diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index dc36969bd4..95aaa0e047 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 !/CHANGELOG
 !/LICENSE
 !/BRANCHES
+!/BSDmakefile
 !/Makefile
 !/README
 !/INSTALL
diff --git a/BSDmakefile b/BSDmakefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..76a01af975
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BSDmakefile
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Makefile stub for FreeBSD, it checks BSDmakefile before Makefile so
+# we can be friendly to the user and tell them to use gmake.
+.BEGIN:
+	@echo "Please use GNU make instead. It is often called gmake on BSD systems."
+	@echo "Example:"
+	@echo '  gmake ${MAKEFLAGS} $(.TARGETS)' | sed -e 's, -J[ ]*[0-9,]*,,'
+	@echo
+
+all $(.TARGETS): .SILENT
+	@-