diff --git a/share/man/man5/src.conf.5 b/share/man/man5/src.conf.5
--- a/share/man/man5/src.conf.5
+++ b/share/man/man5/src.conf.5
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .\" DO NOT EDIT-- this file is @generated by tools/build/options/makeman.
-.Dd March 1, 2024
+.Dd March 7, 2024
 .Dt SRC.CONF 5
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -328,6 +328,9 @@
 .It
 .Va WITHOUT_ZFS
 .El
+.It Va WITHOUT_CHECK_SYMBOLS
+Disable automatic checking of library symbols and versions against a
+reference list.
 .It Va WITHOUT_CLANG
 Do not build the Clang C/C++ compiler during the regular phase of the build.
 When set, it enforces these options:
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk b/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
--- a/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
@@ -404,6 +404,9 @@
 			false; \
 		fi \
 	fi
+.if !defined(_SKIP_BUILD) && ${MK_CHECK_SYMBOLS} == yes
+all: check-symbols
+.endif
 
 update-symref: ${SHLIB_NAME}.symbols
 	cp ${SHLIB_NAME}.symbols ${SYMBOLS_REF}
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.opts.mk b/share/mk/bsd.opts.mk
--- a/share/mk/bsd.opts.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.opts.mk
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 
 __DEFAULT_YES_OPTIONS = \
     ASSERT_DEBUG \
+    CHECK_SYMBOLS \
     DEBUG_FILES \
     DOCCOMPRESS \
     INCLUDES \
diff --git a/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_CHECK_SYMBOLS b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_CHECK_SYMBOLS
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/options/WITHOUT_CHECK_SYMBOLS
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Disable automatic checking of library symbols and versions against a
+reference list.