Index: Makefile.inc1
===================================================================
--- Makefile.inc1
+++ Makefile.inc1
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@
 SRCDIR?=	${.CURDIR}
 LOCALBASE?=	/usr/local
 
+.include "share/mk/src.bootools.mk"
+
 # Cross toolchain changes must be in effect before bsd.compiler.mk
 # so that gets the right CC, and pass CROSS_TOOLCHAIN to submakes.
 .if defined(CROSS_TOOLCHAIN)
@@ -887,8 +889,8 @@
 INSTALLFLAGS+=	-h sha256
 .endif
 .if defined(DB_FROM_SRC) || defined(NO_ROOT)
-IMAKE_INSTALL=	INSTALL="install ${INSTALLFLAGS}"
-IMAKE_MTREE=	MTREE_CMD="mtree ${MTREEFLAGS}"
+IMAKE_INSTALL=	INSTALL="${INSTALL_CMD} ${INSTALLFLAGS}"
+IMAKE_MTREE=	MTREE_CMD="${MTREE_CMD} ${MTREEFLAGS}"
 .endif
 
 DESTDIR_MTREEFLAGS=	-deU
@@ -900,7 +902,7 @@
 # that are created by mtree to be owned by root/wheel.
 DESTDIR_MTREEFLAGS+=	-W
 .endif
-MTREE?=	mtree
+MTREE?=	${MTREE_CMD}
 .if ${BUILD_WITH_STRICT_TMPPATH} != 0
 MTREE=	${WORLDTMP}/legacy/usr/sbin/mtree
 .endif
Index: etc/Makefile
===================================================================
--- etc/Makefile
+++ etc/Makefile
@@ -2,11 +2,11 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <src.opts.mk>
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
 
 FILESGROUPS=	FILES
 NLS_ALIASES=	POSIX C \
 		en_US.US_ASCII C
-PWD_MKDB_CMD?=	pwd_mkdb
 
 # No need as it is empty and just causes rebuilds since this file does so much.
 UPDATE_DEPENDFILE=	no
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@
 .endif
 .endif
 
-MTREE_CMD?=	mtree
-
 MTREES=		mtree/BSD.root.dist		/		\
 		mtree/BSD.var.dist		/var		\
 		mtree/BSD.usr.dist		/usr		\
Index: lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
===================================================================
--- lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
+++ lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
@@ -545,11 +545,13 @@
 
 MLINKS+=wordexp.3 wordfree.3
 
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
+
 afterinstallconfig:
 .if ${MK_TCSH} == "no"
 	sed -i "" -e 's;/bin/csh;/bin/sh;' ${DESTDIR}/etc/master.passwd
 .endif
-	pwd_mkdb -i -p -d ${DESTDIR}/etc ${DESTDIR}/etc/master.passwd
+	${PWD_MKDB_CMD} -i -p -d ${DESTDIR}/etc ${DESTDIR}/etc/master.passwd
 .if defined(NO_ROOT) && defined(METALOG)
 	( \
 		echo "./etc/pwd.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
Index: share/mk/src.bootools.mk
===================================================================
--- /dev/null
+++ share/mk/src.bootools.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# Various (hence "Boo":) Tools used by the FreeBSD make installworld /
+# distrib-dirs / distribution / installkernel targets. Also called
+# "bootstrap tools" historically, however that name seemed to be ambiguous,
+# as those tools merely help distributing the OS build artefacts into staging
+# / production area.
+#
+# Very tiny subset of "itools", if you are old enough to know what it is.
+#
+# Please keep the list short, this file may and will be included from
+# many places within the source tree. Rule of thumb: if the above mentioned
+# targets survive with MYBOOTOOL_CMD=false, then MYBOOTOOL_CMD probably
+# does not belong here. Stick it somewhere else, thank you very much!
+#
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+.if !target(__<src.bootools.mk>__)
+
+INSTALL_CMD?=	install
+MTREE_CMD?=	mtree
+PWD_MKDB_CMD?=	pwd_mkdb
+SERVICES_MKDB_CMD?=	services_mkdb
+CAP_MKDB_CMD?=	cap_mkdb
+
+__<src.bootools.mk>__:
+.endif  # !target(__<bootools>__)
Index: share/mk/sys.mk
===================================================================
--- share/mk/sys.mk
+++ share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -234,7 +234,11 @@
 .endif
 EFLAGS		?=
 
+.if !defined(INSTALL_CMD)
 INSTALL		?=	install
+.else
+INSTALL		?=	${INSTALL_CMD}
+.endif
 
 LEX		?=	lex
 LFLAGS		?=
Index: share/termcap/Makefile
===================================================================
--- share/termcap/Makefile
+++ share/termcap/Makefile
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
 CONFS=		termcap.small
 
 .include <bsd.endian.mk>
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
 
 termcap.db: termcap
-	cap_mkdb ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -f ${.TARGET:R} ${.ALLSRC}
+	${CAP_MKDB_CMD} ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -f ${.TARGET:R} ${.ALLSRC}
 
 etc-termcap:
 	${INSTALL_SYMLINK} ${BINDIR}/misc/termcap ${DESTDIR}/etc/termcap
Index: usr.bin/login/Makefile
===================================================================
--- usr.bin/login/Makefile
+++ usr.bin/login/Makefile
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <src.opts.mk>
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
 
 CONFS=	fbtab login.conf motd login.access
 PROG=	login
 SRCS=	login.c login_fbtab.c
 CFLAGS+=-DLOGALL
 LIBADD=	util pam
-CAP_MKDB_CMD?=	cap_mkdb
 
 WARNS?=	5
 
Index: usr.bin/vgrind/Makefile
===================================================================
--- usr.bin/vgrind/Makefile
+++ usr.bin/vgrind/Makefile
@@ -19,8 +19,9 @@
 CLEANFILES= vgrindefs.src.db
 
 .include <bsd.endian.mk>
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
 
 vgrindefs.src.db: vgrindefs.src
-	cap_mkdb ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -f vgrindefs.src ${.ALLSRC}
+	${CAP_MKDB_CMD} ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -f vgrindefs.src ${.ALLSRC}
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
Index: usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
+++ usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 PROG=	services_mkdb
 MAN=	services_mkdb.8
 SRCS=	services_mkdb.c uniq.c extern.h
-SERVICES_MKDB_CMD?=	${PROG}
 
 .include <bsd.endian.mk>
 .include <src.opts.mk>
 .if ${MK_SERVICESDB} != "no"
+# SERVICES_MKDB_CMD defined here
+.include <src.bootools.mk>
+
 afterinstallconfig:
 	${SERVICES_MKDB_CMD} ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -q -o ${DESTDIR}/var/db/services.db \
 		${DESTDIR}/etc/services