diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index 60ac6493c955..3e984e16f9ba 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -888,7 +888,7 @@ INSTALLFLAGS+=	-h sha256
 .endif
 .if defined(DB_FROM_SRC) || defined(NO_ROOT)
 IMAKE_INSTALL=	INSTALL="${INSTALL} ${INSTALLFLAGS}"
-IMAKE_MTREE=	MTREE_CMD="${MTREE} ${MTREEFLAGS}"
+IMAKE_MTREE=	MTREE_CMD="mtree ${MTREEFLAGS}"
 .endif
 
 DESTDIR_MTREEFLAGS=	-deU
diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index 7ee9eca7eb18..f8360b969d22 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ distribution:
 .endif
 .endif
 
-MTREE_CMD?=	mtree
-
 MTREES=		mtree/BSD.root.dist		/		\
 		mtree/BSD.var.dist		/var		\
 		mtree/BSD.usr.dist		/usr		\