diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index f8360b969d22..7ee9eca7eb18 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ distribution:
 .endif
 .endif
 
+MTREE_CMD?=	mtree
+
 MTREES=		mtree/BSD.root.dist		/		\
 		mtree/BSD.var.dist		/var		\
 		mtree/BSD.usr.dist		/usr		\