diff --git a/Makefile.libcompat b/Makefile.libcompat
index f63567b3d6de..db4f8c75447a 100644
--- a/Makefile.libcompat
+++ b/Makefile.libcompat
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ _LC_INCDIRS=	\
 		lib/ncurses/ncursesw \
 		${_LC_LIBDIRS.yes}
 
+.if ${MK_FILE} != "no"
+_libmagic=	lib/libmagic
+.endif
 .if ${MK_PMC} != "no" && ${TARGET_ARCH} == "amd64"
 _jevents=	lib/libpmc/pmu-events
 .endif
@@ -197,7 +200,7 @@ build${libcompat}: .PHONY
 	    DIRPRFX=${_dir}/ ${_t}
 .endfor
 .endfor
-.for _dir in lib/ncurses/ncurses lib/ncurses/ncursesw lib/libmagic ${_jevents}
+.for _dir in lib/ncurses/ncurses lib/ncurses/ncursesw ${_libmagic} ${_jevents}
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}/${_dir}; \
 	    WORLDTMP=${WORLDTMP} \
 	    MAKEFLAGS="-m ${.CURDIR}/tools/build/mk ${.MAKEFLAGS}" \