diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 711854f4693c..c64873fb241b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ _MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX!= /usr/bin/env -i PATH=${PATH} ${MAKE} MK_AUTO_OBJ=no \
     ${.MAKEFLAGS:MMAKEOBJDIRPREFIX=*} __MAKE_CONF=${__MAKE_CONF} \
     SRCCONF=${SRCCONF} SRC_ENV_CONF= \
     -f /dev/null -V MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX dummy
-.if !empty(_MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX)
+.if !empty(_MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX) || !empty(.MAKEOVERRIDES:MMAKEOBJDIRPREFIX)
 .error MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX can only be set in environment or src-env.conf(5),\
     not as a global (in make.conf(5) or src.conf(5)) or command-line variable.
 .endif
diff --git a/Makefile.inc1 b/Makefile.inc1
index b6843177c10b..e3707c7a504a 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc1
+++ b/Makefile.inc1
@@ -2739,6 +2739,7 @@ SUBDIR=	${SUBDIR_OVERRIDE}
 NXBMAKEARGS+= \
 	OBJTOP=${NXBOBJTOP:Q} \
 	OBJROOT=${NXBOBJROOT:Q} \
+	MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX= \
 	-DNO_SHARED \
 	-DNO_CPU_CFLAGS \
 	-DNO_PIC \
@@ -2762,9 +2763,6 @@ NXBMAKEARGS+= \
 	MK_WERROR=no \
 	MK_ZFS=no
 
-NXBMAKEENV+= \
-	MAKEOBJDIRPREFIX=
-
 .if make(native-xtools*) && \
     (!defined(NXB_TARGET) || !defined(NXB_TARGET_ARCH))
 .error Missing NXB_TARGET / NXB_TARGET_ARCH