diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 02ffe19b0..d7de63b0d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ build: .PHONY .MAKE
 	${MAKEDIRTARGET} . ${tgt}
 .endfor
 	${MAKEDIRTARGET} etc install-etc-release
+	${MAKEDIRTARGET} etc install-etc-files-safe  DESTDIR=${DESTDIR:U/} SYSTEMONLY=yes
 .if defined(__MINIX)
 	${MAKEDIRTARGET} releasetools do-hdboot
 .endif # defined(__MINIX)
diff --git a/distrib/sets/lists/minix/mi b/distrib/sets/lists/minix/mi
index b4449a085..b250911fc 100644
--- a/distrib/sets/lists/minix/mi
+++ b/distrib/sets/lists/minix/mi
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
 ./etc/group				minix-sys
 ./etc/hostname.file			minix-sys
 ./etc/inet.conf				minix-sys
-./etc/make.conf				minix-sys
+./etc/mk.conf				minix-sys
 ./etc/man.conf				minix-sys
 ./etc/master.passwd			minix-sys
 ./etc					minix-sys
diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index 69314baee..ea6137c21 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -92,17 +92,23 @@ BINOWN= root
 BINGRP= operator
 UTMPGRP= utmp
 .if defined(__MINIX)
-BIN1+=	\
-	boot.cfg.default \
-	group hostname.file inet.conf \
-	make.conf man.conf \
-	motd mtab \
+
+# System files we can always overwrite
+BIN1+=  boot.cfg.default \
+	man.conf motd \
 	profile protocols \
-	resolv.conf \
 	rc rc.conf rc.cd rc.subr \
 	rc.daemons.dist rs.inet rs.single \
-	services shells syslog.conf \
-	termcap utmp
+	services shells  \
+	termcap utmp system.conf mk.conf 
+
+# User-editable files we do not always overwrite
+.if !defined(SYSTEMONLY)
+BIN1+=	hostname.file group \
+	inet.conf resolv.conf \
+	syslog.conf 
+.endif
+
 .else
 BIN1+=	bootptab changelist csh.cshrc csh.login \
 	csh.logout daily daily.conf dm.conf envsys.conf floppytab ftpchroot \
@@ -427,7 +433,6 @@ install-etc-files-safe: .PHONY .MAKE check_DESTDIR MAKEDEV
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/usr/ ${DESTDIR}/usr/etc/ dhcptags.conf \
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/usr/ ${DESTDIR}/usr/etc/ rc \
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/ ${DESTDIR}/usr/lib/ crontab \
-		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/ ${DESTDIR}/etc/ system.conf \
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${NONBINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/usr/ ${DESTDIR}/usr/ Makefile \
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/devmand/scripts/ ${DESTDIR}/etc/devmand/scripts/ block  \
 		${BINOWN} ${BINGRP}	${BINMODE}	${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/devmand/scripts/ ${DESTDIR}/etc/devmand/scripts/ singlechar \
diff --git a/etc/make.conf b/etc/mk.conf
similarity index 70%
rename from etc/make.conf
rename to etc/mk.conf
index e50b6e32b..f8ea31c88 100644
--- a/etc/make.conf
+++ b/etc/mk.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-# which architecture to compile for
-ARCH=i386
 MAKEVERBOSE?=	1
 
 .ifdef BSD_PKG_MK
diff --git a/etc/mtab b/etc/mtab
deleted file mode 100755
index e69de29bb..000000000
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
index 9e7482dbb..33da330e9 100644
--- a/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.own.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ _BSD_OWN_MK_=1
 .if defined(__MINIX)
 
 # LSC FIXME: Useless difference, Should use the mk.conf
-MAKECONF?=	/etc/make.conf
+MAKECONF?=	/etc/mk.conf
 
 # Some Minix deviations from NetBSD
 LDSTATIC?=	-static