diff --git a/packaging/freebsd/package.sh b/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
index b2348cc3..87e5e29f 100755
--- a/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
+++ b/packaging/freebsd/package.sh
@@ -113,11 +113,12 @@ echo "wrote $OUT_DIR/$BASENAME.tar.gz"
 if [ "$DRY_RUN" = 1 ] || [ "$ARCH" = "$HOST_ARCH" ]; then
   "$STAGE/bin/$(smoke_bin)" --version
 else
-  # They cannot run here, so check what they are instead.
+  # They cannot run here, so check what they are instead: executables, not libraries or objects.
+  # An older file(1) calls a PIE a shared object; its interpreter still marks it as a program.
   want="$ARCH"; [ "$ARCH" != x86_64 ] || want=x86-64
   for b in "$STAGE"/bin/*; do
     case "$(file -b "$b")" in
-      ELF*"$want"*FreeBSD*) ;;
+      ELF*" executable, "*"$want"*FreeBSD* | ELF*"$want"*FreeBSD*interpreter*) ;;
       *) echo "error: $b is not a FreeBSD $ARCH executable: $(file -b "$b")" >&2; exit 1 ;;
     esac
   done