diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk b/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
index 69c4e1b0eee..9c6e7ebffa9 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.lib.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #	from: @(#)bsd.lib.mk	5.26 (Berkeley) 5/2/91
-#	$Id: bsd.lib.mk,v 1.64 1997/12/17 13:36:44 bde Exp $
+#	$Id: bsd.lib.mk,v 1.65 1997/12/17 15:18:53 bde Exp $
 #
 
 .if exists(${.CURDIR}/../Makefile.inc)
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@
 .endif
 
 # Default executable format
+.if ${MACHINE} == "alpha"
+BINFORMAT?=	elf
+.else
 BINFORMAT?=	aout
+.endif
 
 .if exists(${.CURDIR}/shlib_version)
 SHLIB_MAJOR != . ${.CURDIR}/shlib_version ; echo $$major
diff --git a/share/mk/sys.mk b/share/mk/sys.mk
index 72a5e78b88d..a185f6ea31a 100644
--- a/share/mk/sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #	from: @(#)sys.mk	8.2 (Berkeley) 3/21/94
-#	$Id: sys.mk,v 1.25 1997/09/05 09:09:56 peter Exp $
+#	$Id: sys.mk,v 1.26 1997/09/05 11:45:15 peter Exp $
 
 unix		?=	We run FreeBSD, not UNIX.
 
@@ -95,7 +95,11 @@ YFLAGS		?=	-d
 .endif
 
 # Default executable format
+.if ${MACHINE} == "alpha"
+BINFORMAT	?=	elf
+.else
 BINFORMAT	?=	aout
+.endif
 
 # For tags rule.
 GTAGSFLAGS=	-se