Index: head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
+++ head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@
 	int	version;	/* filesystem version (1 = FFS, 2 = UFS2) */
 	int	maxbsize;	/* maximum extent size */
 	int	maxblkspercg;	/* max # of blocks per cylinder group */
+	int	softupdates;	/* soft updates */
 		/* XXX: support `old' file systems ? */
 } ffs_opt_t;
 
Index: head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
+++ head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs.c
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@
 	      0, 0, "Optimization (time|space)" },
 	    { 'l', "label", ffs_opts->label, OPT_STRARRAY,
 	      1, sizeof(ffs_opts->label), "UFS label" },
+	    { 's', "softupdates", &ffs_opts->softupdates, OPT_INT32,
+	      0, 1, "enable softupdates" },
 	    { .name = NULL }
 	};
 
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@
 	ffs_opts->avgfilesize= -1;
 	ffs_opts->avgfpdir= -1;
 	ffs_opts->version = 1;
+	ffs_opts->softupdates = 0;
 
 	fsopts->fs_specific = ffs_opts;
 	fsopts->fs_options = copy_opts(ffs_options);
Index: head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
+++ head/usr.sbin/makefs/ffs/mkfs.c
@@ -279,6 +279,8 @@
 		sblock.fs_inopb = sblock.fs_bsize / sizeof(struct ufs2_dinode);
 		sblock.fs_maxsymlinklen = ((UFS_NDADDR + UFS_NIADDR) *
 		    sizeof (ufs2_daddr_t));
+		if (ffs_opts->softupdates == 1)
+			sblock.fs_flags |= FS_DOSOFTDEP;
 	}
 
 	sblock.fs_sblkno =
Index: head/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
===================================================================
--- head/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
+++ head/usr.sbin/makefs/makefs.8
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd April 6, 2017
+.Dd May 17, 2017
 .Dt MAKEFS 8
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -308,6 +308,8 @@
 .It Sy version
 UFS version.
 1 for FFS (default), 2 for UFS2.
+.It Sy softupdates
+0 for disable (default), 1 for enable
 .El
 .Ss CD9660-specific options
 .Sy cd9660