diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index b5efb049d275..14c50bb468c3 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -804,10 +804,10 @@ XCFLAGS+=	${BFLAGS}
 
 .if ${MK_LIB32} != "no" && (${TARGET_ARCH} == "amd64" || \
     ${TARGET_ARCH} == "powerpc64" || ${TARGET_ARCH:Mmips64*} != "")
-LIBCOMPAT= 32
+_LIBCOMPAT= 32
 .include "Makefile.libcompat"
 .elif ${MK_LIBSOFT} != "no" && ${TARGET_ARCH:Marmv[67]*} != ""
-LIBCOMPAT= SOFT
+_LIBCOMPAT= SOFT
 .include "Makefile.libcompat"
 .endif
 
@@ -968,7 +968,7 @@ _cleanobj_fast_depend_hack: .PHONY
 		echo "Removing stale dependencies for memchr"; \
 		rm -f ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.*; \
 	fi
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	@if [ -e "${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.o" ] && \
 	    egrep -qw 'i386/string/memchr\.S' ${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.o; then \
 		echo "Removing stale dependencies for memchr"; \
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ _cleanobj_fast_depend_hack: .PHONY
 	    egrep -qw '${f}\.[sS]' ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.o; then \
 		echo "Removing stale dependencies for ${f} syscall wrappers"; \
 		rm -f ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.* \
-		   ${LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.*}; \
+		   ${_LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.*}; \
 	fi
 .endfor
 # 20181013  r339348  bcopy reimplemented as .c
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ _cleanobj_fast_depend_hack: .PHONY
 	    egrep -qw 'bcopy\.[sS]' ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.o; then \
 		echo "Removing stale dependencies for bcopy"; \
 		rm -f ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.* \
-		   ${LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.*}; \
+		   ${_LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.${f}.*}; \
 	fi
 .endfor
 # 20181115  r340463  bzero reimplemented as .c
@@ -1000,7 +1000,7 @@ _cleanobj_fast_depend_hack: .PHONY
 	    egrep -qw 'bzero\.[sS]' ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.bzero.o; then \
 		echo "Removing stale dependencies for bzero"; \
 		rm -f ${OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.bzero.* \
-		   ${LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.bzero.*}; \
+		   ${_LIBCOMPAT:D${LIBCOMPAT_OBJTOP}/lib/libc/.depend.bzero.*}; \
 	fi
 # 20181009 track migration from ntp's embedded libevent to updated one
 	@if [ -e "${OBJTOP}/usr.sbin/ntp/libntpevent/.depend.bufferevent_openssl.o" ] && \
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ _cleanobj:
 	# Avoid including bsd.compiler.mk in clean and obj with _NO_INCLUDE_COMPILERMK
 	# since the restricted $PATH might not contain a valid cc binary
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${WMAKE} _NO_INCLUDE_COMPILERMK=t ${CLEANDIR}
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${LIBCOMPATWMAKE} _NO_INCLUDE_COMPILERMK=t -f Makefile.inc1 ${CLEANDIR}
 .endif
 .else
@@ -1172,7 +1172,7 @@ WMAKE_TGTS+=	_includes
 WMAKE_TGTS+=	_libraries
 .endif
 WMAKE_TGTS+=	everything
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT) && empty(SUBDIR_OVERRIDE)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT) && empty(SUBDIR_OVERRIDE)
 WMAKE_TGTS+=	build${libcompat}
 .endif
 
@@ -1345,7 +1345,7 @@ ITOOLS+=makewhatis
 
 # Non-base distributions produced by the base system
 EXTRA_DISTRIBUTIONS=
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 EXTRA_DISTRIBUTIONS+=	lib${libcompat}
 .endif
 .if ${MK_TESTS} != "no"
@@ -1398,7 +1398,7 @@ distributeworld installworld stageworld: _installcheck_world .PHONY
 	${DESTDIR_MTREE} -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.debug.dist \
 	    -p ${DESTDIR}/${DISTDIR}/${dist}/usr/lib >/dev/null
 .endif
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${DESTDIR_MTREE} -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.lib${libcompat}.dist \
 	    -p ${DESTDIR}/${DISTDIR}/${dist}/usr >/dev/null
 .if ${MK_DEBUG_FILES} != "no"
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ distributeworld installworld stageworld: _installcheck_world .PHONY
 	    sed -e 's#^\./#./${dist}/usr/#' >> ${METALOG}
 	${IMAKEENV} ${MTREE} -C -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.include.dist | \
 	    sed -e 's#^\./#./${dist}/usr/include/#' >> ${METALOG}
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${IMAKEENV} ${MTREE} -C -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.lib${libcompat}.dist | \
 	    sed -e 's#^\./#./${dist}/usr/#' >> ${METALOG}
 .endif
@@ -1533,7 +1533,7 @@ restage reinstall: .MAKE .PHONY
 	@echo ">>> Installing everything started on `LC_ALL=C date`"
 	@echo "--------------------------------------------------------------"
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${MAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 install
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${MAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 install${libcompat}
 .endif
 	@echo "--------------------------------------------------------------"
@@ -1545,7 +1545,7 @@ redistribute: .MAKE .PHONY
 	@echo ">>> Distributing everything"
 	@echo "--------------------------------------------------------------"
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${MAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 distribute
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; ${MAKE} -f Makefile.inc1 distribute${libcompat} \
 	    DISTRIBUTION=lib${libcompat}
 .endif
@@ -3394,7 +3394,7 @@ _xi-mtree: .PHONY
 	    -p ${XDDESTDIR}/usr >/dev/null
 	${DESTDIR_MTREE} -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.include.dist \
 	    -p ${XDDESTDIR}/usr/include >/dev/null
-.if defined(LIBCOMPAT)
+.if defined(_LIBCOMPAT)
 	${DESTDIR_MTREE} -f ${.CURDIR}/etc/mtree/BSD.lib${libcompat}.dist \
 	    -p ${XDDESTDIR}/usr >/dev/null
 .endif
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk b/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
index 043eb33d4421..cebb99b863b2 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ LIBSOFTWMAKEFLAGS=        -DCOMPAT_SOFTFP
 # -------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Generic code for each type.
 # Set defaults based on type.
-libcompat=	${LIBCOMPAT:tl}
+libcompat=	${_LIBCOMPAT:tl}
 _LIBCOMPAT_MAKEVARS=	_OBJTOP TMP CPUFLAGS CFLAGS CXXFLAGS WMAKEENV \
 			WMAKEFLAGS WMAKE
 .for _var in ${_LIBCOMPAT_MAKEVARS}
-.if !empty(LIB${LIBCOMPAT}${_var})
-LIBCOMPAT${_var}?=	${LIB${LIBCOMPAT}${_var}}
+.if !empty(LIB${_LIBCOMPAT}${_var})
+LIBCOMPAT${_var}?=	${LIB${_LIBCOMPAT}${_var}}
 .endif
 .endfor