diff --git a/usr.bin/xargs/Makefile b/usr.bin/xargs/Makefile
index 1f33228d803..1f258ca6829 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xargs/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/xargs/Makefile
@@ -5,4 +5,8 @@ PROG=	xargs
 SRCS=	xargs.c strnsubst.c
 WARNS?=	4
 
+.if defined(BOOTSTRAPPING)
+CFLAGS+=-DBOOTSTRAPPING
+.endif
+
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.c b/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.c
index d13b23a24f9..32f8a75c002 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.c
+++ b/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.c
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ __FBSDID("$FreeBSD$");
 
 #include <err.h>
 #include <errno.h>
+#ifndef BOOTSTRAPPING
 #include <langinfo.h>
+#endif
 #include <locale.h>
 #include <paths.h>
 #include <regex.h>
@@ -536,7 +538,13 @@ prompt(void)
 	(void)fprintf(stderr, "?...");
 	(void)fflush(stderr);
 	if ((response = fgetln(ttyfp, &rsize)) == NULL ||
-	    regcomp(&cre, nl_langinfo(YESEXPR), REG_BASIC) != 0) {
+	    regcomp(&cre,
+#ifdef BOOTSTRAPPING
+		"^[yY]",
+#else
+		nl_langinfo(YESEXPR),
+#endif
+		REG_BASIC) != 0) {
 		(void)fclose(ttyfp);
 		return (0);
 	}