diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 315c804c..51b19d86 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ Defaults.mk
 /etc/wwapid.conf
 /etc/wwapic.conf
 /etc/wwapird.conf
+/etc/defaults.conf
 .dist/
 userdocs/_*
 userdocs/reference/*
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d5eab3c0..b4d6f86d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 include Variables.mk
 
 .PHONY: all
-all: config vendor wwctl wwclient man_pages wwapid wwapic wwapird
+all: config vendor wwctl wwclient man_pages wwapid wwapic wwapird etc/defaults.conf
 
 .PHONY: build
 build: lint test-it vet all
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ config: etc/wwapic.conf \
 	internal/pkg/config/buildconfig.go \
 	warewulf.spec
 
+etc/defaults.conf: wwctl
+	./wwctl --emptyconf genconfig defaults >etc/defaults.conf
+
 %: %.in
 	sed -ne "$(foreach V,$(VARLIST),s,@$V@,$(strip $($V)),g;)p" $@.in >$@
 
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ install: all
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)/wwapic.conf || install -m 644 etc/wwapic.conf $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)/wwapid.conf || install -m 644 etc/wwapid.conf $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)/wwapird.conf || install -m 644 etc/wwapird.conf $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)
-	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)/warewulf/defaults.conf || ./wwctl --emptyconf genconfig defaults > $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)/warewulf/defaults.conf
+	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)/warewulf/defaults.conf || install -m 644 etc/defaults.conf $(DESTDIR)$(DATADIR)/warewulf/defaults.conf
 	cp -r etc/examples $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)/
 	cp -r etc/ipxe $(DESTDIR)$(WWCONFIGDIR)/
 	cp -r overlays/* $(DESTDIR)$(WWOVERLAYDIR)/