diff --git a/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new b/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
index 6238ad7..352e64b 100644
--- a/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
+++ b/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ LOGFILE=${LOGFILE:-/var/log/sbopkg/sbopkg-build-log}
 QUEUEDIR=${QUEUEDIR:-/var/lib/sbopkg/queues}
 REPO_ROOT=${REPO_ROOT:-/var/lib/sbopkg}
 SRCDIR=${SRCDIR:-/var/cache/sbopkg}
+# sbopkg's temporary directory (where its internal temporary files are
+# kept and where packages are made prior to being moved to OUTPUT)
+# defaults to /tmp/sbopkg.XXXXXX where 'XXXXXX' is a random string. If
+# /tmp is not a suitable containing directory, pass in an alternate
+# TMPDIR or modify the following variable. This is actually a mktemp(1)
+# variable.
+TMPDIR=${TMPDIR:-/tmp}
 
 # Other variables:
 CLEANUP=${CLEANUP:-NO}
diff --git a/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5 b/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
index d35afd2..ea33cef 100644
--- a/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
+++ b/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
@@ -334,19 +334,6 @@ The default assignment is:
 \fCxxxRSYNCFLAGSxxx\fP
 .\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
 .TP
-.B SBOPKGTMP
-Path.
-.IP
-This option sets the default directory where certain working files
-specific to
-.B sbopkg
-are saved on a temporary basis.
-.IP
-The default assignment is:
-.IP
-\fCxxxSBOPKGTMPxxx\fP
-.\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
-.TP
 .B SRCDIR
 Path.
 .IP
@@ -381,6 +368,30 @@ The default assignment is:
 \fCxxxTMPxxx\fP
 .\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
 .TP
+.B TMPDIR
+Path.
+.IP
+This option sets the default directory where certain working files
+specific to
+.B sbopkg
+are saved on a temporary basis. Note that this variable is actually used
+by
+.BR mktemp (1),
+and that the actual directory is hardcoded internally to
+.I sbopkg.XXXXXX
+where 'XXXXXX' is a random string.
+This variable determines the containing directory for that.
+If /tmp is not a suitable containing directory, TMPDIR can be assigned
+to on the command line when invoking
+.B sbopkg
+or the variable can be modified in
+.IR sbopkg.conf .
+.IP
+The default assignment is:
+.IP
+\fCxxxTMPDIRxxx\fP
+.\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
+.TP
 .B WGETFLAGS
 Command options.
 .IP
@@ -564,6 +575,7 @@ slakmagik
 .\" the official tarball go here.
 .SH SEE ALSO
 .BR diff (1),
+.BR mktemp (1),
 .BR rsync (1),
 .BR sbopkg (8),
 .BR uname (1),