diff --git a/tools/Makefile b/tools/Makefile
index a2c7d6466..ace0ad160 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile
+++ b/tools/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ SUBDIR=	host-mkdep .WAIT compat .WAIT \
 	.WAIT tic \
 	.WAIT lex \
 	.WAIT gmake .WAIT binutils .WAIT gcc \
-		cat pwd_mkdb stat zic \
+		cat file pwd_mkdb stat zic \
 
 
 
diff --git a/tools/file/Makefile b/tools/file/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9453861f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/file/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.7 2012/04/15 08:37:33 mrg Exp $
+#
+
+GNUHOSTDIST=	${.CURDIR}/../../external/bsd/file/dist
+
+CONFIGURE_ENV+=	CC=${HOST_CC:Q} \
+		CFLAGS=${HOST_CFLAGS:Q} \
+		CPPFLAGS=${HOST_CPPFLAGS:Q} \
+		CXX=${HOST_CXX:Q}
+
+CONFIGURE_ARGS=	--program-prefix=${_TOOL_PREFIX} --disable-shared \
+		--disable-warnings
+
+.NOTPARALLEL:
+
+.include "${.CURDIR}/../Makefile.gnuhost"
+
+# Force avoiding possibly non-executable install-sh.
+CONFIGURE_ENV+= ac_cv_path_mkdir="${TOOLDIR}/bin/${MACHINE_GNU_PLATFORM}-install -d"