diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cbc3fce..f5a37b5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -291,15 +291,8 @@ sharedir = $(prefix)/share
 gitwebdir = $(sharedir)/gitweb
 template_dir = share/git-core/templates
 htmldir = share/doc/git-doc
-ifeq ($(prefix),/usr)
-sysconfdir = /etc
 ETC_GITCONFIG = $(sysconfdir)/gitconfig
 ETC_GITATTRIBUTES = $(sysconfdir)/gitattributes
-else
-sysconfdir = $(prefix)/etc
-ETC_GITCONFIG = etc/gitconfig
-ETC_GITATTRIBUTES = etc/gitattributes
-endif
 lib = lib
 # DESTDIR=
 pathsep = :
@@ -1192,6 +1185,12 @@ endif
 -include config.mak.autogen
 -include config.mak
 
+ifeq ($(prefix),/usr)
+sysconfdir ?= /etc
+else
+sysconfdir ?= etc
+endif
+
 ifdef CHECK_HEADER_DEPENDENCIES
 COMPUTE_HEADER_DEPENDENCIES =
 USE_COMPUTED_HEADER_DEPENDENCIES =
diff --git a/config.mak.in b/config.mak.in
index e378534..3006494 100644
--- a/config.mak.in
+++ b/config.mak.in
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ TCLTK_PATH = @TCLTK_PATH@
 prefix = @prefix@
 exec_prefix = @exec_prefix@
 bindir = @bindir@
+sysconfdir = @sysconfdir@
 gitexecdir = @libexecdir@/git-core
 datarootdir = @datarootdir@
 template_dir = @datadir@/git-core/templates