diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.sys.mk b/share/mk/bsd.sys.mk
index 7c18cb12c..8afe3e565 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.sys.mk
@@ -7,8 +7,17 @@ _BSD_SYS_MK_=1
 
 .if ${HOST_OSTYPE:C/\-.*//:U} == "Minix"
 HOST_LDFLAGS?=	-static
+
+#LSC: Be a bit smarter about the default compiler
+.if exists(/usr/pkg/bin/clang) || exists(/usr/bin/clang)
+HOST_CC?=   clang
 .endif
 
+.if exists(/usr/pkg/bin/gcc) || exists(/usr/bin/gcc)
+HOST_CC?=   gcc
+.endif
+.endif # ${HOST_OSTYPE:C/\-.*//:U} == "Minix"
+
 .if ${MKREPRO:Uno} == "yes"
 CPPFLAGS+=	-Wp,-iremap,${NETBSDSRCDIR}:/usr/src
 CPPFLAGS+=	-Wp,-iremap,${DESTDIR}/:/
diff --git a/share/mk/sys.mk b/share/mk/sys.mk
index 1f1398e52..ae407b1bb 100644
--- a/share/mk/sys.mk
+++ b/share/mk/sys.mk
@@ -21,6 +21,15 @@ unix?=		We run MINIX.
 CPPFLAGS+= -DNDEBUG
 DBG=	-Os
 .endif
+
+#LSC: Be a bit smarter about the default compiler
+.if exists(/usr/pkg/bin/clang) || exists(/usr/bin/clang)
+CC?=	clang
+.endif
+
+.if exists(/usr/pkg/bin/gcc) || exists(/usr/bin/gcc)
+CC?=	gcc
+.endif
 .endif # defined(__MINIX)
 
 .LIBS:		.a