diff --git a/lib/Makefile b/lib/Makefile
index cd0f4a13c14a..c00af75f70b4 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile
+++ b/lib/Makefile
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ SUBDIR=	${SUBDIR_ORDERED} \
 	libkvm \
 	${_libldns} \
 	liblzma \
-	libmagic \
+	${_libmagic} \
 	libmandoc \
 	libmemstat \
 	libmd \
@@ -195,6 +195,10 @@ _cuse=		libcuse
 _libelftc=	libelftc
 .endif
 
+.if ${MK_FILE} != "no"
+_libmagic=	libmagic
+.endif
+
 .if ${MK_GPIO} != "no"
 _libgpio=	libgpio
 .endif
diff --git a/share/mk/src.opts.mk b/share/mk/src.opts.mk
index d308c4df91bb..fca992b9ab49 100644
--- a/share/mk/src.opts.mk
+++ b/share/mk/src.opts.mk
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     ELFTOOLCHAIN_TOOLS \
     EXAMPLES \
     FDT \
+    FILE \
     FINGER \
     FLOPPY \
     FMTREE \
diff --git a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_FILE b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_FILE
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..636d00a7fab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_FILE
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.\" $FreeBSD$
+Set to not build
+.Xr file 1
+and related programs.
diff --git a/usr.bin/Makefile b/usr.bin/Makefile
index 70e131685aec..618170c58d43 100644
--- a/usr.bin/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/Makefile
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ SUBDIR=	${_addr2line} \
 	expand \
 	false \
 	fetch \
-	file \
 	find \
 	fmt \
 	fold \
@@ -246,6 +245,10 @@ _size=		size
 _strings=	strings
 .endif
 
+.if ${MK_FILE} != "no"
+SUBDIR+=	file
+.endif
+
 .if ${MK_FINGER} != "no"
 SUBDIR+=	finger
 .endif