Index: ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
===================================================================
--- ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
+++ ports-mgmt/portlint/src/portlint.pl
@@ -1479,6 +1479,21 @@
 					"please define INSTALLS_ICONS as appropriate");
 			}
 
+			if ($plist_file =~ m|\%\%([^%]+)\%\%|) {
+				if ($1 eq 'PORTDOCS') {
+					&perror("FATAL", "", -1, "PLIST_FILES: contains an entry with ".
+						"%%PORTDOCS%% placeholder, please use \${PORTDOCS} or ".
+						"PORTDOCS instead.");
+				} elsif ($1 eq 'PORTEXAMPLES') {
+					&perror("FATAL", "", -1, "PLIST_FILES: contains an entry with ".
+						"%%PORTEXAMPLES%% placeholder, please use \${PORTEXAMPLES} or ".
+						"PORTEXAMPLES instead.");
+				} else {
+					&perror("FATAL", "", -1, "PLIST_FILES: contains an entry with ".
+						"%%".$1."%% placeholder, please use \${".$1."} variable or ".
+						$1."_PLIST_FILES instead.");
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	}