diff --git a/share/mk/src.opts.mk b/share/mk/src.opts.mk
--- a/share/mk/src.opts.mk
+++ b/share/mk/src.opts.mk
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
     MLX5TOOL \
     NETCAT \
     NETGRAPH \
+    NETLINK \
     NLS_CATALOGS \
     NS_CACHING \
     NTP \
@@ -233,6 +234,7 @@
     KERBEROS \
     KVM \
     NETGRAPH \
+    NETLINK \
     PAM \
     TESTS \
     WIRELESS
diff --git a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_NETLINK_SUPPORT b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_NETLINK_SUPPORT
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_NETLINK_SUPPORT
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+.\" $FreeBSD$
+Make libraries and programs use rtsock and
+.Xr sysctl 3
+interfaces instead of
+.Xr snl 3 .
diff --git a/usr.bin/netstat/Makefile b/usr.bin/netstat/Makefile
--- a/usr.bin/netstat/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/netstat/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 PROG=	netstat
 SRCS=	if.c inet.c main.c mbuf.c mroute.c netisr.c nl_symbols.c route.c \
 	unix.c mroute6.c ipsec.c bpf.c pfkey.c sctp.c common.c nhops.c nhgrp.c \
-	route_netlink.c \
 	nl_defs.h
 
 nl_symbols.c: nlist_symbols
@@ -64,4 +63,10 @@
 CFLAGS+=-DNETGRAPH
 .endif
 
+.if ${MK_NETLINK_SUPPORT} != "no"
+SRCS+=	route_netlink.c
+.else
+CFLAGS+=-DWITHOUT_NETLINK
+.endif
+
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/netstat/route.c b/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
--- a/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
+++ b/usr.bin/netstat/route.c
@@ -96,16 +96,20 @@
 	{ 0 , 0, NULL }
 };
 
+#ifdef WITHOUT_NETLINK
 static struct ifmap_entry *ifmap;
 static size_t ifmap_size;
+#endif
 static struct timespec uptime;
 
 static const char *netname4(in_addr_t, in_addr_t);
 #ifdef INET6
 static const char *netname6(struct sockaddr_in6 *, struct sockaddr_in6 *);
 #endif
+#ifdef WITHOUT_NETLINK
 static void p_rtable_sysctl(int, int);
 static void p_rtentry_sysctl(const char *name, struct rt_msghdr *);
+#endif
 static void domask(char *, size_t, u_long);
 
 const uint32_t rt_default_weight = RT_DEFAULT_WEIGHT;
@@ -143,8 +147,11 @@
 	if (fibnum)
 		xo_emit(" ({L:fib}: {:fib/%d})", fibnum);
 	xo_emit("\n");
-	if (!p_rtable_netlink(fibnum, af))
-		p_rtable_sysctl(fibnum, af);
+#ifdef WITHOUT_NETLINK
+	p_rtable_sysctl(fibnum, af);
+#else
+	p_rtable_netlink(fibnum, af);
+#endif
 	xo_close_container("route-information");
 }
 
@@ -240,6 +247,7 @@
 	wid.expire = 6;
 }
 
+#ifdef WITHOUT_NETLINK
 static void
 p_rtable_sysctl(int fibnum, int af)
 {
@@ -365,6 +373,7 @@
 	xo_emit("\n");
 	xo_close_instance(name);
 }
+#endif
 
 int
 p_sockaddr(const char *name, struct sockaddr *sa, struct sockaddr *mask,