diff --git a/irc/irssi/Makefile b/irc/irssi/Makefile
index 1814f50972cb..3e9574777271 100644
--- a/irc/irssi/Makefile
+++ b/irc/irssi/Makefile
@@ -1,59 +1,58 @@
 # $FreeBSD$
 
 PORTNAME=	irssi
 DISTVERSION=	1.3-dev-344
 DISTVERSIONSUFFIX=	-gf57dcfe9
 PORTEPOCH=	1
 CATEGORIES?=	irc
 
 MAINTAINER=	dor.bsd@xm0.uk
 COMMENT=	Modular IRC client with many features
 
 LICENSE=	GPLv2+
 LICENSE_FILE=	${WRKSRC}/COPYING
 
 # Until upstream makes a new release disable cpe
 USES=		gettext-runtime gnome meson localbase:ldflags ncurses \
-		pkgconfig ssl
+		perl5 pkgconfig ssl
 USE_GNOME=	glib20
 USE_LDCONFIG=	yes
 
 USE_GITHUB=	yes
 GH_TAGNAME=	f57dcfe
 
 MESON_ARGS=	-Dinstall-glib=no -Ddisable-gregex=no -Dstatic-dependency=no \
 		-Dwith-fuzzer=no -Dwithout-textui=no
 
 # Default linker (bfd) in FreeBSD 11 breaks compilation
 LDFLAGS_FreeBSD_11=	-fuse-ld=lld
 
 # Force OpenSSL from base
 CPPFLAGS+=	-I${OPENSSLINC}
 LDFLAGS+=	-L${OPENSSLLIB} -lcrypto -lssl ${LDFLAGS_${OPSYS}_${OSREL:R}}
 
 OPTIONS_DEFINE=		BOT CAPSICUM DOCS OTR PERL PROXY TRUECOLOR UTF8PROC
 OPTIONS_DEFAULT=	BOT CAPSICUM PERL PROXY TRUECOLOR
 OPTIONS_SUB=		yes
 
 BOT_DESC=		Bot support
 CAPSICUM_DESC=		Capsicum support
 OTR_DESC=		OTR (off-the-record) support
 TRUECOLOR_DESC=		True color support
 UTF8PROC_DESC=		utf8proc support
 
 BOT_MESON_YES=		with-bot
 CAPSICUM_MESON_YES=	with-capsicum
 OTR_LIB_DEPENDS=	libgcrypt.so:security/libgcrypt \
 			libotr.so:security/libotr
 OTR_MESON_YES=		with-otr
-PERL_USES=		perl5
 PERL_MESON_YES=		with-perl
 PROXY_MESON_YES=	with-proxy
 TRUECOLOR_MESON_YES=	enable-true-color
 UTF8PROC_LIB_DEPENDS=	libutf8proc.so:textproc/utf8proc
 UTF8PROC_MESON_NO=	disable-utf8proc
 
 post-install:
 	@${MV} ${WRKSRC}/irssi.conf ${STAGEDIR}${PREFIX}/etc/irssi.conf.sample
 
 .include <bsd.port.mk>
diff --git a/irc/irssi/pkg-message b/irc/irssi/pkg-message
index 77fb1cc3391a..70df6c6425c5 100644
--- a/irc/irssi/pkg-message
+++ b/irc/irssi/pkg-message
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
-You need to add:
+[
+{ type: install
+  message: <<EOM
+If Perl support was enabled during compilation you need to load the module
+by adding:
 
 load perl
 
-to your ~/.irssi/startup file.
+to ~/.irssi/startup
+EOM
+}
+]