diff --git a/unix/openbsd_pledge.go b/unix/openbsd_pledge.go
index 9b1e86a..11388e5 100644
--- a/unix/openbsd_pledge.go
+++ b/unix/openbsd_pledge.go
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 package unix
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"syscall"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -16,23 +19,77 @@
 	_SYS_PLEDGE = 108
 )
 
-// Pledge implements the pledge syscall. For more information see pledge(2).
-func Pledge(promises string, paths []string) error {
-	promisesPtr, err := syscall.BytePtrFromString(promises)
+// Pledge implements the pledge syscall.
+//
+// The pledge syscall does not accept execpromises on OpenBSD releases
+// before 6.3.
+//
+// execpromises must be empty when Pledge is called on OpenBSD
+// releases predating 6.3, otherwise an error will be returned.
+//
+// For more information see pledge(2).
+func Pledge(promises, execpromises string) error {
+	maj, min, err := majmin()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	promisesUnsafe, pathsUnsafe := unsafe.Pointer(promisesPtr), unsafe.Pointer(nil)
-	if paths != nil {
-		var pathsPtr []*byte
-		if pathsPtr, err = syscall.SlicePtrFromStrings(paths); err != nil {
+
+	// If OpenBSD <= 5.9, pledge is not available.
+	if (maj == 5 && min != 9) || maj < 5 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("pledge syscall is not available on OpenBSD %d.%d", maj, min)
+	}
+
+	// If OpenBSD <= 6.2 and execpromises is not empty
+	// return an error - execpromises is not available before 6.3
+	if (maj < 6 || (maj == 6 && min <= 2)) && execpromises != "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("cannot use execpromises on OpenBSD %d.%d", maj, min)
+	}
+
+	pptr, err := syscall.BytePtrFromString(promises)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// This variable will hold either a nil unsafe.Pointer or
+	// an unsafe.Pointer to a string (execpromises).
+	var expr unsafe.Pointer
+
+	// If we're running on OpenBSD > 6.2, pass execpromises to the syscall.
+	if maj > 6 || (maj == 6 && min > 2) {
+		exptr, err := syscall.BytePtrFromString(execpromises)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		pathsUnsafe = unsafe.Pointer(&pathsPtr[0])
+		expr = unsafe.Pointer(exptr)
 	}
-	_, _, e := syscall.Syscall(_SYS_PLEDGE, uintptr(promisesUnsafe), uintptr(pathsUnsafe), 0)
+
+	_, _, e := syscall.Syscall(_SYS_PLEDGE, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(pptr)), uintptr(expr), 0)
 	if e != 0 {
 		return e
 	}
+
 	return nil
 }
+
+// majmin returns major and minor version number for an OpenBSD system.
+func majmin() (major int, minor int, err error) {
+	var v Utsname
+	err = Uname(&v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	major, err = strconv.Atoi(string(v.Release[0]))
+	if err != nil {
+		err = errors.New("cannot parse major version number returned by uname")
+		return
+	}
+
+	minor, err = strconv.Atoi(string(v.Release[2]))
+	if err != nil {
+		err = errors.New("cannot parse minor version number returned by uname")
+		return
+	}
+
+	return
+}
diff --git a/unix/openbsd_test.go b/unix/openbsd_test.go
index 734d765..3ded960 100644
--- a/unix/openbsd_test.go
+++ b/unix/openbsd_test.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@
 func init() {
 	testProcs["pledge"] = testProc{
 		func() {
-			fmt.Println(unix.Pledge("", nil))
+			fmt.Println(unix.Pledge("", ""))
 			os.Exit(0)
 		},
 		func() error {