diff --git a/Config.mk b/Config.mk
index e56cc17bcd..632423757c 100644
--- a/Config.mk
+++ b/Config.mk
@@ -69,9 +69,6 @@ define setvar_dir
   endif
 endef
 
-# See distro_mapping.txt for other options
-$(eval $(call setvar_dir,CONFIG_LEAF_DIR,,/etc/sysconfig,sysconfig,default))
-
 ifneq ($(EXTRA_PREFIX),)
 EXTRA_INCLUDES += $(EXTRA_PREFIX)/include
 EXTRA_LIB += $(EXTRA_PREFIX)/lib
diff --git a/config/Linux.mk b/config/Linux.mk
index b421a1c840..2a84b6b0f3 100644
--- a/config/Linux.mk
+++ b/config/Linux.mk
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
 include $(XEN_ROOT)/config/StdGNU.mk
+
+SYSCONFIG_DIR = $(CONFIG_DIR)/$(CONFIG_LEAF_DIR)
diff --git a/config/Paths.mk.in b/config/Paths.mk.in
index e1fe4a328d..9fd87c5af3 100644
--- a/config/Paths.mk.in
+++ b/config/Paths.mk.in
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ XEN_LIB_STORED           := @XEN_LIB_STORED@
 
 CONFIG_DIR               := @CONFIG_DIR@
 INITD_DIR                := @INITD_DIR@
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR          := @CONFIG_LEAF_DIR@
 BASH_COMPLETION_DIR      := $(CONFIG_DIR)/bash_completion.d
 XEN_LOCK_DIR             := @XEN_LOCK_DIR@
 XEN_PAGING_DIR           := @XEN_PAGING_DIR@
diff --git a/config/StdGNU.mk b/config/StdGNU.mk
index 16c3043e74..1566d7fcb0 100644
--- a/config/StdGNU.mk
+++ b/config/StdGNU.mk
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ INSTALL_DIR  = $(INSTALL) -d -m0755 -p
 INSTALL_DATA = $(INSTALL) -m0644 -p
 INSTALL_PROG = $(INSTALL) -m0755 -p
 
-SYSCONFIG_DIR = $(CONFIG_DIR)/$(CONFIG_LEAF_DIR)
-
 BOOT_DIR ?= /boot
 
 SOCKET_LIBS =
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 862bb62f62..4b7aa570d2 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ XEN_LIB_STORED
 XEN_LOG_DIR
 XEN_RUN_DIR
 LIBEXEC_BIN
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR
 host_os
 host_vendor
 host_cpu
@@ -656,6 +657,7 @@ ac_subst_files=''
 ac_user_opts='
 enable_option_checking
 with_initddir
+with_sysconfig_leaf_dir
 enable_xen
 enable_tools
 enable_stubdom
@@ -1290,6 +1292,11 @@ Optional Packages:
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
   --with-initddir=DIR     Path to directory with sysv runlevel scripts.
                           [SYSCONFDIR/init.d]
+  --with-sysconfig-leaf-dir=SUBDIR
+                          Name of subdirectory in /etc to store runtime
+                          options for runlevel scripts and daemons such as
+                          xenstoerd. This should be either "sysconfig" or
+                          "default". [sysconfig]
 
 Report bugs to <xen-devel@lists.xen.org>.
 Xen Hypervisor home page: <http://www.xen.org/>.
@@ -1900,6 +1907,18 @@ else
 fi
 
 
+
+# Check whether --with-sysconfig-leaf-dir was given.
+if test "${with_sysconfig_leaf_dir+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_sysconfig_leaf_dir; config_leaf_dir=$withval
+else
+  config_leaf_dir=sysconfig
+    if test ! -d /etc/sysconfig ; then config_leaf_dir=default ; fi
+fi
+
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR=$config_leaf_dir
+
+
 if test "$libexecdir" = '${exec_prefix}/libexec' ; then
     case "$host_os" in
          *netbsd*) ;;
diff --git a/docs/misc/distro_mapping.txt b/docs/misc/distro_mapping.txt
index 0e8bf0cebd..2e46592728 100644
--- a/docs/misc/distro_mapping.txt
+++ b/docs/misc/distro_mapping.txt
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ scripts at run-time.  If the Red Hat directory exists, it is used;
 otherwise the Debian one is used.
 
 The INITD_DIR path can be changed with configure --with-initddir=DIR.
-The CONFIG_LEAF_DIR path can be changed by setting the variables in
-the environment or your ".config" (which is included by Config.mk).
+The CONFIG_LEAF_DIR name can be changed with configure
+--with-sysconfig-leaf-dir=SUBDIR.
 
 To add support for new distributions that don't use the above locations,
 one must grep for the above elements and add appropriate checks.
diff --git a/m4/paths.m4 b/m4/paths.m4
index 53fb7b7600..dcb8f28c8e 100644
--- a/m4/paths.m4
+++ b/m4/paths.m4
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([initddir],
          ;;
      esac])
 
+AC_ARG_WITH([sysconfig-leaf-dir],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--with-sysconfig-leaf-dir=SUBDIR],
+    [Name of subdirectory in /etc to store runtime options for runlevel
+    scripts and daemons such as xenstoerd.
+    This should be either "sysconfig" or "default". [sysconfig]]),
+    [config_leaf_dir=$withval],
+    [config_leaf_dir=sysconfig
+    if test ! -d /etc/sysconfig ; then config_leaf_dir=default ; fi])
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR=$config_leaf_dir
+AC_SUBST(CONFIG_LEAF_DIR)
+
 if test "$libexecdir" = '${exec_prefix}/libexec' ; then
     case "$host_os" in
          *netbsd*) ;;
diff --git a/tools/configure b/tools/configure
index 831ac6378a..e0aba849ba 100755
--- a/tools/configure
+++ b/tools/configure
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ XEN_LIB_STORED
 XEN_LOG_DIR
 XEN_RUN_DIR
 LIBEXEC_BIN
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR
 FILE_OFFSET_BITS
 OBJEXT
 EXEEXT
@@ -781,6 +782,7 @@ ac_user_opts='
 enable_option_checking
 enable_largefile
 with_initddir
+with_sysconfig_leaf_dir
 enable_rpath
 enable_githttp
 enable_monitors
@@ -1476,6 +1478,11 @@ Optional Packages:
   --without-PACKAGE       do not use PACKAGE (same as --with-PACKAGE=no)
   --with-initddir=DIR     Path to directory with sysv runlevel scripts.
                           [SYSCONFDIR/init.d]
+  --with-sysconfig-leaf-dir=SUBDIR
+                          Name of subdirectory in /etc to store runtime
+                          options for runlevel scripts and daemons such as
+                          xenstoerd. This should be either "sysconfig" or
+                          "default". [sysconfig]
   --with-linux-backend-modules="mod1 mod2"
                           List of Linux backend module or modalias names to be
                           autoloaded on startup.
@@ -3744,6 +3751,18 @@ else
 fi
 
 
+
+# Check whether --with-sysconfig-leaf-dir was given.
+if test "${with_sysconfig_leaf_dir+set}" = set; then :
+  withval=$with_sysconfig_leaf_dir; config_leaf_dir=$withval
+else
+  config_leaf_dir=sysconfig
+    if test ! -d /etc/sysconfig ; then config_leaf_dir=default ; fi
+fi
+
+CONFIG_LEAF_DIR=$config_leaf_dir
+
+
 if test "$libexecdir" = '${exec_prefix}/libexec' ; then
     case "$host_os" in
          *netbsd*) ;;