diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 34676d7ce8f8..d11a67cb4f68 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: bsd.own.mk,v 1.89 1998/09/28 08:13:39 christos Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: bsd.own.mk,v 1.90 1998/09/28 16:43:41 christos Exp $
 
 .if !defined(_BSD_OWN_MK_)
 _BSD_OWN_MK_=1
@@ -59,7 +59,11 @@ KMODOWN?=	root
 KMODMODE?=	${NONBINMODE}
 
 COPY?=		-c
+.if defined(UPDATE)
 PRESERVE?=	-p
+.else
+PRESERVE?=
+.endif
 STRIPFLAG?=	-s
 
 # Define SYS_INCLUDE to indicate whether you want symbolic links to the system