diff --git a/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/Makefile b/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/Makefile
index 960671a40fe7..d2107fb86290 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/kbdcontrol/Makefile
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 PACKAGE=	console-tools
 PROG=	kbdcontrol
 MAN=	kbdcontrol.1 kbdmap.5
 MLINKS= kbdmap.5 keymap.5
 SRCS=	kbdcontrol.c lex.l
 
 WARNS?=	4
 CFLAGS+= -I${.CURDIR}
 
+# temporarily added for pre-Unicode accent key API/ABI compatibility
+CFLAGS+= -DCOMPAT_FREEBSD13
+
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>