Index: head/lib/libutil/Makefile
===================================================================
--- head/lib/libutil/Makefile
+++ head/lib/libutil/Makefile
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
 	pw_util.3 pw_make.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_make_v7.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_mkdb.3 \
+	pw_util.3 pw_mkdb2.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_lock.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_scan.3 \
 	pw_util.3 pw_tempname.3 \
Index: head/lib/libutil/libutil.h
===================================================================
--- head/lib/libutil/libutil.h
+++ head/lib/libutil/libutil.h
@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@
 #endif
 
 #ifdef _PWD_H_
+#define PWDB_NATIVE 0
+#define PWDB_LE 1
+#define PWDB_BE 2
 int	pw_copy(int _ffd, int _tfd, const struct passwd *_pw,
 	    struct passwd *_old_pw);
 struct passwd
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@
 char	*pw_make(const struct passwd *_pw);
 char	*pw_make_v7(const struct passwd *_pw);
 int	pw_mkdb(const char *_user);
+int	pw_mkdb2(const char *_user, int endian);
 int	pw_lock(void);
 struct passwd *
 	pw_scan(const char *_line, int _flags);
Index: head/lib/libutil/pw_util.3
===================================================================
--- head/lib/libutil/pw_util.3
+++ head/lib/libutil/pw_util.3
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 .Nm pw_make ,
 .Nm pw_make_v7 ,
 .Nm pw_mkdb ,
+.Nm pw_mkdb2 ,
 .Nm pw_lock ,
 .Nm pw_scan ,
 .Nm pw_tempname ,
@@ -66,6 +67,8 @@
 .Ft int
 .Fn pw_mkdb "const char *user"
 .Ft int
+.Fn pw_mkdb "const char *user" "int endian"
+.Ft int
 .Fn pw_lock "void"
 .Ft "struct passwd *"
 .Fn pw_scan "const char *line" "int flags"
@@ -225,11 +228,30 @@
 .Xr pwd_mkdb 8 .
 If
 .Fa user
-only the record corresponding to that user will be updated.
+is set, only the record corresponding to that user will be updated.
 The
 .Fn pw_mkdb
 function returns 0 in case of success and -1 in case of failure.
 .Pp
+.Fn pw_mkdb2
+function regenerates the password database by running
+.Xr pwd_mkdb 8 .
+If
+.Fa user
+is set, only the record corresponding to that user will be updated.
+.Pp
+The
+.Fa endian
+variable can take the following values
+.Bl -tag -width PWDB_NATIVE
+.It Dv PWDB_NATIVE
+the database will be generated in host native endianness.
+.It Dv PWDB_LE
+the database will be generated in Little-endian.
+.It Dv PWDB_BE
+the database will be generated in Big-endian.
+.El
+.Pp
 The
 .Fn pw_lock
 function locks the master password file.
Index: head/lib/libutil/pw_util.c
===================================================================
--- head/lib/libutil/pw_util.c
+++ head/lib/libutil/pw_util.c
@@ -242,14 +242,36 @@
 	return (tfd);
 }
 
+int
+pw_mkdb(const char *user)
+{
+
+	return (pw_mkdb2(user, PWDB_NATIVE));
+}
+
 /*
  * Regenerate the password database.
  */
 int
-pw_mkdb(const char *user)
+pw_mkdb2(const char *user, int endian)
 {
 	int pstat;
 	pid_t pid;
+	const char *arg;
+
+	switch (endian) {
+	case PWDB_NATIVE:
+		arg = "-p";
+		break;
+	case PWDB_LE:
+		arg = "-pL";
+		break;
+	case PWDB_BE:
+		arg = "-pB";
+		break;
+	default:
+		return (-1);
+	}
 
 	(void)fflush(stderr);
 	switch ((pid = fork())) {
@@ -258,10 +280,10 @@
 	case 0:
 		/* child */
 		if (user == NULL)
-			execl(_PATH_PWD_MKDB, "pwd_mkdb", "-p",
+			execl(_PATH_PWD_MKDB, "pwd_mkdb", arg,
 			    "-d", passwd_dir, tempname, (char *)NULL);
 		else
-			execl(_PATH_PWD_MKDB, "pwd_mkdb", "-p",
+			execl(_PATH_PWD_MKDB, "pwd_mkdb", arg,
 			    "-d", passwd_dir, "-u", user, tempname,
 			    (char *)NULL);
 		_exit(1);