diff --git a/lf/transition.mk b/lf/transition.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ea4e845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lf/transition.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# -*- makefile -*-
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright 2024 Open Networking Foundation Contributors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 Open Networking Foundation Contributors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+$(if $(DEBUG),$(warning ENTER))
+
+##-------------------##
+##---]  GLOBALS  [---##
+##-------------------##
+lf-sbx-root   := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+lf-sbx-root   := $(subst /lf/transition.mk,$(null),$(lf-sbx-root))
+
+legacy-mk   ?= $(lf-sbx-root)/makefiles
+onf-mk-dir  ?= $(lf-sbx-root)/lf/onf-make/makefiles
+
+sandbox-root := $(lf-sbx-root)
+
+# set default shell options
+SHELL = bash -e -o pipefail
+
+# dependency of virtualenv::sterile
+clean ::
+
+##--------------------##
+##---]  INCLUDES  [---##
+##--------------------##
+include $(lf-sbx-root)/lf/config.mk
+include $(legacy-mk)/include.mk
+
+# [EOF]
+
+ifdef paste-into-repository-makefile
+
+$(if $(findstring disabled-joey,$(USER)),\
+   $(eval USE_LF_MK := 1)) # special snowflake
+
+##--------------------##
+##---]  INCLUDES  [---##
+##--------------------##
+ifdef USE_LF_MK
+  include lf/include.mk
+else
+  include lf/transition.mk
+endif # ifdef USE_LF_MK
+
+endif # paste-into-repository-makefile