diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index dfffc58e..616c294d 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@ RUN zypper  -n install --no-recommends git go1.18 libgpgme-devel &&\
 COPY . /warewulf-src
 
 RUN cd /warewulf-src &&\
-  make contclean &&\
-  make genconfig \
+  make contclean Defaults.mk \
     PREFIX=/usr \
     BINDIRa=/usr/bin \
     SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8a71dddc..667a522f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -27,18 +27,16 @@ endif
 $(TOOLS_DIR):
 	mkdir -p $@
 
-config:
-	printf " $(foreach V,$(VARLIST),$V := $(strip $($V))\n)" > Defaults.mk
-	find . -type f -name "*.in" -not -path "./vendor/*" \
-		-exec sh -c 'sed -ne "$(foreach V,$(VARLIST),s,@$V@,$(strip $($V)),g;)p" $${0} > $${0%.in}' {} \;
-	touch config
+.PHONY: config
+config: etc/wwapic.conf \
+	etc/wwapid.conf \
+	etc/wwapird.conf \
+	include/systemd/warewulfd.service \
+	internal/pkg/config/buildconfig.go \
+	warewulf.spec
 
-.PHONY: rm_config
-rm_config:
-	rm -f config
-
-.PHONY: genconfig
-genconfig: rm_config config
+%: %.in
+	sed -ne "$(foreach V,$(VARLIST),s,@$V@,$(strip $($V)),g;)p" $@.in >$@
 
 .PHONY: lint
 lint: setup_tools
@@ -183,11 +181,10 @@ wwapird:
 
 .PHONY: contclean
 contclean:
+	rm -f Defaults.mk
 	rm -f $(WAREWULF)-$(VERSION).tar.gz
 	rm -f bash_completion
-	rm -f config
-	rm -f config_defaults 
-	rm -f Defaults.mk
+	rm -f config_defaults
 	rm -f etc/wwapi{c,d,rd}.conf
 	rm -f etc/wwapi{c,d,rd}.config
 	rm -f include/systemd/warewulfd.service
diff --git a/Variables.mk b/Variables.mk
index 43e28ff6..aa22945a 100644
--- a/Variables.mk
+++ b/Variables.mk
@@ -97,3 +97,6 @@ export GOPROXY
 
 # built tags needed for wwbuild binary
 WW_GO_BUILD_TAGS := containers_image_openpgp containers_image_ostree
+
+Defaults.mk:
+	printf " $(foreach V,$(VARLIST),$V := $(strip $($V))\n)" >Defaults.mk
diff --git a/userdocs/contributing/development-environment-vagrant.rst b/userdocs/contributing/development-environment-vagrant.rst
index 8b3f0ba4..e437f080 100644
--- a/userdocs/contributing/development-environment-vagrant.rst
+++ b/userdocs/contributing/development-environment-vagrant.rst
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ Vagrantfile
                 git clone https://github.com/hpcng/warewulf.git
                 cd warewulf
                 git checkout v4.4.0
-                make genconfig \
+                make clean Defaults.mk \
                     PREFIX=/usr \
                     BINDIR=/usr/bin \
                     SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
diff --git a/userdocs/quickstart/el8.rst b/userdocs/quickstart/el8.rst
index b2ab3772..4e2e0510 100644
--- a/userdocs/quickstart/el8.rst
+++ b/userdocs/quickstart/el8.rst
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Install Warewulf and dependencies
 
    git clone https://github.com/hpcng/warewulf.git
    cd warewulf
-   make genconfig \
+   make clean Defaults.mk \
     PREFIX=/usr \
     BINDIR=/usr/bin \
     SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
diff --git a/userdocs/quickstart/el9.rst b/userdocs/quickstart/el9.rst
index 575dc2b3..0ad66d77 100644
--- a/userdocs/quickstart/el9.rst
+++ b/userdocs/quickstart/el9.rst
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Install Warewulf and dependencies
 
    git clone https://github.com/hpcng/warewulf.git
    cd warewulf
-   make genconfig \
+   make clean Defaults.mk \
     PREFIX=/usr \
     BINDIR=/usr/bin \
     SYSCONFDIR=/etc \
diff --git a/userdocs/quickstart/suse15.rst b/userdocs/quickstart/suse15.rst
index 7c0c58e2..ad6f8786 100644
--- a/userdocs/quickstart/suse15.rst
+++ b/userdocs/quickstart/suse15.rst
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Install Warewulf and dependencies
 
    git clone https://github.com/hpcng/warewulf.git
    cd warewulf
-   PREFIX=/usr SYSCONFDIR=/etc TFTPDIR=/srv/tftproot LOCALSTATEDIR=/var/lib make genconfig
+   PREFIX=/usr SYSCONFDIR=/etc TFTPDIR=/srv/tftproot LOCALSTATEDIR=/var/lib make clean Defaults.mk
    make all
    sudo make install
 
diff --git a/warewulf.spec.in b/warewulf.spec.in
index f0208f83..8a6b15bc 100644
--- a/warewulf.spec.in
+++ b/warewulf.spec.in
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ system for large clusters of bare metal and/or virtual systems.
 %build
 %{?with_offline:OFFLINE_BUILD=1}
 # Install to sharedstatedir by redirecting LOCALSTATEDIR
-make genconfig \
+make Defaults.mk \
     PREFIX=%{_prefix} \
     BINDIR=%{_bindir} \
     SYSCONFDIR=%{_sysconfdir} \
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ make
 
 %install
 export NO_BRP_STALE_LINK_ERROR=yes
-make install DESTDIR=%{buildroot}
+make install \
+    DESTDIR=%{buildroot}
 
 
 %pre