diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f6f8e7eac..2a93d2de1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ CORE_HASH=	${CORE_COMMIT:C/^.*-//1}
 
 CORE_ABI?=	16.7
 
-_FLAVOUR!=	${LOCALBASE}/bin/openssl version
+_FLAVOUR!=	if [ -f ${OPENSSL} ]; then ${OPENSSL} version; fi
 FLAVOUR?=	${_FLAVOUR:[1]}
 
 .if "${FLAVOUR}" == OpenSSL || "${FLAVOUR}" == ""
diff --git a/Mk/defaults.mk b/Mk/defaults.mk
index 7950d8245..56e756746 100644
--- a/Mk/defaults.mk
+++ b/Mk/defaults.mk
@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@
 # OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 # SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-PKG!=		which pkg || echo true
-GIT!=		which git || echo true
 LOCALBASE?=	/usr/local
 PAGER?=		less
 
+OPENSSL?=	${LOCALBASE}/bin/openssl
+
+PKG!=		which pkg || echo true
+GIT!=		which git || echo true
+
 all-stub: all
 	@echo "Nothing to do."