diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
index 3262004297b..1ca946ec7ff 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.progs.mk
@@ -16,14 +16,20 @@
 
 .MAIN: all
 
-.if defined(PROGS)
+.if defined(PROGS) || defined(PROGS_CXX)
+# we really only use PROGS below...
+PROGS += ${PROGS_CXX}
 
 # In meta mode, we can capture dependenices for _one_ of the progs.
 # if makefile doesn't nominate one, we use the first.
+.if defined(.PARSEDIR)
 .ifndef UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG
 UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG = ${PROGS:[1]}
 .export UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG
 .endif
+.else
+UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG?= no
+.endif
 
 .ifndef PROG
 # They may have asked us to build just one
@@ -40,11 +46,13 @@ PROG_VARS += BINDIR CFLAGS CPPFLAGS CXXFLAGS DPADD DPLIBS LDADD MAN SRCS
 .for v in ${PROG_VARS:O:u}
 .if defined(${v}.${PROG})
 $v += ${${v}_${PROG}:U${${v}.${PROG}}}
+.else
+$v ?=
 .endif
 .endfor
 
 # for meta mode, there can be only one!
-.if ${PROG} == ${UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG:Uno}
+.if ${PROG} == ${UPDATE_DEPENDFILE_PROG}
 UPDATE_DEPENDFILE ?= yes
 .endif
 UPDATE_DEPENDFILE ?= NO
@@ -63,7 +71,7 @@ UPDATE_DEPENDFILE = NO
 .endif
 
 # handle being called [bsd.]progs.mk
-.include <${.PARSEFILE:S,progs,prog,}>
+.include <bsd.prog.mk>
 
 .ifndef PROG
 # tell progs.mk we might want to install things
@@ -76,11 +84,11 @@ x.$p= PROG_CXX=$p
 .endif
 
 $p ${p}_p: .PHONY .MAKE
-	(cd ${.CURDIR} && ${.MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} PROG=$p ${x.$p})
+	(cd ${.CURDIR} && ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} PROG=$p ${x.$p})
 
 .for t in ${PROGS_TARGETS:O:u}
 $p.$t: .PHONY .MAKE
-	(cd ${.CURDIR} && ${.MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} PROG=$p ${x.$p} ${@:E})
+	(cd ${.CURDIR} && ${MAKE} -f ${MAKEFILE} PROG=$p ${x.$p} ${@:E})
 .endfor
 .endfor