diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4a5b1148..cc070596 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ files: all
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/warewulf.conf || install -m 644 etc/warewulf.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/hosts.tmpl || install -m 644 etc/hosts.tmpl $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
 	test -f $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/nodes.conf || install -m 644 etc/nodes.conf $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
-	cp -r etc/dhcp $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
+	cp -r etc/examples $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
 	cp -r etc/ipxe $(DESTDIR)$(SYSCONFDIR)/warewulf/
 	cp -r overlays/* $(DESTDIR)$(WWOVERLAYDIR)/
 	chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(WWOVERLAYDIR)/wwinit/init
diff --git a/etc/dhcp/static-dhcpd.conf b/etc/examples/static-dhcpd.conf.ww
similarity index 80%
rename from etc/dhcp/static-dhcpd.conf
rename to etc/examples/static-dhcpd.conf.ww
index 6aa62d4a..f1d3d3d0 100644
--- a/etc/dhcp/static-dhcpd.conf
+++ b/etc/examples/static-dhcpd.conf.ww
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-# This file is created and was written by a Warewulf template. It is strongly
-# suggested that you do not edit this file, but rather, edit the template and
-# recreate this file using Warewulf (wwctl configure dhcp)
-
+{{- if .Dhcp.Enabled }}
+# This file is autogenerated by warewulf 
+# Host:   {{.BuildHost}}
+# Time:   {{.BuildTime}}
+# Source: {{.BuildSource}}
 allow booting;
 allow bootp;
 ddns-update-style interim;
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ option ipxe.no-pxedhcp 1;
 option architecture-type   code 93  = unsigned integer 16;
 
 if exists user-class and option user-class = "iPXE" {
-    filename "http://{{$.Ipaddr}}:{{.Port}}/ipxe/${mac:hexhyp}";
+    filename "http://{{$.Ipaddr}}:{{.Warewulf.Port}}/ipxe/${mac:hexhyp}";
 } else {
     if option architecture-type = 00:0B {
         filename "/warewulf/arm64.efi";
@@ -44,3 +45,5 @@ host {{$nodes.Id.Get}} {
    fixed-address {{$nodes.NetDevs.eth0.Ipaddr.Get}};
 }
 {{end}}
+
+{{- end }}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/app/wwctl/configure/dhcp/main.go b/internal/app/wwctl/configure/dhcp/main.go
index 15b61bd4..8ea2d8ff 100644
--- a/internal/app/wwctl/configure/dhcp/main.go
+++ b/internal/app/wwctl/configure/dhcp/main.go
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ import (
 func CobraRunE(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return configure.Configure("DHCP", setShow)
 }
+
diff --git a/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp.go b/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp.go
index bda1fbf7..1471df30 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp.go
@@ -3,40 +3,19 @@ package configure
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"path"
-	"strconv"
-	"strings"
-	"text/template"
 
-	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/buildconfig"
-	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/node"
+  "github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/overlay"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/warewulfconf"
 	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/wwlog"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
-
+/*
+Configures the dhcpd server, when show is set to false, else the 
+dhcp configuration is checked.
+*/
 func configureDHCP(show bool) error {
 
-	var (
-		d struct {
-			Ipaddr     string
-			Port       string
-			RangeStart string
-			RangeEnd   string
-			Network    string
-			Netmask    string
-			Nodes      []node.NodeInfo
-		}
-
-		templateFile string
-	)
-
-	nodeDB, err := node.New()
-	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "Could not open node configuration: %s\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
 
 	controller, err := warewulfconf.New()
 	if err != nil {
@@ -58,74 +37,18 @@ func configureDHCP(show bool) error {
 		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "Configuration is not defined: `dhcpd range end`\n")
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
-
-	if controller.Dhcp.ConfigFile == "" {
-		controller.Dhcp.ConfigFile = "/etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf"
-	}
-
-	nodes, err := nodeDB.FindAllNodes()
-	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "Could not find all controllers: %s\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	d.Nodes = append(d.Nodes, nodes...)
-
-	templateFile = dhcpTemplateFile(controller.Dhcp.Template)
-	tmpl, err := template.New(path.Base(templateFile)).ParseFiles(templateFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-
-	d.Ipaddr = controller.Ipaddr
-	d.Port = strconv.Itoa(controller.Warewulf.Port)
-	d.Network = controller.Network
-	d.Netmask = controller.Netmask
-	d.RangeStart = controller.Dhcp.RangeStart
-	d.RangeEnd = controller.Dhcp.RangeEnd
-
 	if !show {
-		fmt.Printf("Writing the DHCP configuration file\n")
-		configWriter, err := os.OpenFile(controller.Dhcp.ConfigFile, os.O_RDWR|os.O_CREATE|os.O_TRUNC, 0640)
-		if err != nil {
-			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-		defer configWriter.Close()
-		err = tmpl.Execute(configWriter, d)
-		if err != nil {
-			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
 
+		err = overlay.BuildHostOverlay()
+    if err != nil {
+			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.WARN, "host overlay could not be built: %s\n", err)
+		}
 		fmt.Printf("Enabling and restarting the DHCP services\n")
-		err = util.SystemdStart(controller.Dhcp.SystemdName)
+		err := util.SystemdStart(controller.Dhcp.SystemdName)
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to start")
 		}
-	} else {
-		err = tmpl.Execute(os.Stdout, d)
-		if err != nil {
-			wwlog.Printf(wwlog.ERROR, "%s\n", err)
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-
 	}
-
 	return nil
-}
 
-// dhcpTemplateFile returns the path of the warewulf dhcp template given controller.Dhcp.Template.
-func dhcpTemplateFile(controllerDhcpTemplate string) (templateFile string) {
-	if controllerDhcpTemplate == "" {
-		templateFile = path.Join(buildconfig.SYSCONFDIR(), "warewulf/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf")
-	} else {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(controllerDhcpTemplate, "/") {
-			templateFile = controllerDhcpTemplate
-		} else {
-			templateFile = path.Join(buildconfig.SYSCONFDIR(), "warewulf/dhcp/"+controllerDhcpTemplate+"-dhcpd.conf")
-		}
-	}
-	return
 }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp_main_test.go b/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp_main_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index bf265141..00000000
--- a/internal/pkg/configure/dhcp_main_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-package configure
-
-import (
-	"path"
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/hpcng/warewulf/internal/pkg/buildconfig"
-)
-
-func TestDhcpTemplateFile(t *testing.T) {
-	tests := []struct {
-		parameter string
-		expected  string
-	}{
-		{"", path.Join(buildconfig.SYSCONFDIR(), "warewulf/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf")},
-		{"default", path.Join(buildconfig.SYSCONFDIR(), "warewulf/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf")},
-		{"static", path.Join(buildconfig.SYSCONFDIR(), "warewulf/dhcp/static-dhcpd.conf")},
-		{"/test/absolute/path.conf", "/test/absolute/path.conf"},
-	}
-	for _, tt := range tests {
-		actual := dhcpTemplateFile(tt.parameter)
-		if actual != tt.expected {
-			t.Errorf("dhcpTemplateFile(%v) expected: %v, actual: %v",
-				tt.parameter, tt.expected, actual)
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go b/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
index cc43ef43..760c5eed 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/overlay/datastructure.go
@@ -35,4 +35,5 @@ type TemplateStruct struct {
 	Network        string
 	Dhcp           warewulfconf.DhcpConf
 	Nfs            warewulfconf.NfsConf
+	Warewulf       warewulfconf.WarewulfConf
 }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
index 4e9cb44f..0ef1481e 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/datastructure.go
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ type DhcpConf struct {
 	RangeStart  string `yaml:"range start"`
 	RangeEnd    string `yaml:"range end"`
 	SystemdName string `yaml:"systemd name"`
-	ConfigFile  string `yaml:"config file,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type TftpConf struct {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/defaults.go b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/defaults.go
index 4086a28f..a08dc6e2 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/defaults.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/warewulfconf/defaults.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ func defaultConfig() *ControllerConf {
 		RangeStart:  "192.168.200.50",
 		RangeEnd:    "192.168.200.99",
 		SystemdName: "dhcpd",
-		ConfigFile:  "/etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf",
 	}
 	Tftp := &TftpConf{
 		Enabled:     true,
diff --git a/etc/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf b/overlays/host/etc/dhcpd.conf.ww
similarity index 75%
rename from etc/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf
rename to overlays/host/etc/dhcpd.conf.ww
index 781c0765..b7ac60e5 100644
--- a/etc/dhcp/default-dhcpd.conf
+++ b/overlays/host/etc/dhcpd.conf.ww
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-# This file is created and was written by a Warewulf template. It is strongly
-# suggested that you do not edit this file, but rather, edit the template and
-# recreate this file using Warewulf (wwctl configure dhcp)
-
+{{- if .Dhcp.Enabled }}
+# This file is autogenerated by warewulf 
+# Host:   {{.BuildHost}}
+# Time:   {{.BuildTime}}
+# Source: {{.BuildSource}}
 allow booting;
 allow bootp;
 ddns-update-style interim;
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ option ipxe.no-pxedhcp 1;
 option architecture-type   code 93  = unsigned integer 16;
 
 if exists user-class and option user-class = "iPXE" {
-    filename "http://{{$.Ipaddr}}:{{.Port}}/ipxe/${mac:hexhyp}";
+    filename "http://{{$.Ipaddr}}:{{.Warewulf.Port}}/ipxe/${mac:hexhyp}";
 } else {
     if option architecture-type = 00:0B {
         filename "/warewulf/arm64.efi";
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ if exists user-class and option user-class = "iPXE" {
 
 subnet {{$.Network}} netmask {{$.Netmask}} {
     max-lease-time 120;
-    range {{$.RangeStart}} {{$.RangeEnd}};
+    range {{$.Dhcp.RangeStart}} {{$.Dhcp.RangeEnd}};
     next-server {{$.Ipaddr}};
 }
-
+{{- end }}
\ No newline at end of file