diff --git a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
index 992874f9eac4..c2864b7e7aba 100644
--- a/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/bsdcat/Makefile
@@ -1,39 +1,40 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <bsd.own.mk>
 
 _LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${SRCTOP}/contrib/libarchive
 _LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${SRCTOP}/lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcat
-BSDCAT_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.0
+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
 
 DPADD=  ${LIBARCHIVE} ${LIBBZ2} ${LIBZ} ${LIBLZMA} ${LIBPTHREAD} ${LIBBSDXML}
 LDADD=  -larchive -lbz2 -lz -llzma -lpthread -lbsdxml
 .if ${MK_OPENSSL} != "no"
 DPADD+= ${LIBCRYPTO}
 LDADD+= -lcrypto
 .else
 DPADD+= ${LIBMD}
 LDADD+= -lmd
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_ICONV} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DHAVE_ICONV=1 -DHAVE_ICONV_H=1 -DICONV_CONST=const
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_TESTS} != "no"
 SUBDIR+=	tests
 .endif
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
index 12211978fe83..ab2e6b74a897 100644
--- a/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/cpio/Makefile
@@ -1,47 +1,48 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 .include <bsd.own.mk>
 
 LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${.CURDIR}/../../contrib/libarchive
 LIBARCHIVECONFDIR=	${.CURDIR}/../../lib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdcpio
-BSDCPIO_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.0
+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
 
 .ifdef RELEASE_CRUNCH
 # FreeBSD's installer uses cpio in crunched binaries that are
 # statically linked, cannot use -lcrypto, and are size sensitive.
 CFLAGS+= -DSMALLER
 .endif
 DPADD=	${LIBARCHIVE} ${LIBZ} ${LIBBZ2} ${LIBLZMA} ${LIBPTHREAD} ${LIBBSDXML}
 LDADD=	-larchive -lz -lbz2 -llzma -lpthread -lbsdxml
 .if ${MK_OPENSSL} != "no"
 DPADD+=	${LIBCRYPTO}
 LDADD+= -lcrypto
 .else
 DPADD+= ${LIBMD}
 LDADD+= -lmd
 .endif
 
 .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
 
 .if ${MK_TESTS} != "no"
 SUBDIR+=	tests
 .endif
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
index 78b74cb8455a..89f42289d88b 100644
--- a/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/tar/Makefile
@@ -1,48 +1,49 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 .include <bsd.own.mk>
 
 LIBARCHIVEDIR=	${.CURDIR}/../../contrib/libarchive
 
 PROG=	bsdtar
-BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING=	3.5.0
+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
 
 DPADD=	${LIBARCHIVE} ${LIBBZ2} ${LIBZ} ${LIBLZMA} ${LIBPTHREAD} ${LIBBSDXML}
 LDADD=	-larchive -lbz2 -lz -llzma -lpthread -lbsdxml
 .if ${MK_OPENSSL} != "no"
 DPADD+=	${LIBCRYPTO}
 LDADD+= -lcrypto
 .else
 DPADD+= ${LIBMD}
 LDADD+= -lmd
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_ICONV} != "no"
 CFLAGS+=	-DHAVE_ICONV=1 -DHAVE_ICONV_H=1 -DICONV_CONST=const
 .endif
 
 CFLAGS+=	-DBSDTAR_VERSION_STRING=\"${BSDTAR_VERSION_STRING}\"
 CFLAGS+=	-DPLATFORM_CONFIG_H=\"${.CURDIR}/../../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
 
 .if ${MK_TESTS} != "no"
 SUBDIR+=	tests
 .endif
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>