diff --git a/lib/libregex/Makefile b/lib/libregex/Makefile
index eb6b0b64650..186bb20088c 100644
--- a/lib/libregex/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libregex/Makefile
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@ SHLIB_MINOR=	0
 
 CFLAGS+=	-DLIBREGEX
 LIBC_SRCTOP=	${.CURDIR:H}/libc
-SYMBOL_MAPS=	${SYM_MAPS}
 WARNS?=	2
 
+VERSION_DEF=	${.CURDIR}/Versions.def
+SYMBOL_MAPS=	${.CURDIR}/Symbol.map
+
 #HAS_TESTS=
 SUBDIR.${MK_TESTS}+= tests
 
diff --git a/lib/libregex/Symbol.map b/lib/libregex/Symbol.map
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..09cd2118372
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/libregex/Symbol.map
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/*
+ * $FreeBSD$
+ */
+
+/*
+ * libregex uses a different version name because its symbols are not strictly
+ * compatible with those provided by libc. Re-using the version name from libc
+ * could cause linking headaches and make debugging more difficult than it needs
+ * to be.
+ */
+LIBREGEX_1.0 {
+	regcomp;
+	regerror;
+	regexec;
+	regfree;
+};
diff --git a/lib/libregex/Versions.def b/lib/libregex/Versions.def
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b6c84200762
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/libregex/Versions.def
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# $FreeBSD$
+
+LIBREGEX_1.0 {
+};
+