diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index 5c9cafa6f50d..c9534197a0f4 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ _startup_libs+=	lib/csu/${MACHINE_CPUARCH}
 _startup_libs+=	gnu/lib/libgcc
 _startup_libs+=	lib/libcompiler_rt
 _startup_libs+=	lib/libc
-.if defined(MK_LIBCPLUSPLUS)
+.if ${MK_LIBCPLUSPLUS} != "no"
 _startup_libs+=	lib/libcxxrt
 .endif
 
diff --git a/lib/Makefile b/lib/Makefile
index 55b55ba859a9..ad647ec5457b 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile
+++ b/lib/Makefile
@@ -48,13 +48,9 @@ SUBDIR_ORDERED=	${_csu} \
 	libsbuf \
 	libtacplus \
 	libutil \
-	${_libypclnt}
-
-.if ${MK_LIBCPLUSPLUS} != "no"
-SUBDIR_ORDERED+=libcxxrt\
-	libc++
-.endif
-
+	${_libypclnt} \
+	${_libcxxrt} \
+	${_libcplusplus}
 
 SUBDIR=	${SUBDIR_ORDERED} \
 	libalias \
@@ -209,6 +205,11 @@ _libsmb=	libsmb
 _libmp=		libmp
 .endif
 
+.if ${MK_LIBCPLUSPLUS} != "no"
+_libcxxrt=	libcxxrt
+_libcplusplus=	libc++
+.endif
+
 .if ${MK_PMC} != "no"
 _libpmc=	libpmc
 .endif
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 2d3617a68314..e0afdf4415f1 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -413,6 +413,7 @@ __DEFAULT_NO_OPTIONS = \
     HESIOD \
     ICONV \
     IDEA \
+    LIBCPLUSPLUS \
     OFED
 
 #
@@ -553,8 +554,6 @@ MK_GCC:=	no
 MK_GDB:=	no
 .endif
 
-MK_LIBCPLUSPLUS?= no
-
 #
 # Set defaults for the MK_*_SUPPORT variables.
 #