diff --git a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
index 483875a01a57..2e625cf553e5 100644
--- a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 _LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcat
-BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cat
 SRCS=	bsdcat.c cmdline.c
diff --git a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
index 6855e3e2d77e..f9f344429a91 100644
--- a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 _LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcpio
-BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cpio
 SRCS=	cpio.c cmdline.c
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
index d6154dc3b30d..c58671d59aa0 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 
 PACKAGE=	runtime
 PROG=	bsdtar
-BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH: ${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/tar
 SRCS=	bsdtar.c	\