diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index e3f22d714516..a16845ed47b9 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ distribution:
 	pwd_mkdb -p -d ${DESTDIR}/etc ${DESTDIR}/etc/master.passwd; \
 	${INSTALL} -c -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 555 \
 	     MAKEDEV.local MAKEDEV ${DESTDIR}/dev )
+.if !defined(NO_MAKEDEV)
 	(cd ${DESTDIR}/dev; sh MAKEDEV all) ;
+.endif
 	(cd ${.CURDIR}/root; \
 		${INSTALL} -c -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 644 dot.cshrc \
 		    ${DESTDIR}/root/.cshrc; \
diff --git a/etc/defaults/make.conf b/etc/defaults/make.conf
index 55731d0d1010..bc00b801d296 100644
--- a/etc/defaults/make.conf
+++ b/etc/defaults/make.conf
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #NO_SENDMAIL=	true
 #NO_CVS=	true
 #
+# To avoid running MAKEDEV all on /dev during install:
+#NO_MAKEDEV=	true
+#
 # To compile just the kernel with special optimisations, you should use
 # this instead of CFLAGS (which is not applicable to kernel builds anyway):
 #
diff --git a/share/examples/etc/make.conf b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
index 55731d0d1010..bc00b801d296 100644
--- a/share/examples/etc/make.conf
+++ b/share/examples/etc/make.conf
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@
 #NO_SENDMAIL=	true
 #NO_CVS=	true
 #
+# To avoid running MAKEDEV all on /dev during install:
+#NO_MAKEDEV=	true
+#
 # To compile just the kernel with special optimisations, you should use
 # this instead of CFLAGS (which is not applicable to kernel builds anyway):
 #