diff --git a/src/Mamfile b/src/Mamfile
index 231122a23e0c..4cdefcf22898 100644
--- a/src/Mamfile
+++ b/src/Mamfile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ note * Mamfiles are processed by mamake (src/cmd/INIT/mamake.c); we added
 note * indentation to improve readability. The language is documented in
 note * src/cmd/INIT/README-mamake.md.
 note *
-setv MAMAKE_SSTRICT
+setv MAMAKE_STRICT
 make test virtual
 	make test_announce virtual
 		exec - : testing KornShell $KSH_VERSION :
diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/Mamfile b/src/cmd/INIT/Mamfile
index dcc0b0758004..83ca64d70a9c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/Mamfile
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/Mamfile
@@ -388,13 +388,8 @@ make test dontcare virtual
 		exec - regress iffe.tst iffe
 	done
 	make test.mamake virtual
-		make mamake.tst
-			prev mamake.rt
-			exec - if test mamake.rt -nt mamake.tst
-			exec - then "$SHELL" "$INSTALLROOT/bin/mktest" --style=regress mamake.rt > mamake.tst
-			exec - fi
-		done
-		exec - : testing mamake as built by package.sh :
+		prev mamake.tst
+		exec - : testing non-libast mamake at $PWD/mamake :
 		exec - regress mamake.tst mamake
 	done
 done test
diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/README-mamake.md b/src/cmd/INIT/README-mamake.md
index d3797d947cc6..500cd23f6417 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/README-mamake.md
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/README-mamake.md
@@ -27,18 +27,17 @@ whereas `mamake` is simple and portable, and offers all the same flexibility.
 
 Compared to the 2012-08-01 AT&T distribution,
 ksh 93u+m made a number of changes to `mamake` that make it easier to maintain Mamfiles by hand:
-* If the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is set before any other mamake command is executed,
-  some backward incompatible changes are activated to facilitate maintainability.
+* Introduced a strict mode that activates some backward incompatible changes and deprecation warnings.
 * All Mamfiles have been indented for legibility. (See `bin/Mamfile_indent` in the distribution.)
 * Indentation and word separators may use any whitespace (e.g. tabs), not only spaces.
 * Unrecognized commands and rule attributes throw an error instead of being silently ignored.
 * Fixed some crashing bugs and memory leaks.
 * The `silent` and `ignore` command prefixes for shell actions are processed internally
-  for backward compatibility, unless the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is set.
+  for backward compatibility, except in the strict mode.
 * The `prev` command may now be used without a prior `make`...`done` to declare a simple
-  prerequisite, provided the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is set.
+  prerequisite, provided the strict mode is activated.
 * The `notrace` attribute was added to disable xtrace for a rule's shell action.
-* If `MAMAKE_STRICT` is set, appending attributes to the `done` command
+* In the strict mode, appending attributes to the `done` command
   produces a deprecation warning; please append them to `make` instead.
 * Repeating the rule name in the `done` commnand is now optional so that
   a simple `done` also works to terminate the current rule.
@@ -47,7 +46,7 @@ In addition, the following two simple shell scripts are now provided to aid
 in maintaining and modernising Mamfiles:
 
 * `src/cmd/INIT/utils/Mamfile_indent`: Automatically indent or re-indent a Mamfile.
-* `src/cmd/INIT/utils/Mamfile_rm_unused_vars`: Remove unused `setv` variable
+* `src/cmd/INIT/utils/Mamfile_rm_unused_vars`: Remove unreferenced `setv` variable
   definitions from a Mamfile (except `MAMAKE_STRICT`).
 
 ## Commands ##
@@ -61,10 +60,17 @@ Unrecognized commands or attributes are an error.
 The *argument* is a single word.
 The *operand string* is any arbitrary text until the end of the line.
 
+### Strict and legacy modes ###
+
+If the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is set (`setv MAMAKE_STRICT`),
+some backward incompatible changes and deprecation warnings
+are activated to facilitate human maintenance of the Mamfiles.
+We call this the "strict mode" and its absence the "legacy mode".
+
 ### Comments ###
 
 `note` is the comment command and is ignored.
-For historical reasons, `info` and `meta` are also ignored.
+In the legacy mode, `info` and `meta` are also ignored.
 
 ### Rules ###
 
@@ -97,16 +103,12 @@ comes with the distribution or a file generated by a previously run Mamfile.
 
 One or more *attribute*s may be specified by appending them to the `make` command.
 (They may also be appended to the `done` command; the effect is the same either way.
-This is deprecated and produces a warning if the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is defined.)
+This is deprecated and produces a warning in the strict mode.)
 **Attributes apply to the current rule only and do not propagate down to nested rules.**
 The following *attribute*s are available:
-* `archive`: Ignored.
-  Historically used to mark the generation of an `ar`(1) archive.
 * `dontcare`: Marks files that do not need to exist.
   If the file exists then its last-modified timestamp is checked and propagated,
   otherwise it is silently ignored. 
-* `generated`: Marks rules that produce output files generated by a shell action.
-  The `exec` command implicitly assigns this attribute.
 * `ignore`: The timestamp associated with *rule* is ignored in dependency resolution.
 * `implicit`: Marks the current rule as an implicit prerequisite of the enclosing parent rule.
   An implicit prerequisite can make the parent rule out of date without triggering the parent action.
@@ -114,14 +116,24 @@ The following *attribute*s are available:
   For example, if `foo.o` is generated from `foo.c` and `foo.c` includes `foo.h`,
   then `foo.h` should be marked as an implicit prerequisite of `foo.c`
   so that touching `foo.h` does not make `foo.c` out of date while making `foo.o` out of date.
-* `joint`: Ignored.
-  Historically used to mark one of a group of rules that are built by a single shell action.
 * `notrace`: Disables echoing (xtrace) of shell action commands.
 * `virtual`: Marks a rule that is not associated with any file.
   The commands within are executed every time the Mamfile is processed.
   By convention, a virtual rule named `all` makes everything,
   and a virtual rule named `install` performs installation.
 
+Specifying the following *attribute*s is deprecated
+and will produce a warning in the strict mode:
+* `archive`: Ignored.
+  Historically used to mark the generation of an `ar`(1) archive.
+* `generated`: Marks rules that produce output files generated by a shell action.
+  The explicit assignment of this attribute is ignored in the strict mode.
+  The `exec` command implicitly assigns this attribute.
+  If a rule has this attribute, other rules dependent on this rule
+  will avoid applying viewpathing based on this rule.
+* `joint`: Ignored.
+  Historically used to mark one of a group of rules that are built by a single shell action.
+
 ### Referencing prerequisites or previously defined rules ###
 
 `prev` *rule* [ *attribute* ... ]
@@ -131,12 +143,12 @@ The `prev` command is used in two ways:
 1. If *rule* is a previously defined rule, `prev` adds a dependency on that rule to the current rule.
    This can be used to make a rule a prerequisite of multiple `make`...`done` blocks without repeating the rule.
    No attributes should be given for this use of `prev`, because the attributes of the referenced rule are used.
-   Superfluous attributes are an error if the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable has been set, otherwise they are ignored.
+   Superfluous attributes are an error in the strict mode and ignored in the legacy mode.
 
 2. If *rule* is not a previously defined rule, the following applies.
-   If the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is not set, `prev` creates an empty dummy
+   In the legacy mode, `prev` creates an empty dummy
    *rule* and ignores the *attribute*s; this is for backward compatibility.
-   If the `MAMAKE_STRICT` variable is set,
+   In the strict mode,
    `prev` creates a rule that declares a dependency on a prerequisite file named by *rule*
    in a manner equivalent to an empty `make`...`done` block,
    with any *attribute*s given applied to the new rule, and
diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.c b/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.c
index cbf86194054c..57f30883961c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.c
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
  * coded for portability
  */
 
-#define RELEASE_DATE "2024-02-03"
+#define RELEASE_DATE "2024-02-04"
 static char id[] = "\n@(#)$Id: mamake (ksh 93u+m) " RELEASE_DATE " $\0\n";
 
 #if _PACKAGE_ast
@@ -257,6 +257,8 @@ typedef struct View_s			/* viewpath level		*/
 
 static struct				/* program state		*/
 {
+	int		strict;		/* strict mode activated if set */
+
 	Buf_t*		buf;		/* work buffer			*/
 	Buf_t*		old;		/* dropped buffers		*/
 	Buf_t*		opt;		/* option buffer		*/
@@ -610,19 +612,6 @@ search(Dict_t* dict, char* name, void* value)
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-/*
- * return true if in strict mode
- */
-
-static int
-strict(void)
-{
-	static int found = -1;
-	if (found < 0)
-		found = search(state.vars, "MAMAKE_STRICT", NULL) != NULL;
-	return found;
-}
-
 /*
  * low level for walk()
  */
@@ -1277,7 +1266,7 @@ run(Rule_t* r, char* s)
 	if (x)
 	{
 		/* stubs for backward compat */
-		if (!strict())
+		if (!state.strict)
 			append(buf,
 				"alias silent=\n"
 				"ignore() { env \"$@\" || :; }\n"
@@ -1504,8 +1493,9 @@ attributes(Rule_t* r, char* s)
 				flag = RULE_dontcare;
 			break;
 		case 'g':
+			/* 'exec' assigns this attribute; ignore explicit assignment in strict mode */
 			if (n == 9 && !strncmp(t, "generated", n))
-				flag = RULE_generated;
+				flag = state.strict ? -1 : RULE_generated;
 			break;
 		case 'i':
 			if (n == 6 && !strncmp(t, "ignore", n))
@@ -1537,6 +1527,9 @@ attributes(Rule_t* r, char* s)
 			t[n] = '\0';
 			report(3, "unknown attribute", t, 0);
 		}
+		/* deprecate ignored attributes */
+		else if (state.strict)
+			report(1, "deprecated", t, 0);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1751,12 +1744,12 @@ make(Rule_t* r)
 			if (*t)
 			{	/* target is optional; use it for sanity check if present */
 				q = rule(expand(buf, t));
-				if (q != r && (t[0] != '$' || strict()))
+				if (q != r && (t[0] != '$' || state.strict))
 					report(3, "mismatched done statement", t, 0);
 				if (*v)
 				{
-					if (strict())
-						report(1, v, "done: attributes are deprecated here, please move them to 'make'", 0);
+					if (state.strict)
+						report(1, v, "done: attributes deprecated; move to 'make'", 0);
 					attributes(r, v);
 				}
 			}
@@ -1810,7 +1803,7 @@ make(Rule_t* r)
 		case KEY('p','r','e','v'):
 		{
 			char *name = expand(buf, t);
-			if (!strict())
+			if (!state.strict)
 				q = rule(name); /* for backward compat */
 			else if (!(q = (Rule_t*)search(state.rules, name, NULL)))
 			{	/*
@@ -1840,6 +1833,8 @@ make(Rule_t* r)
 			continue;
 		}
 		case KEY('s','e','t','v'):
+			if (strcmp(t, "MAMAKE_STRICT") == 0)
+				state.strict = 1;
 			if (!search(state.vars, t, NULL))
 			{
 				if (*v == '"')
@@ -1859,11 +1854,14 @@ make(Rule_t* r)
 				probe();
 			}
 			continue;
-		case KEY('i','n','f','o'):
 		case KEY('n','o','t','e'):
-		case KEY('m','e','t','a'):
 			/* comment command */
 			continue;
+		case KEY('i','n','f','o'):
+		case KEY('m','e','t','a'):
+			if (!state.strict)
+				continue;
+			/* FALLTHROUGH */
 		default:
 			report(3, "unknown command", u, 0);
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt b/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt
index 5f7603d54d62..bbcd54d49662 100644
--- a/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt
+++ b/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt
@@ -1,5 +1,17 @@
 NOTE regression tests for the mamake command
 
+# To regenerate mamake.tst from this file:
+#
+#	bin/package use
+#	cd $INSTALLROOT   # needed to stop mamake complaining about not being under VPATH
+#	mktest $PACKAGEROOT/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt > $PACKAGEROOT/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.tst
+#
+# WARNING: the regeneration assumes mamake's output is correct, so VERIFY THE RESULTS!
+# Always do 'git diff mamake.tst' to check that no unexpected changes have been made.
+
+# ======
+# the one original AT&T test -- uses legacy mode
+
 UNIT mamake
 
 TEST macros
diff --git a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
index e106fe92e03b..8fd989224e54 100644
--- a/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
+++ b/src/lib/libast/Mamfile
@@ -4999,11 +4999,8 @@ make install virtual
 done install
 make test dontcare virtual
 	make test.mamake virtual
-		make mamake.tst
-			prev ${PACKAGEROOT}/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt
-			exec - mktest --style=regress ${PACKAGEROOT}/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.rt > mamake.tst
-		done
-		exec - : testing the libast rebuild of mamake :
-		exec - regress mamake.tst mamake
+		prev ${PACKAGEROOT}/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.tst
+		exec - : testing the libast rebuild of mamake at $PWD/mamake :
+		exec - regress ${PACKAGEROOT}/src/cmd/INIT/mamake.tst mamake
 	done
 done test