diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk b/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
--- a/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.compat.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 .if !targets(__<${_this:T}>__)
 __<${_this:T}>__:
 
-_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:=	32
+.include <bsd.compat.pre.mk>
 
 .if defined(_LIBCOMPATS)
 COMPAT_ARCH?=	${TARGET_ARCH}
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.compat.pre.mk b/share/mk/bsd.compat.pre.mk
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.compat.pre.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+.if !targets(__<${_this:T}>__)
+__<${_this:T}>__:
+
+_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:=	32
+
+_ALL_libcompats:=	${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:tl}
+
+# List of LIBCOMPAT libcompat pairs to avoid repeating this ugly expression.
+# Can be used as: .for LIBCOMPAT libcompat in ${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS_libcompats}
+_ALL_LIBCOMPATS_libcompats:= \
+	${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:range:@i@${_ALL_LIBCOMPATS:[$i]} ${_ALL_libcompats:[$i]}@}
+
+.endif