diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 687d896f6..be320188a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = src man init testing
+SUBDIRS = src man conf init testing
 
 if USE_SCRIPTS
   SUBDIRS += scripts
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.am b/conf/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cbbb5b57e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+EXTRA_DIST = strongswan.conf
+
+install-exec-local :
+		test -e "$(DESTDIR)${sysconfdir}" || $(INSTALL) -d "$(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)"
+		test -e "$(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/strongswan.conf" || $(INSTALL) -m 640 $(srcdir)/strongswan.conf $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/strongswan.conf || true
diff --git a/src/strongswan.conf b/conf/strongswan.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from src/strongswan.conf
rename to conf/strongswan.conf
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 76981e7b4..2eba4d5ca 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1368,6 +1368,7 @@ fi
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 	Makefile
+	conf/Makefile
 	man/Makefile
 	init/Makefile
 	init/systemd/Makefile
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index f290d9c85..7d11893d1 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -119,9 +119,3 @@ endif
 if USE_INTEGRITY_TEST
   SUBDIRS += checksum
 endif
-
-EXTRA_DIST = strongswan.conf
-
-install-exec-local :
-		test -e "$(DESTDIR)${sysconfdir}" || $(INSTALL) -d "$(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)"
-		test -e "$(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/strongswan.conf" || $(INSTALL) -m 640 $(srcdir)/strongswan.conf $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/strongswan.conf || true