diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/Makefile b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
index ea5e2694a3eb..bb6fb470f83b 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ CFLAGS+= -DRETSIGTYPE=void -DDIRENT=1 -DHAVE_SYS_MTIO_H=1 -DHAVE_UNISTD_H=1
 CFLAGS+= -DHAVE_GETGRGID=1 -DHAVE_GETPWUID=1 -DHAVE_STRING_H=1
 CFLAGS+= -DHAVE_LIMITS_H=1 -DHAVE_STRSTR=1 -DHAVE_VALLOC=1 -DHAVE_MKDIR=1
 CFLAGS+= -DHAVE_MKNOD=1 -DHAVE_RENAME=1 -DHAVE_FTRUNCATE=1 -DHAVE_GETCWD=1
-CFLAGS+= -DBSD42=1 -DHAVE_VPRINTF=1 -DNEEDPAD -I${.CURDIR}
+CFLAGS+= -DBSD42=1 -DHAVE_VPRINTF=1 -DNEEDPAD -DSTDC_HEADERS=1 -I${.CURDIR}
 CFLAGS+= -DDEF_AR_FILE=\"/dev/sa0\" -DDEFBLOCKING=20
 YFLAGS=
 NOSHARED?=yes
diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/rtapelib.c b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/rtapelib.c
index 0c23b0670dad..67fc91998c4a 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/rtapelib.c
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/rtapelib.c
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
    Modified to make all rmtXXX calls into macros for speed by Jay Fenlason.
    Use -DHAVE_NETDB_H for rexec code, courtesy of Dan Kegel, srs!dan.  */
 
+/* $FreeBSD$ */
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <signal.h>
@@ -276,6 +278,7 @@ __rmt_open (path, oflag, mode, bias)
   char device[CMDBUFSIZE];	/* The remote device name.  */
   char login[CMDBUFSIZE];	/* The remote user name.  */
   char *sys, *dev, *user;	/* For copying into the above buffers.  */
+  char *tar_rsh;
 
   sys = system;
   dev = device;
@@ -370,19 +373,31 @@ __rmt_open (path, oflag, mode, bias)
       setuid (getuid ());
       setgid (getgid ());
 
+      tar_rsh = getenv("TAR_RSH");
+
       if (*login)
 	{
-	  execl ("/usr/bin/rsh", "rsh", "-l", login, system,
-		 "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
-	  execlp ("rsh", "rsh", "-l", login, system,
-		 "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  if (tar_rsh) {
+	    execlp (tar_rsh, tar_rsh, "-l", login, system,
+		    "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  } else {
+	    execl ("/usr/bin/rsh", "rsh", "-l", login, system,
+		   "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	    execlp ("rsh", "rsh", "-l", login, system,
+		    "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  }
 	}
       else
 	{
-	  execl ("/usr/bin/rsh", "rsh", system,
-		 "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
-	  execlp ("rsh", "rsh", system,
-		 "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  if (tar_rsh) {
+	    execlp (tar_rsh, tar_rsh, system,
+		    "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  } else {
+	    execl ("/usr/bin/rsh", "rsh", system,
+		   "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	    execlp ("rsh", "rsh", system,
+		    "/etc/rmt", (char *) 0);
+	  }
 	}
 
       /* Bad problems if we get here.  */
diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/tar.1 b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/tar.1
index ca62490f160f..75b3e3a71c2a 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/tar/tar.1
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/tar/tar.1
@@ -483,6 +483,10 @@ Changes
 default tape drive (which is still overridden by the
 .Fl f
 flag).
+.It TAR_RSH
+The TAR_RSH environment variable allows you to override the default
+shell used as the transport for
+.Nm tar.
 .El
 .Sh FILES
 .Bl -tag -width "/dev/sa0"