diff --git a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
index 483875a01a57..2e625cf553e5 100644
--- a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
@@ -1,30 +1,31 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <src.opts.mk>
 
 _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 _LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcat
-BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cat
 SRCS=	bsdcat.c cmdline.c
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 SRCS+=	err.c
 
 CFLAGS+= -DBSDCAT_VERSION_STRING=\"${BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING}\"
 CFLAGS+= -DPLATFORM_CONFIG_H=\"${_LIBARCHIVECONFDIR}/config_freebsd.h\"
 CFLAGS+= -I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cat -I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 
 LIBADD=	archive
 
 .if ${MK_ICONV} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DHAVE_ICONV=1 -DHAVE_ICONV_H=1 -DICONV_CONST=const
 .endif
 
 HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
index 6855e3e2d77e..f9f344429a91 100644
--- a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
@@ -1,33 +1,34 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <src.opts.mk>
 
 _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 _LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcpio
-BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cpio
 SRCS=	cpio.c cmdline.c
 
 .PATH:	${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 SRCS+=	err.c line_reader.c passphrase.c
 
 CFLAGS+= -DBSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING=\"${BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING}\"
 CFLAGS+= -DPLATFORM_CONFIG_H=\"${_LIBARCHIVECONFDIR}/config_freebsd.h\"
 CFLAGS+= -I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/cpio -I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 
 LIBADD=	archive
 
 .if ${MK_ICONV} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DHAVE_ICONV=1 -DHAVE_ICONV_H=1 -DICONV_CONST=const
 .endif
 
 SYMLINKS=bsdcpio ${BINDIR}/cpio
 MLINKS= bsdcpio.1 cpio.1
 
 HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
index d6154dc3b30d..c58671d59aa0 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
@@ -1,40 +1,41 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 .include <src.opts.mk>
 
 _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 
 PACKAGE=	runtime
 PROG=	bsdtar
-BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.1
+BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING!=	sed -n '/define.*ARCHIVE_VERSION_ONLY_STRING/{s,[^0-9.],,gp;q;}' \
+			${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive/archive.h
 
 .PATH: ${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/tar
 SRCS=	bsdtar.c	\
 	cmdline.c	\
 	creation_set.c	\
 	read.c		\
 	subst.c		\
 	util.c		\
 	write.c
 
 .PATH: ${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 SRCS+=	err.c		\
 	line_reader.c	\
 	passphrase.c
 
 LIBADD=	archive
 
 .if ${MK_ICONV} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DHAVE_ICONV=1 -DHAVE_ICONV_H=1 -DICONV_CONST=const
 .endif
 
 CFLAGS+=	-DBSDTAR_VERSION_STRING=\"${BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING}\"
 CFLAGS+=	-DPLATFORM_CONFIG_H=\"${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive/config_freebsd.h\"
 CFLAGS+=	-I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/tar -I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive
 CFLAGS+=	-I${_LIBARCHIVEDIR}/libarchive_fe
 SYMLINKS=	bsdtar ${BINDIR}/tar
 MLINKS=	bsdtar.1 tar.1
 
 HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>