diff --git a/tools/build/make_check/Makefile b/tools/build/make_check/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..97ecdb5897b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/make_check/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+DATA1=	helllo
+DATA2:=	${DATA1}
+DATA3=	${DATA2:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA4:=	${DATA2:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA2?=	allo
+DATA5:= ${DATA2:S/ll/ii/g} ${DATA1:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA2=	yello
+DATA1:=	${DATA5:S/l/r/g}
+
+all:
+	@echo "Running test variables"
+	@echo 1:${DATA1} 2:${DATA2} 3:${DATA3} 4:${DATA4} 5:${DATA5} | \
+		diff -u ${.CURDIR}/regress.variables.out - || ${MAKE} failure
+	@echo "Test variables detected no regression, output matches."
+
+failure:
+	@echo "Test failed: regression detected.  See above."
+	@false
diff --git a/tools/build/make_check/regress.variables.out b/tools/build/make_check/regress.variables.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..83528d57c82e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/build/make_check/regress.variables.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1:heiiro herrro 2:yello 3:yerro 4:herrlo 5:heiilo herrlo
diff --git a/tools/regression/usr.bin/Makefile b/tools/regression/usr.bin/Makefile
index c01682dab84c..48cbdd414301 100644
--- a/tools/regression/usr.bin/Makefile
+++ b/tools/regression/usr.bin/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
-SUBDIR=	file2c join jot uudecode uuencode xargs
+SUBDIR=	file2c join jot make uudecode uuencode xargs
 
 .include <bsd.subdir.mk>
diff --git a/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/Makefile b/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..97ecdb5897b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+DATA1=	helllo
+DATA2:=	${DATA1}
+DATA3=	${DATA2:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA4:=	${DATA2:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA2?=	allo
+DATA5:= ${DATA2:S/ll/ii/g} ${DATA1:S/ll/rr/g}
+DATA2=	yello
+DATA1:=	${DATA5:S/l/r/g}
+
+all:
+	@echo "Running test variables"
+	@echo 1:${DATA1} 2:${DATA2} 3:${DATA3} 4:${DATA4} 5:${DATA5} | \
+		diff -u ${.CURDIR}/regress.variables.out - || ${MAKE} failure
+	@echo "Test variables detected no regression, output matches."
+
+failure:
+	@echo "Test failed: regression detected.  See above."
+	@false
diff --git a/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/regress.variables.out b/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/regress.variables.out
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..83528d57c82e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/regression/usr.bin/make/regress.variables.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1:heiiro herrro 2:yello 3:yerro 4:herrlo 5:heiilo herrlo