diff --git a/BSDmakefile b/BSDmakefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..de6fc9c4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BSDmakefile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# This is a convenience script for systems on which BSD make is the default,
+# such that typing 'make' will do what people expect, instead of producing an
+# error (due to incompatibilities between BSD make and GNU make).
+
+.include "makeopts"
+
+all::
+	$(MAKE)
+
+$(.TARGETS)::
+	$(MAKE) $(.TARGETS)
diff --git a/makeopts.in b/makeopts.in
index 750a41d7c..268096868 100644
--- a/makeopts.in
+++ b/makeopts.in
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ AWK=@AWK@
 BISON=@BISON@
 FLEX=@FLEX@
 GREP=@GREP@
+MAKE=@GNU_MAKE@
 AR=@AR@
 RANLIB=@RANLIB@
 FIND=@FIND@