diff --git a/pkgfs.conf b/pkgfs.conf
index 3777d093380..2ed5d71876e 100644
--- a/pkgfs.conf
+++ b/pkgfs.conf
@@ -9,27 +9,35 @@
 PKGFS_DISTRIBUTIONDIR=$HOME/pkgfs
 
 #
-# Global master directory: this is where all symlinks will be
+# Master directory: this is where all symlinks will be
 # created pointing at packages installed in PKGFS_DESTDIR.
 #
 PKGFS_MASTERDIR=$PKGFS_DISTRIBUTIONDIR/depot
 
 #
-# Global destination directory: this is where all packages will be
-# installed.
+# Destination directory: this is where all packages will be installed.
 #
 PKGFS_DESTDIR=$PKGFS_DISTRIBUTIONDIR/packages
 
 #
-# Global directory where source files will be extracted to.
+# Directory where source files will be extracted to.
 #
 PKGFS_BUILDDIR=$PKGFS_DISTRIBUTIONDIR/builddir
 
 #
-# Global directory where source distribution files are stored.
+# Directory where source distribution files are stored.
 #
 PKGFS_SRCDISTDIR=$PKGFS_DISTRIBUTIONDIR/srcdistdir
 
+#
+# Directory where configuration files installed by packages will
+# be installed. Please note that files on this directory won't be
+# removed if a package is unstowned.
+#
+# BEWARE: the package itself may overwrite them in some cases!
+#
+PKGFS_SYSCONFDIR=$PKGFS_MASTERDIR/etc
+
 #
 # Path to the xstow program.
 #
diff --git a/pkgfs.sh b/pkgfs.sh
index acfc8ac2992..8f74c4ccc6d 100755
--- a/pkgfs.sh
+++ b/pkgfs.sh
@@ -253,12 +253,12 @@ check_config_vars()
 	fi
 
 	local PKGFS_VARS="PKGFS_MASTERDIR PKGFS_DESTDIR PKGFS_BUILDDIR \
-			  PKGFS_SRCDISTDIR"
+			  PKGFS_SRCDISTDIR PKGFS_SYSCONFDIR"
 
 	for f in ${PKGFS_VARS}; do
 		eval val="\$$f"
 		if [ -z "$val" ]; then
-			echo "**** ERROR: '$f' not set in configuration "
+			echo -n "**** ERROR: '$f' not set in configuration "
 			echo "file, aborting ***"
 			exit 1
 		fi
@@ -511,6 +511,7 @@ build_tmpl_sources()
 		./configure	--prefix="$PKGFS_MASTERDIR"		\
 				--mandir="$PKGFS_DESTDIR/$pkgname/man"	\
 				--infodir="$PKGFS_DESTDIR/$pkgname/share/info" \
+				--sysconfdir="$PKGFS_SYSCONFDIR" \
 				${configure_args}
 
 	#
@@ -888,7 +889,7 @@ install_tmpl()
 		# At this point all required deps are installed, and
 		# only remaining is the origin template; install it.
 		#
-		doing_deps=
+		unset doing_deps
 		reset_tmpl_vars
 		run_file ${origin_tmpl}
 		check_tmpl_vars ${pkgname}