diff --git a/stand/userboot/userboot/Makefile b/stand/userboot/userboot/Makefile
index 15ac8701e4d4..4674672bbec5 100644
--- a/stand/userboot/userboot/Makefile
+++ b/stand/userboot/userboot/Makefile
@@ -1,66 +1,66 @@
 
 LOADER_MSDOS_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_UFS_SUPPORT?=	yes
 LOADER_CD9660_SUPPORT?=	no
 LOADER_EXT2FS_SUPPORT?=	no
 PIC=yes
 
 # Note: -nostdlib needs to be added to LDFLAGS before including defs.mk
 LDFLAGS+=	-nostdlib -Wl,-Bsymbolic
 
 .include <bsd.init.mk>
 
 SHLIB_NAME=	userboot_${LOADER_INTERP}.so
 STRIP=
 LIBDIR=		/boot
 
 .PATH:		${.CURDIR}/../userboot
 SRCS=		autoload.c
 SRCS+=		bcache.c
 SRCS+=		biossmap.c
 SRCS+=		bootinfo.c
 SRCS+=		bootinfo32.c
 SRCS+=		bootinfo64.c
 SRCS+=		conf.c
 SRCS+=		copy.c
 SRCS+=		devicename.c
 SRCS+=		elf32_freebsd.c
 SRCS+=		elf64_freebsd.c
 SRCS+=		host.c
 SRCS+=		main.c
 SRCS+=		userboot_cons.c
 SRCS+=		userboot_disk.c
 SRCS+=		vers.c
 
 CFLAGS+=	-Wall
 CFLAGS+=	-I${BOOTSRC}/userboot
 
 .if ${MK_LOADER_ZFS} != "no"
 CFLAGS.main.c+=	-I${BOOTSRC}/libsa/zfs
 CFLAGS.main.c+=	-I${SYSDIR}/contrib/openzfs/include
 CFLAGS.main.c+=	-I${SYSDIR}/contrib/openzfs/include/os/freebsd/zfs
 .endif
 
 CWARNFLAGS.main.c += -Wno-implicit-function-declaration
 
 NEWVERSWHAT=	"User boot ${LOADER_INTERP}" ${MACHINE_CPUARCH}
-VERSION_FILE=	${.CURDIR}/../userboot/version
+VERSION_FILE?=	${.CURDIR}/../userboot/version
 
 .if ${LOADER_INTERP} == ${LOADER_DEFAULT_INTERP}
 LINKS+=		${BINDIR}/${SHLIB_NAME} ${BINDIR}/userboot.so
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_LOADER_ZFS} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DUSERBOOT_ZFS_SUPPORT
 HAVE_ZFS=yes
 .endif
 
 HELP_FILENAME=	loader.help.userboot
 
 # Always add MI sources
 .include	"${BOOTSRC}/loader.mk"
 CFLAGS+=	-I.
 DPADD+=		${LDR_INTERP} ${LIBSA}
 LDADD+=		${LDR_INTERP} ${LIBSA}
 
 .include <bsd.lib.mk>