diff --git a/stand/i386/zfsboot/Makefile b/stand/i386/zfsboot/Makefile
index ff315abc0efb..7e362b43a39c 100644
--- a/stand/i386/zfsboot/Makefile
+++ b/stand/i386/zfsboot/Makefile
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ zfsboot.ld: zfsboot.ldr zfsboot.bin ${BTXKERN}
 	    -o ${.TARGET} -P 1 zfsboot.bin
 
 zfsboot.ldr:
-	cp /dev/null ${.TARGET}
+	:> ${.TARGET}
 
 zfsboot.bin: zfsboot.out
 	${OBJCOPY} -S -O binary zfsboot.out ${.TARGET}
diff --git a/stand/libsa/Makefile b/stand/libsa/Makefile
index effece9e01b2..63cd46a9c54e 100644
--- a/stand/libsa/Makefile
+++ b/stand/libsa/Makefile
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ beforedepend:
 	ln -sf ${SRCTOP}/include/arpa/inet.h arpa/inet.h; \
 	ln -sf ${SRCTOP}/include/arpa/tftp.h arpa/tftp.h; \
 	for i in _time.h _strings.h _string.h; do \
-		[ -f xlocale/$$i ] || cp /dev/null xlocale/$$i; \
+		[ -f xlocale/$$i ] || :> xlocale/$$i; \
 	done; \
 	for i in ${STAND_H_INC}; do \
 		ln -sf ${SASRC}/stand.h $$i; \