diff --git a/bin/csh/Makefile b/bin/csh/Makefile
index e3df1d464193..51ef3dd9c306 100644
--- a/bin/csh/Makefile
+++ b/bin/csh/Makefile
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ GENHDRS+= iconv.h
 SRCS+=	iconv_stub.c
 
 iconv.h: ${.CURDIR}/iconv_stub.h
-	cp -f ${.CURDIR}/iconv_stub.h ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.CURDIR}/iconv_stub.h ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 .endif
 
diff --git a/etc/mail/Makefile b/etc/mail/Makefile
index 510b0243f984..f8e5b7759c62 100644
--- a/etc/mail/Makefile
+++ b/etc/mail/Makefile
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ SENDMAIL_MC!=           hostname
 SENDMAIL_MC:=           ${SENDMAIL_MC}.mc
 
 ${SENDMAIL_MC}:
-	cp -f freebsd.mc ${SENDMAIL_MC}
+	${CP} freebsd.mc ${SENDMAIL_MC}
 .endif
 
 .ifndef SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC!=	hostname
 SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC:=	${SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC}.submit.mc
 
 ${SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC}:
-	cp -f freebsd.submit.mc ${SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC}
+	${CP} freebsd.submit.mc ${SENDMAIL_SUBMIT_MC}
 .endif
 
 INSTALL_CF=		${SENDMAIL_MC:R}.cf
diff --git a/gnu/usr.bin/grep/Makefile b/gnu/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
index ebdb32776fc2..93c7324ea863 100644
--- a/gnu/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
+++ b/gnu/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ MLINKS+=grep.1 zgrep.1 grep.1 zegrep.1 grep.1 zfgrep.1
 .endif
 
 gnugrep.1: grep.1
-	cp ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 check:	all
 	@failed=0; total=0; \
diff --git a/kerberos5/lib/libasn1/Makefile b/kerberos5/lib/libasn1/Makefile
index d445b8b386d4..3d65eee40560 100644
--- a/kerberos5/lib/libasn1/Makefile
+++ b/kerberos5/lib/libasn1/Makefile
@@ -111,10 +111,10 @@ ${GEN_KX509}: kx509.asn1
 .SUFFIXES: .h .c .x .hx
 
 .x.c:
-	cp -f ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .hx.h:
-	cp -f ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 	
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
 
diff --git a/kerberos5/lib/libgssapi_spnego/Makefile b/kerberos5/lib/libgssapi_spnego/Makefile
index 92168082b417..5e54e95f7e93 100644
--- a/kerberos5/lib/libgssapi_spnego/Makefile
+++ b/kerberos5/lib/libgssapi_spnego/Makefile
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ ${GEN}: spnego.asn1 spnego.opt
 .SUFFIXES: .h .c .x .hx
 
 .x.c:   
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .hx.h:
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
 
diff --git a/kerberos5/lib/libhdb/Makefile b/kerberos5/lib/libhdb/Makefile
index 1f99fc451731..2b178b2445f5 100644
--- a/kerberos5/lib/libhdb/Makefile
+++ b/kerberos5/lib/libhdb/Makefile
@@ -91,10 +91,10 @@ ${GEN}: hdb.asn1
 .SUFFIXES: .h .c .x .hx
 
 .x.c:   
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .hx.h:
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
 
diff --git a/kerberos5/lib/libhx509/Makefile b/kerberos5/lib/libhx509/Makefile
index 66e456d88cc9..29c45e2462a4 100644
--- a/kerberos5/lib/libhx509/Makefile
+++ b/kerberos5/lib/libhx509/Makefile
@@ -285,10 +285,10 @@ ${GEN_CRMF}: crmf.asn1
 .SUFFIXES: .h .c .x .hx
 
 .x.c:   
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .hx.h:
-	cp ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.IMPSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
 
diff --git a/lib/libc/Makefile b/lib/libc/Makefile
index 906ace132f70..eed907011948 100644
--- a/lib/libc/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libc/Makefile
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ KSRCS=	bcmp.c ffs.c ffsl.c fls.c flsl.c mcount.c strcat.c strchr.c \
 libkern: libkern.gen libkern.${LIBC_ARCH}
 
 libkern.gen: ${KQSRCS} ${KSRCS}
-	cp -fp ${LIBC_SRCTOP}/quad/quad.h ${.ALLSRC} ${DESTDIR}/sys/libkern
+	${CP} ${LIBC_SRCTOP}/quad/quad.h ${.ALLSRC} ${DESTDIR}/sys/libkern
 
 libkern.${LIBC_ARCH}:: ${KMSRCS}
 .if defined(KMSRCS) && !empty(KMSRCS)
-	cp -fp ${.ALLSRC} ${DESTDIR}/sys/libkern/${LIBC_ARCH}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${DESTDIR}/sys/libkern/${LIBC_ARCH}
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_SYSCALL_COMPAT} != "no"
diff --git a/lib/libexpat/Makefile b/lib/libexpat/Makefile
index 523a74eacb80..0d4bef55e2f3 100644
--- a/lib/libexpat/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libexpat/Makefile
@@ -28,6 +28,6 @@ bsdxml.h: expat.h
 		> ${.TARGET}
 
 bsdxml_external.h: expat_external.h
-	cp -f ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>
diff --git a/lib/libunbound/Makefile b/lib/libunbound/Makefile
index 74e5f25929c1..fb593f2c954c 100644
--- a/lib/libunbound/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libunbound/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ LIBADD=	ssl crypto pthread
 
 # Misnamed file in upstream source
 configlexer.l: configlexer.lex
-	cp -fp ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 CLEANFILES+= configlexer.l
 
 # Symbol prefix for lex and yacc
diff --git a/secure/lib/libcrypto/Makefile b/secure/lib/libcrypto/Makefile
index c28c5102d3b1..fb4c4a88f197 100644
--- a/secure/lib/libcrypto/Makefile
+++ b/secure/lib/libcrypto/Makefile
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ opensslconf.h: opensslconf-x86.h
 .else
 opensslconf.h: opensslconf-${MACHINE_CPUARCH}.h
 .endif
-	cp -f ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 OLDSYMLINKS+=	libdes.a libdes.so libdes.so.3 libdes_p.a
 afterinstall:
diff --git a/share/mk/sys.mk b/share/mk/sys.mk
index f69182045e66..0fca5109b4b5 100644
--- a/share/mk/sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ CTFFLAGS	?=	-L VERSION
 
 CTFCONVERT	?=	ctfconvert
 CTFMERGE	?=	ctfmerge
+
+# cp(1) is used to copy source files to ${.OBJDIR}, make sure it can handle
+# read-only files as non-root by passing -f.
+CP		?=	cp -f
+
 DTRACE		?=	dtrace
 .if defined(CFLAGS) && (${CFLAGS:M-g} != "")
 CTFFLAGS	+=	-g
diff --git a/tools/regression/execve/Makefile b/tools/regression/execve/Makefile
index edb05efff729..018678cde02c 100644
--- a/tools/regression/execve/Makefile
+++ b/tools/regression/execve/Makefile
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ all:		${PROG} goodaout ${TESTSCRIPTS}
 
 .for x in ${TESTSCRIPTS}
 ${x}: ${TD}/${x}
-	cp ${TD}/${x} .
+	${CP} ${TD}/${x} .
 	chmod +x ${x}
 .endfor
 
diff --git a/tools/test/dtrace/Makefile b/tools/test/dtrace/Makefile
index 405d536b36fa..ca0547aabdbf 100644
--- a/tools/test/dtrace/Makefile
+++ b/tools/test/dtrace/Makefile
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ ${_f:T:S/c$/exe/} : ${_f}
 
 .for _f in ${ALL_TESTEXEFILES}
 ${_f:T} : ${_f}
-	cp -f ${_f} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${_f} ${.TARGET}
 	chmod a+x ${.TARGET}
 .endfor
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/grep/Makefile b/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
index 7dfde1409c40..fd27687c469a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/grep/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ PROG=	bsdgrep
 CLEANFILES+= bsdgrep.1
 
 bsdgrep.1: grep.1
-	cp -f ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 .endif
 SRCS=	file.c grep.c queue.c util.c
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/lex/Makefile b/usr.bin/lex/Makefile
index f89609210e49..faa503a1ec8a 100644
--- a/usr.bin/lex/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/lex/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ bootstrap: ${GENFILES:S/^/init/g}
 	@diff -I '^#line ' -I '\$$FreeBS[D]: .*\$$' -q \
 	    ${.CURDIR}/init${_f} ${_f} 2> /dev/null || { \
 		echo "Bootstrapping ${_f}" ; \
-		cp -f ${.CURDIR}/init${_f} ${_f} ; \
+		${CP} ${.CURDIR}/init${_f} ${_f} ; \
 	}
 .endfor
 
diff --git a/usr.bin/make/Makefile b/usr.bin/make/Makefile
index bfdeca04b5ef..1d366a5bbd1f 100644
--- a/usr.bin/make/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/make/Makefile
@@ -115,6 +115,6 @@ CFLAGS+=	-DDEFSHELLNAME=\"${MAKE_SHELL}\"
 PROG=	fmake
 CLEANFILES+=	fmake.1
 fmake.1: make.1
-	cp ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.sbin/mtree/Makefile b/usr.sbin/mtree/Makefile
index 4f23a7561076..6d060e2d28fd 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/mtree/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/mtree/Makefile
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@ LIBADD=	md
 CLEANFILES+=	fmtree.8
 
 fmtree.8: mtree.8
-	cp -f ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
+	${CP} ${.ALLSRC} ${.TARGET}
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>