parent))) {
-		if (p != NULL &&
-		    !devbase_has_any_instance(cdd->parent, p->p_atunit,
-		    DEVI_IGNORED))
-			return 0;
-		else
-			return 1;
+	for (; i != NULL; i = i->i_alias) {
+		p = i->i_pspec;
+		if ((p == NULL && cdd->at == NULL) ||
+		    (p != NULL && p->p_iattr == cdd->at &&
+		     (p->p_atdev == NULL || p->p_atdev == cdd->parent))) {
+			if (p != NULL &&
+			    !devbase_has_any_instance(cdd->parent, p->p_atunit,
+			    DEVI_IGNORED, i->i_level))
+				return 0;
+			else
+				return 1;
+		}
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -1615,7 +1622,7 @@ do_kill_orphans(struct devbase *d, struct attr *at, struct devbase *parent,
 				    p->p_atdev == parent))) {
 					if (p != NULL &&
 					    !devbase_has_any_instance(parent,
-					      p->p_atunit, state))
+					      p->p_atunit, state, j->i_level))
 						continue;
 					/*
 					 * There are Fry-like devices which can
diff --git a/usr.bin/config/sem.c b/usr.bin/config/sem.c
index b50087aa52a9..e142c572adae 100644
--- a/usr.bin/config/sem.c
+++ b/usr.bin/config/sem.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: sem.c,v 1.12 2005/10/04 13:33:20 cube Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: sem.c,v 1.13 2005/10/04 20:13:39 cube Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1992, 1993
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ newdevi(const char *name, int unit, struct devbase *d)
 	i->i_lineno = currentline();
 	i->i_srcfile = yyfile;
 	i->i_active = DEVI_ORPHAN; /* Proper analysis comes later */
+	i->i_level = devilevel;
 	if (unit >= d->d_umax)
 		d->d_umax = unit + 1;
 	return (i);
@@ -1192,7 +1193,15 @@ remove_devi(struct devi *i)
 	ndevi--;
 	/*
 	 * Put it in deaddevitab
+	 *
+	 * Each time a devi is removed, devilevel is increased so that later on
+	 * it is possible to tell if an instance was added before or after the
+	 * removal of its parent.
+	 *
+	 * For active instances, i_level contains the number of devi removed so
+	 * far, and for dead devis, it contains its index.
 	 */
+	i->i_level = devilevel++;
 	i->i_alias = NULL;
 	f = ht_lookup(deaddevitab, i->i_name);
 	if (f == NULL) {