diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 271bdb9..2a278f2 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ INITCPIODIR=$(PREFIX)/lib/initcpio
 MANDIR=$(PREFIX)/share/man
 BINDIR=$(PREFIX)/bin
 EXAMPLES=$(PREFIX)/share/examples/zfsbootmenu
+SED?=sed
+
+export SED
 
 .PHONY: install core dracut initcpio zbm-release show-version
 
diff --git a/releng/tag-release.sh b/releng/tag-release.sh
index af4dc9c..bfe17e1 100755
--- a/releng/tag-release.sh
+++ b/releng/tag-release.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # vim: softtabstop=2 shiftwidth=2 expandtab
 
+: ${SED:=sed}
+
 error () {
   echo "$@"
   exit 1
@@ -14,7 +16,7 @@ fi
 
 # Validate release
 # shellcheck  disable=SC2001
-if [ -n "$(echo "${release}" | sed 's/[0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.-]*$//')" ]; then
+if [ -n "$(echo "${release}" | $SED 's/[0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.-]*$//')" ]; then
   error "ERROR: release must start with a number and contain [A-Za-z0-9_.-]"
 fi
 
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ fi
 echo "Will tag release version ${release} as ${tag}"
 
 # update version in documentation
-sed -i "s/^release = '.*'\$/release = '${release}'/" docs/conf.py
+$SED -i "s/^release = '.*'\$/release = '${release}'/" docs/conf.py
 
 # Synchronize man pages with POD documentation
 if [ ! -x releng/rst2help.sh ]; then
@@ -180,7 +182,7 @@ for f in sha256.{txt,sig}; do
 done
 
 # github-cli does not automatically strip header that hub uses for a title
-sed -i '1,/^$/d' "${relnotes}"
+$SED -i '1,/^$/d' "${relnotes}"
 
 echo "Release ${release} ready to push and tag"
 while true; do
diff --git a/releng/version.sh b/releng/version.sh
index 06ff3c0..99b2855 100755
--- a/releng/version.sh
+++ b/releng/version.sh
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ detect_version() (
   if [ -r "${genzbm}" ]; then
     # shellcheck disable=SC2016
     if verline="$(grep 'our $VERSION[[:space:]]*=' "${genzbm}")"; then
-      version="$(echo "${verline}" | head -n1 | sed -e "s/.*=[[:space:]]*['\"]//" -e "s/['\"].*//")" || version=""
+      version="$(echo "${verline}" | head -n1 | ${SED} -e "s/.*=[[:space:]]*['\"]//" -e "s/['\"].*//")" || version=""
       if [ -n "${version}" ]; then
         echo "${version}"
         return 0
@@ -103,10 +103,12 @@ update_version() {
   # Update generate-zbm
   if [ -w bin/generate-zbm ]; then
     echo "Updating bin/generate-zbm"
-    sed -e "s/our \$VERSION.*/our \$VERSION = '${version}';/" -i bin/generate-zbm
+    ${SED} -e "s/our \$VERSION.*/our \$VERSION = '${version}';/" -i bin/generate-zbm
   fi
 }
 
+: ${SED:=sed}
+
 version=
 update=
 while getopts "huv:" opt; do
diff --git a/testing/helpers/zbm-populate.sh b/testing/helpers/zbm-populate.sh
index c87a884..47c7cf2 100755
--- a/testing/helpers/zbm-populate.sh
+++ b/testing/helpers/zbm-populate.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
+: ${SED:=sed}
+
 # Clone ZFSBootMenu and install
 ( cd / && git clone https://github.com/zbm-dev/zfsbootmenu.git )
 ( cd /zfsbootmenu && make install )
@@ -11,7 +13,7 @@ fi
 
 # Adjust the configuration for convenient builds
 if [ -f /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml ]; then
-  sed -e 's/Versions:.*/Versions: false/' \
+  $SED -e 's/Versions:.*/Versions: false/' \
       -e 's/ManageImages:.*/ManageImages: true/' \
       -e 's@ImageDir:.*@ImageDir: /zfsbootmenu/build@' \
       -e '/BootMountPoint:/d' -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
@@ -19,16 +21,16 @@ if [ -f /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml ]; then
   # Build the EFI executable if the stub is available
   for stubdir in /usr/lib/systemd/boot/efi /usr/lib/gummiboot; do
     [ -r "${stubdir}/linuxx64.efi.stub" ] || continue
-    sed -e 's/Enabled:.*/Enabled: true/' -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
+    $SED -e 's/Enabled:.*/Enabled: true/' -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
     break
   done
 
   case "${INITCPIO,,}" in
     yes|y|on|1)
-      sed -e "s/InitCPIO:.*/InitCPIO: true/" -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
+      $SED -e "s/InitCPIO:.*/InitCPIO: true/" -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
       ;;
     no|n|off|0)
-      sed -e "s/InitCPIO:.*/InitCPIO: false/" -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
+      $SED -e "s/InitCPIO:.*/InitCPIO: false/" -i /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml
       ;;
   esac
 fi