diff --git a/release/Makefile b/release/Makefile
index b3f13a5ef458..ac89c4223898 100644
--- a/release/Makefile
+++ b/release/Makefile
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ release.4:
 		  ( ( [ -f ${.CURDIR}/${MACHINE}/$${j}_crunch.conf ] && \
 		    crunchgen ${.CURDIR}/${MACHINE}/$${j}_crunch.conf ) || \
 		    ( crunchgen ${.CURDIR}/$${j}_crunch.conf ) ) && \
-		  ${MAKE} -DRELEASE_CRUNCH -f $${j}_crunch.mk subclean all \
+		  ${MAKE} -f $${j}_crunch.mk subclean all \
 		    NOCRYPT=yes "CFLAGS=${CFLAGS} -DCRUNCHED_BINARY") && \
 		mv $${j}_crunch/$${j}_crunch ${RD}/crunch/$${j} && \
 		true || { rm -rf $${j}_crunch ; false ; } ; \
diff --git a/release/alpha/boot_crunch.conf b/release/alpha/boot_crunch.conf
index 9d14ccf08ec4..34e80a102c39 100644
--- a/release/alpha/boot_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/alpha/boot_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 srcdirs /usr/src/bin /usr/src/sbin /usr/src/usr.bin
 srcdirs /usr/src/gnu/usr.bin /usr/src/usr.sbin
 srcdirs /usr/src/usr.sbin/pccard
diff --git a/release/alpha/fixit_crunch.conf b/release/alpha/fixit_crunch.conf
index 97949b1c2614..a86577d1c3ab 100644
--- a/release/alpha/fixit_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/alpha/fixit_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 # first, we list the source dirs that our programs reside in.  These are
 # searched in order listed to find the dir containing each program.
 
diff --git a/release/amd64/boot_crunch.conf b/release/amd64/boot_crunch.conf
index 9d14ccf08ec4..34e80a102c39 100644
--- a/release/amd64/boot_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/amd64/boot_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 srcdirs /usr/src/bin /usr/src/sbin /usr/src/usr.bin
 srcdirs /usr/src/gnu/usr.bin /usr/src/usr.sbin
 srcdirs /usr/src/usr.sbin/pccard
diff --git a/release/boot_crunch.conf b/release/boot_crunch.conf
index 9d14ccf08ec4..34e80a102c39 100644
--- a/release/boot_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/boot_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 srcdirs /usr/src/bin /usr/src/sbin /usr/src/usr.bin
 srcdirs /usr/src/gnu/usr.bin /usr/src/usr.sbin
 srcdirs /usr/src/usr.sbin/pccard
diff --git a/release/fixit_crunch.conf b/release/fixit_crunch.conf
index 97949b1c2614..a86577d1c3ab 100644
--- a/release/fixit_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/fixit_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 # first, we list the source dirs that our programs reside in.  These are
 # searched in order listed to find the dir containing each program.
 
diff --git a/release/i386/boot_crunch.conf b/release/i386/boot_crunch.conf
index 9d14ccf08ec4..34e80a102c39 100644
--- a/release/i386/boot_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/i386/boot_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 srcdirs /usr/src/bin /usr/src/sbin /usr/src/usr.bin
 srcdirs /usr/src/gnu/usr.bin /usr/src/usr.sbin
 srcdirs /usr/src/usr.sbin/pccard
diff --git a/release/pc98/boot_crunch.conf b/release/pc98/boot_crunch.conf
index 9d14ccf08ec4..34e80a102c39 100644
--- a/release/pc98/boot_crunch.conf
+++ b/release/pc98/boot_crunch.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
+buildopts -DRELEASE_CRUNCH
+
 srcdirs /usr/src/bin /usr/src/sbin /usr/src/usr.bin
 srcdirs /usr/src/gnu/usr.bin /usr/src/usr.sbin
 srcdirs /usr/src/usr.sbin/pccard