diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8de2df5a..dcec6e15 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ SUFFIXES =
 bin_PROGRAMS =
 doc_DATA =
 man_MANS =
+etcdir = $(sysconfdir)/awesome
+etc_DATA =
 iconsdir = $(pkgdatadir)/icons
 dist_icons_DATA =
 iconslayoutsdir = $(iconsdir)/layouts
@@ -54,6 +56,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST    += awesomerc.lua.in
 CLEANFILES    += awesomerc.lua
 BUILT_SOURCES += awesomerc.lua
 doc_DATA      += awesomerc.lua
+etc_DATA      += awesomerc.lua
+
 awesomerc.lua: $(srcdir)/awesomerc.lua.in
 	$(SED) -e "s|[@]iconslayoutsdir@|$(iconslayoutsdir)|;s|[@]iconsdir@|$(iconsdir)|" \
 	    < $(srcdir)/awesomerc.lua.in > awesomerc.lua
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1cc11b7d..e3c2c923 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ test "x$LUA" = "x" && AC_MSG_WARN([awesome compilation requires Lua])
 
 AS_AC_EXPAND(awesomelibdir, "$datarootdir/awesome/lib")
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([AWESOME_LUA_LIB_PATH], "${awesomelibdir}", [awesome lib path])
+AS_AC_EXPAND(awesomesysconfdir, "$sysconfdir/awesome")
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([AWESOME_CONF_PATH], "${awesomesysconfdir}", [awesome conf path])
 
 # Checks for libraries.
 AC_PATH_XTRA