diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
index 2da30c70ebb..dce05c7d7bd 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
@@ -116,16 +116,16 @@ x.$p= PROG_CXX=$p
 $p ${p}_p: .PHONY .MAKE
 	(cd ${.CURDIR} && \
 	    DEPENDFILE=.depend.$p \
-	    ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} _RECURSING_PROGS= \
-	    SUBDIR= PROG=$p ${x.$p})
+	    NO_SUBDIR=1 ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} _RECURSING_PROGS= \
+	    PROG=$p ${x.$p})
 
 # Pseudo targets for PROG, such as 'install'.
 .for t in ${PROGS_TARGETS:O:u}
 $p.$t: .PHONY .MAKE
 	(cd ${.CURDIR} && \
 	    DEPENDFILE=.depend.$p \
-	    ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} _RECURSING_PROGS= \
-	    SUBDIR= PROG=$p ${x.$p} ${@:E})
+	    NO_SUBDIR=1 ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} _RECURSING_PROGS= \
+	    PROG=$p ${x.$p} ${@:E})
 .endfor
 .endfor