diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 7bec521..23a83fe 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #
 # Makefile template
 
+SYSCONFDIR=@SYSCONFDIR@
 BINDIR=@BINDIR@
 SBINDIR=@SBINDIR@
 MANDIR=@MANDIR@
@@ -76,6 +77,9 @@ chronyd : $(OBJS) $(EXTRA_OBJS)
 chronyc : $(CLI_OBJS)
 	$(CC) $(OPTFLAGS) -o chronyc $(CLI_OBJS) $(LDFLAGS) @READLINE_LINK@ $(LIBS) $(EXTRA_CLI_LIBS)
 
+conf.o : conf.c
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) -DDEFAULT_CONF_DIR=\"$(SYSCONFDIR)\" -c $<
+
 client.o : client.c
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(CPPFLAGS) @READLINE_COMPILE@ -c $<
 
diff --git a/conf.c b/conf.c
index 1c1b4f0..04cdab9 100644
--- a/conf.c
+++ b/conf.c
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@
 
 /* ================================================== */
 
-#define DEFAULT_CONF_FILE "/etc/chrony.conf"
+#ifndef DEFAULT_CONF_DIR
+#define DEFAULT_CONF_DIR "/etc"
+#endif
+
+#define DEFAULT_CONF_FILE DEFAULT_CONF_DIR"/chrony.conf"
 
 /* ================================================== */
 /* Forward prototypes */