diff --git a/Mk/Scripts/functions.sh b/Mk/Scripts/functions.sh
--- a/Mk/Scripts/functions.sh
+++ b/Mk/Scripts/functions.sh
@@ -28,14 +28,20 @@
 	PREFIX="${1}"
 	parse_comments="${2:-1}"
 
+	if [ "${VARSUBS:-}" = "" ]; then
+		VARSUBS=$(mktemp)
+		export VARSUBS
+	fi
+
 	cwd=${PREFIX}
 	cwd_save=
 	commented_cwd=
-	_strip_perms | while read -r line; do
+	_strip_perms | while read -r _line; do
 		# Handle deactivated OPTIONS. Treat "@comment file" as being in
 		# the plist so it does not show up as an orphan. PLIST_SUB uses
 		# a @comment to deactive files. XXX: It would be better to
 		# make all ports use @ignore instead of @comment.
+		line=$(echo ${_line} | sed -f ${VARSUBS})
 		if [ ${parse_comments} -eq 1 -a -z "${line%%@comment *}" ]; then
 			line="${line##*@comment }"
 			# Strip (owner,group,perm) from keywords
@@ -75,6 +81,18 @@
 			*)  echo >&3 "${comment}${cwd}/${line%/}" ;;
 			esac
 		;;
+		@var\ *)
+			set -- $line
+			shift
+			var=$1
+			shift
+			value="$@"
+			echo "s,%%${var}%%,${value},g;" >> ${VARSUBS}
+		;;
+		@include\ *)
+			export _IN_INCLUDE=1
+			parse_plist "${PREFIX}" ${parse_comments} < ${line#* }
+		;;
 		# Handle [file] Keywords
 		@info\ *|@shell\ *|@xmlcatmgr\ *)
 			set -- $line
@@ -148,6 +166,12 @@
 		*)  echo "${comment}${cwd}/${line}" ;;
 		esac
 	done
+	if [ "${_IN_INCLUDE:-}" = "" ]; then
+		rm ${VARSUBS}
+		unset VARSUBS
+	else
+		unset _IN_INCLUDE
+	fi
 }
 
 validate_env() {
diff --git a/Mk/bsd.port.mk b/Mk/bsd.port.mk
--- a/Mk/bsd.port.mk
+++ b/Mk/bsd.port.mk
@@ -4642,47 +4642,51 @@
 # Generate packing list.  Also tests to make sure all required package
 # files exist.
 
-PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED=	${PLIST_SUB:N*_regex=*}
-
 .    if !target(generate-plist)
 generate-plist: ${WRKDIR}
 	@${ECHO_MSG} "===>   Generating temporary packing list"
 	@${MKDIR} ${TMPPLIST:H}
 	@if [ ! -f ${DESCR} ]; then ${ECHO_MSG} "** Missing pkg-descr for ${PKGNAME}."; exit 1; fi
 	@>${TMPPLIST}
+	@echo @include ${WRKDIR}/subs.plist >> ${TMPPLIST}
 	@for file in ${PLIST_FILES}; do \
-		${ECHO_CMD} $${file} | ${SED} ${PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED:S/$/!g/:S/^/ -e s!%%/:S/=/%%!/} >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
+		${ECHO_CMD} $${file} >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
 	done
 .      for sp in ${_PKGS}
 .        if ${sp} != ${PKGBASE}
 	@for file in ${PLIST_FILES${_SP.${sp}}}; do \
-		${ECHO_CMD} $${file} | ${SED} ${PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED:S/$/!g/:S/^/ -e s!%%/:S/=/%%!/} -e 's/^/@@${_SP.${sp}:S/^.//}@@/' >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
+		${ECHO_CMD} $${file} >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
 	done
 .        endif
 .      endfor
 .      if !empty(PLIST)
 .        for f in ${PLIST}
 	@if [ -f "${f}" ]; then \
-		${SED} ${PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED:S/$/!g/:S/^/ -e s!%%/:S/=/%%!/} ${f} >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
+		cat ${f} >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
 		for i in owner group mode; do ${ECHO_CMD} "@$$i"; done >> ${TMPPLIST}; \
 	fi
 .        endfor
 .      endif
 
 .      for dir in ${PLIST_DIRS}
-	@${ECHO_CMD} ${dir} | ${SED} ${PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED:S/$/!g/:S/^/ -e s!%%/:S/=/%%!/} -e 's,^,@dir ,' >> ${TMPPLIST}
+	@${ECHO_CMD} "@dir ${dir}" >> ${TMPPLIST}
 .      endfor
 
 .      for sp in ${_PKGS}
 .        if ${sp} != ${PKGBASE}
 .          for dir in ${PLIST_DIRS${_SP.${sp}}}
-	@${ECHO_CMD} ${dir} | ${SED} ${PLIST_SUB_SANITIZED:S/$/!g/:S/^/ -e s!%%/:S/=/%%!/} -e 's,^,@@${_SP.${sp}:S/^.//}@@@dir ,' >> ${TMPPLIST}
+	@${ECHO_CMD} "@dir ${dir}" >> ${TMPPLIST}
 .          endfor
 .        endif
 .      endfor
 .    endif
 
-${TMPPLIST}:
+${WRKDIR}/subs.plist:
+.    for sub in ${PLIST_SUB}
+		@echo "@var ${sub:C/=/ /}" >> ${.TARGET}
+.    endfor
+
+${TMPPLIST}: ${WRKDIR}/subs.plist
 	@cd ${.CURDIR} && ${MAKE} generate-plist
 
 .    for _type in EXAMPLES DOCS
@@ -4812,7 +4816,7 @@
 .    endif
 
 .    if !target(check-plist)
-check-plist: stage
+check-plist: stage ${WRKDIR}/subs.plist
 	@${ECHO_MSG} "====> Checking for pkg-plist issues (check-plist)"
 	@${SETENV} ${CO_ENV} ${SH} ${SCRIPTSDIR}/check-stagedir.sh checkplist
 	@${ECHO_MSG} "===> No pkg-plist issues found (check-plist)"