diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index 5f8d9ab5cbcc..c8a1232662ff 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -370,10 +370,10 @@ distrib-dirs: ${MTREES:N/*}
 		d=${DESTDIR}$$1; \
 		shift; \
 		test -d $$d || mkdir -p $$d; \
-		${ECHO} ${MTREE_CMD} -deU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} \
+		${ECHO} ${MTREE_CMD} -deiU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} \
 		    -f $$m -p $$d; \
 		${MTREE_FILTER} $$m | \
-		${MTREE_CMD} -deU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} -p $$d; \
+		${MTREE_CMD} -deiU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} -p $$d; \
 	done; true
 .if defined(NO_ROOT)
 	@set ${MTREES}; \
diff --git a/etc/rc.d/var b/etc/rc.d/var
index 2be24842bd0d..b80fcb05d7fd 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/var
+++ b/etc/rc.d/var
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@ load_rc_config $name
 
 populate_var()
 {
-	/usr/sbin/mtree -deU -f /etc/mtree/BSD.var.dist -p /var > /dev/null
+	/usr/sbin/mtree -deiU -f /etc/mtree/BSD.var.dist -p /var > /dev/null
 	case ${sendmail_enable} in
 	[Nn][Oo][Nn][Ee])
 		;;
 	*)
-		/usr/sbin/mtree -deU -f /etc/mtree/BSD.sendmail.dist -p / > /dev/null
+		/usr/sbin/mtree -deiU -f /etc/mtree/BSD.sendmail.dist -p / > /dev/null
 		;;
 	esac
 }