6 files changed, 76 insertions, 20 deletions
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.c b/lib/libbe/be.c
index 4a7c2e43b2c1..2147435ebf9b 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.c
@@ -891,6 +891,54 @@ be_create_from_existing(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *bename, const char *old
 	return (set_error(lbh, err));
 }
 
+/*
+ * Create a zfs dataset and map the return to libbe error.
+ */
+static int
+be_zfs_create(libzfs_handle_t *lzh, const char *buf, zfs_type_t t,
+    nvlist_t *props)
+{
+	int err;
+
+	if ((err = zfs_create(lzh, buf, t, props)) != 0) {
+		switch (err) {
+		case EZFS_EXISTS:
+			return (BE_ERR_EXISTS);
+		case EZFS_NOENT:
+			return (BE_ERR_NOENT);
+		case EZFS_BADTYPE:
+		case EZFS_BADVERSION:
+			return (BE_ERR_NOPOOL);
+		case EZFS_BADPROP:
+		default:
+			/* We set something up wrong, probably... */
+			return (BE_ERR_UNKNOWN);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return (BE_ERR_SUCCESS);
+}
+
+
+/*
+ * Create an empty boot environment.
+ */
+int
+be_create_empty(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *bename)
+{
+	char buf[BE_MAXPATHLEN];
+	int err;
+
+	if ((err = be_validate_name(lbh, bename)) != 0)
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
+
+	if ((err = be_root_concat(lbh, bename, buf)) != 0)
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
+
+	err = be_zfs_create(lbh->lzh, buf, ZFS_TYPE_FILESYSTEM, NULL);
+	return (set_error(lbh, err));
+}
+
 
 /*
  * Verifies that a snapshot has a valid name, exists, and has a mountpoint of
@@ -1118,21 +1166,9 @@ be_create_child_noent(libbe_handle_t *lbh, const char *active,
 	nvlist_add_string(props, "mountpoint", child_path);
 
 	/* Create */
-	if ((err = zfs_create(lbh->lzh, active, ZFS_TYPE_DATASET,
+	if ((err = be_zfs_create(lbh->lzh, active, ZFS_TYPE_DATASET,
 	    props)) != 0) {
-		switch (err) {
-		case EZFS_EXISTS:
-			return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_EXISTS));
-		case EZFS_NOENT:
-			return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_NOENT));
-		case EZFS_BADTYPE:
-		case EZFS_BADVERSION:
-			return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_NOPOOL));
-		case EZFS_BADPROP:
-		default:
-			/* We set something up wrong, probably... */
-			return (set_error(lbh, BE_ERR_UNKNOWN));
-		}
+		return (set_error(lbh, err));
 	}
 	nvlist_free(props);
 
diff --git a/lib/libbe/be.h b/lib/libbe/be.h
index d3f47c0604fe..18be067c4410 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/be.h
+++ b/lib/libbe/be.h
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ bool be_is_auto_snapshot_name(libbe_handle_t *, const char *);
 /* Bootenv creation functions */
 int be_create(libbe_handle_t *, const char *);
 int be_create_depth(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, const char *, int);
+int be_create_empty(libbe_handle_t *, const char *);
 int be_create_from_existing(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, const char *);
 int be_create_from_existing_snap(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, const char *);
 int be_snapshot(libbe_handle_t *, const char *, const char *, bool, char *);
diff --git a/lib/libbe/libbe.3 b/lib/libbe/libbe.3
index 4331713e9227..f65da5ef1090 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/libbe.3
+++ b/lib/libbe/libbe.3
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 .\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
 .\" SUCH DAMAGE.
 .\"
-.Dd December 11, 2025
+.Dd February 4, 2026
 .Dt LIBBE 3
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@
 .Fn be_create_depth "libbe_handle_t *hdl" "const char *be_name" "const char *snap" "int depth"
 .Pp
 .Ft int
+.Fn be_create_empty "libbe_handle_t *hdl" "const char *be_name"
+.Pp
+.Ft int
 .Fn be_create_from_existing "libbe_handle_t *hdl" "const char *be_name" "const char *be_origin"
 .Pp
 .Ft int
@@ -282,6 +285,10 @@ A depth of '0' is no recursion and '-1' is unlimited (i.e., a recursive boot
 environment).
 .Pp
 The
+.Fn be_create_empty
+function creates an empty boot environment with the given name.
+.Pp
+The
 .Fn be_create_from_existing
 function creates a boot environment with the given name from the name of an
 existing boot environment.
diff --git a/lib/libbe/tests/Makefile b/lib/libbe/tests/Makefile
index dfe49bd7f3e5..57e33b75aabc 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/tests/Makefile
+++ b/lib/libbe/tests/Makefile
@@ -20,6 +20,6 @@ CFLAGS+= -I${ZFSTOP}/lib/libspl/include/os/freebsd
 CFLAGS+= -I${SRCTOP}/sys
 CFLAGS+= -I${SRCTOP}/cddl/compat/opensolaris/include
 CFLAGS+= -include ${ZFSTOP}/include/os/freebsd/spl/sys/ccompile.h
-CFLAGS+= -DHAVE_ISSETUGID 
+CFLAGS+= -DHAVE_ISSETUGID -DHAVE_STRLCAT -DHAVE_STRLCPY
 
 .include <bsd.test.mk>
diff --git a/lib/libbe/tests/be_create.sh b/lib/libbe/tests/be_create.sh
index e1342368995d..e39ce1a0ccb4 100755
--- a/lib/libbe/tests/be_create.sh
+++ b/lib/libbe/tests/be_create.sh
@@ -174,6 +174,15 @@ libbe_create_body()
 	# the child dataset should exist
 	atf_check -o not-empty \
 		  zfs list "${zpool}/ROOT/relative-snap/usr"
+
+	# test empty BE creation.
+	atf_check $prog "${zpool}/ROOT" \
+		empty \
+		ignored \
+		0
+	# the dataset should exist
+	atf_check -o not-empty \
+		zfs list "${zpool}/ROOT/empty"
 }
 
 libbe_create_cleanup()
diff --git a/lib/libbe/tests/target_prog.c b/lib/libbe/tests/target_prog.c
index 4c79d1a30714..83ef68ab2890 100644
--- a/lib/libbe/tests/target_prog.c
+++ b/lib/libbe/tests/target_prog.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/cdefs.h>
 #include <be.h>
+#include <string.h>
 
 /*
  * argv[1] = root boot environment (e.g. zroot/ROOT),
@@ -36,15 +37,17 @@
  */
 int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
 
-        libbe_handle_t *lbh;
+	libbe_handle_t *lbh;
 
 	if (argc != 5)
-		return -1;
+		return (-1);
 
-        if ((lbh = libbe_init(argv[1])) == NULL)
-                return -1;
+	if ((lbh = libbe_init(argv[1])) == NULL)
+		return (-1);
 
 	libbe_print_on_error(lbh, true);
 
+	if (strcmp(argv[2], "empty") == 0)
+		return (be_create_empty(lbh, argv[2]));
 	return (be_create_depth(lbh, argv[2], argv[3], atoi(argv[4])));
 }