Index: usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
===================================================================
--- usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
+++ usr.sbin/freebsd-update/freebsd-update.sh
@@ -2521,19 +2521,6 @@
 	mv $2 $3
 }
 
-# Helper for upgrade_merge: Return zero true iff the two files differ only
-# in the contents of their RCS tags.
-samef () {
-	X=`sed -E 's/\\$FreeBSD.*\\$/\$FreeBSD\$/' < $1 | ${SHA256}`
-	Y=`sed -E 's/\\$FreeBSD.*\\$/\$FreeBSD\$/' < $2 | ${SHA256}`
-
-	if [ $X = $Y ]; then
-		return 0;
-	else
-		return 1;
-	fi
-}
-
 # From the list of "old" files in $1, merge changes in $2 with those in $3,
 # and update $3 to reflect the hashes of merged files.
 upgrade_merge () {
@@ -2620,7 +2607,7 @@
 			# If the installed file differs from the version in
 			# the old release only due to RCS tag expansion
 			# then just use the version in the new release.
-			if samef merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
+			if cmp -s merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
 				cp merge/${RELNUM}/${F} merge/new/${F}
 				continue
 			fi
@@ -2660,7 +2647,7 @@
 			# Skip files which haven't changed except possibly
 			# in their RCS tags.
 			if [ -f merge/old/${F} ] && [ -f merge/new/${F} ] &&
-			    samef merge/old/${F} merge/new/${F}; then
+			    cmp -s merge/old/${F} merge/new/${F}; then
 				continue
 			fi
 
@@ -2668,7 +2655,7 @@
 			# the old file only due to RCS tags.
 			if [ -f merge/old/${F} ] &&
 			    [ -f merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F} ] &&
-			    samef merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
+			    cmp -s merge/old/${F} merge/${OLDRELNUM}/${F}; then
 				continue
 			fi