diff --git a/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/mktar.c b/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/mktar.c
--- a/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/mktar.c
+++ b/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/mktar.c
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #define SHORTLINKNAME	"short_link"
 #define LONGLINKNAME	"long_link"
 
+static bool opt_g;
 static bool opt_v;
 
 static void verbose(const char *fmt, ...)
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@
 usage(void)
 {
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [-v] tarfile\n", PROGNAME);
+	fprintf(stderr, "usage: %s [-gv] tarfile\n", PROGNAME);
 	exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
 }
 
@@ -175,8 +176,10 @@
 	int opt, wstatus;
 	pid_t pid;
 
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "v")) != -1)
+	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "gv")) != -1)
 		switch (opt) {
+		case 'g':
+			opt_g = true;
 		case 'v':
 			opt_v = true;
 			break;
@@ -220,10 +223,12 @@
 		err(1, "fork()");
 	if (pid == 0) {
 		verbose("creating tarball");
-		execlp("tar", "tar",
+		execlp(opt_g ? "gtar" : "tar",
+		    "tar",
 		    "-c",
 		    "-f", tarfilename,
 		    "-C", dirname,
+		    "--posix",
 		    "--zstd",
 #if 0
 		    "--options", "zstd:frame-per-file",
diff --git a/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/tarfs_test.sh b/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/tarfs_test.sh
--- a/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/tarfs_test.sh
+++ b/tests/sys/fs/tarfs/tarfs_test.sh
@@ -26,12 +26,23 @@
 # SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
 
-mktar="$(dirname $(realpath "$0"))"/mktar
 mnt="$(realpath ${TMPDIR:-/tmp})/mnt"
 
 # expected SHA256 checksum of file contained in test tarball
 sum=4da2143234486307bb44eaa610375301781a577d1172f362b88bb4b1643dee62
 
+tar() {
+	if [ -n "${TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR}" ] ; then
+		gtar --posix --absolute-names "$@"
+	else
+		bsdtar "$@"
+	fi
+}
+
+mktar() {
+	"$(atf_get_srcdir)"/mktar ${TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR+-g} "$@"
+}
+
 atf_test_case tarfs_basic cleanup
 tarfs_basic_head() {
 	atf_set "descr" "Basic function test"
@@ -41,7 +52,7 @@
 	local tarball="${PWD}/tarfs_test.tar.zst"
 	kldload -n tarfs || atf_skip "This test requires tarfs and could not load it"
 	mkdir "${mnt}"
-	"${mktar}" "${tarball}"
+	mktar "${tarball}"
 	atf_check mount -rt tarfs "${tarball}" "${mnt}"
 	atf_check -o match:"^${tarball} on ${mnt} \(tarfs," mount
 	atf_check_equal "$(stat -f%d,%i "${mnt}"/sparse_file)" "$(stat -f%d,%i "${mnt}"/hard_link)"
@@ -53,6 +64,20 @@
 	umount "${mnt}" || true
 }
 
+atf_test_case tarfs_basic_gnu cleanup
+tarfs_basic_gnu_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Basic function test using GNU tar"
+	atf_set "require.user" "root"
+	atf_set "require.progs" "gtar"
+}
+tarfs_basic_gnu_body() {
+	TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR=true
+	tarfs_basic_body
+}
+tarfs_basic_gnu_cleanup() {
+	tarfs_basic_cleanup
+}
+
 atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_device cleanup
 tarfs_notdir_device_head() {
 	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561"
@@ -62,11 +87,11 @@
 	kldload -n tarfs || atf_skip "This test requires tarfs and could not load it"
 	mkdir "${mnt}"
 	atf_check mknod d b 0xdead 0xbeef
-	tar cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
+	tar -cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
 	rm d
 	mkdir d
 	echo "boom" >d/f
-	tar rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/f
+	tar -rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/f
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Invalid" \
 	    mount -rt tarfs tarfs_notdir.tar "${mnt}"
 }
@@ -74,6 +99,20 @@
 	umount "${mnt}" || true
 }
 
+atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_device_gnu cleanup
+tarfs_notdir_device_gnu_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561 using GNU tar"
+	atf_set "require.user" "root"
+	atf_set "require.progs" "gtar"
+}
+tarfs_notdir_device_gnu_body() {
+	TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR=true
+	tarfs_notdir_device_body
+}
+tarfs_notdir_device_gnu_cleanup() {
+	tarfs_notdir_device_cleanup
+}
+
 atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_dot cleanup
 tarfs_notdir_dot_head() {
 	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561"
@@ -83,11 +122,11 @@
 	kldload -n tarfs || atf_skip "This test requires tarfs and could not load it"
 	mkdir "${mnt}"
 	echo "hello" >d
-	tar cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
+	tar -cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
 	rm d
 	mkdir d
 	echo "world" >d/f
-	tar rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/./f
+	tar -rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/./f
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Invalid" \
 	    mount -rt tarfs tarfs_notdir.tar "${mnt}"
 }
@@ -95,6 +134,20 @@
 	umount "${mnt}" || true
 }
 
+atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_dot_gnu cleanup
+tarfs_notdir_dot_gnu_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561 using GNU tar"
+	atf_set "require.user" "root"
+	atf_set "require.progs" "gtar"
+}
+tarfs_notdir_dot_gnu_body() {
+	TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR=true
+	tarfs_notdir_dot_body
+}
+tarfs_notdir_dot_gnu_cleanup() {
+	tarfs_notdir_dot_cleanup
+}
+
 atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_dotdot cleanup
 tarfs_notdir_dotdot_head() {
 	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561"
@@ -104,11 +157,11 @@
 	kldload -n tarfs || atf_skip "This test requires tarfs and could not load it"
 	mkdir "${mnt}"
 	echo "hello" >d
-	tar cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
+	tar -cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
 	rm d
 	mkdir d
 	echo "world" >f
-	tar rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/../f
+	tar -rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/../f
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Invalid" \
 	    mount -rt tarfs tarfs_notdir.tar "${mnt}"
 }
@@ -116,6 +169,20 @@
 	umount "${mnt}" || true
 }
 
+atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_dotdot_gnu cleanup
+tarfs_notdir_dotdot_gnu_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561 using GNU tar"
+	atf_set "require.user" "root"
+	atf_set "require.progs" "gtar"
+}
+tarfs_notdir_dotdot_gnu_body() {
+	TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR=true
+	tarfs_notdir_dotdot_body
+}
+tarfs_notdir_dotdot_gnu_cleanup() {
+	tarfs_notdir_dotdot_cleanup
+}
+
 atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_file cleanup
 tarfs_notdir_file_head() {
 	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561"
@@ -125,11 +192,11 @@
 	kldload -n tarfs || atf_skip "This test requires tarfs and could not load it"
 	mkdir "${mnt}"
 	echo "hello" >d
-	tar cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
+	tar -cf tarfs_notdir.tar d
 	rm d
 	mkdir d
 	echo "world" >d/f
-	tar rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/f
+	tar -rf tarfs_notdir.tar d/f
 	atf_check -s not-exit:0 -e match:"Invalid" \
 	    mount -rt tarfs tarfs_notdir.tar "${mnt}"
 }
@@ -137,10 +204,29 @@
 	umount "${mnt}" || true
 }
 
+atf_test_case tarfs_notdir_file_gnu cleanup
+tarfs_notdir_file_gnu_head() {
+	atf_set "descr" "Regression test for PR 269519 and 269561 using GNU tar"
+	atf_set "require.user" "root"
+	atf_set "require.progs" "gtar"
+}
+tarfs_notdir_file_gnu_body() {
+	TARFS_USE_GNU_TAR=true
+	tarfs_notdir_file_body
+}
+tarfs_notdir_file_gnu_cleanup() {
+	tarfs_notdir_file_cleanup
+}
+
 atf_init_test_cases() {
 	atf_add_test_case tarfs_basic
+	atf_add_test_case tarfs_basic_gnu
 	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_device
+	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_device_gnu
 	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_dot
+	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_dot_gnu
 	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_dotdot
+	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_dotdot_gnu
 	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_file
+	atf_add_test_case tarfs_notdir_file_gnu
 }