diff --git a/archivers/gtar/Makefile b/archivers/gtar/Makefile
index b2e470b63b6d..bcfa094a5f4f 100644
--- a/archivers/gtar/Makefile
+++ b/archivers/gtar/Makefile
@@ -1,40 +1,42 @@
 PORTNAME=	tar
 DISTVERSION=	1.35
 CATEGORIES=	archivers sysutils
 MASTER_SITES=	GNU
 PKGNAMEPREFIX=	g
 
 MAINTAINER=	naddy@FreeBSD.org
 COMMENT=	GNU version of the traditional tape archiver
 WWW=		https://www.gnu.org/software/tar/
 
 LICENSE=	GPLv3+
 LICENSE_FILE=	${WRKSRC}/COPYING
 
 INFO=		tar
 
 USES=		charsetfix cpe iconv:${STATIC_ARGS} localbase tar:xz
 CPE_VENDOR=	gnu
 GNU_CONFIGURE=	yes
 CONFIGURE_ARGS=	--program-prefix=g
+# unbuckle safety belt: FreeBSD/i386 still has 32-bit time_t
+CONFIGURE_ARGS+=--disable-year2038
 CONFIGURE_ENV=	DEFAULT_RMT_COMMAND=/etc/rmt
 # supply result to skip a test that will abort configure if run as root
 CONFIGURE_ENV+=	gl_cv_func_mknod_works=yes
 
 # 1.35 has too many problems in the testsuite:
 # missing .at source files, bashisms, brittle xz tests
 #TEST_TARGET=	check
 
 OPTIONS_DEFINE=	NLS STATIC
 OPTIONS_SUB=	yes
 
 NLS_USES=	gettext-runtime:${STATIC_ARGS}
 NLS_CONFIGURE_ENABLE=	nls
 
 STATIC_LDFLAGS=	-static
 STATIC_CONFIGURE_ENV=	SHLIBEXT=""
 
 STATIC_VARS=	STATIC_ARGS=build
 STATIC_VARS_OFF=	STATIC_ARGS=lib
 
 .include <bsd.port.mk>