diff --git a/make/conf.mk b/make/conf.mk
index 651ceb76..856770b7 100644
--- a/make/conf.mk
+++ b/make/conf.mk
@@ -4,15 +4,26 @@ include $(JWBDIR)/make/dev-utils.mk
 
 all:
 clean: clean.conf
-install: install_CFG install_files_SYSCFG install_files_LOGROT install_files_CRONTAB install_files_RSYSLOG \
-	install_files_APACHE_CONF install_files_SYSTEMD install_files_INIT install_files_TMPFILES $(CONF_D)
+install: \
+	$(INSTALL_CFGTOPDIR) \
+	install_CFG \
+	install_files_SYSCFG \
+	install_files_LOGROT \
+	install_files_CRONTAB \
+	install_files_RSYSLOG \
+	install_files_APACHE_CONF \
+	install_files_SYSTEMD \
+	install_files_INIT \
+	install_files_TMPFILES \
+	$(CONF_D)
 test: all
 
 clean.conf:
 	$(RM) -rf *~ .*.swp *.done
 
-ifneq ($(CONFIG_SUBDIR),)
-$(INSTALLED_CFG): $(INSTALL_CFGDIR)
+ifneq ($(INSTALL_CFGTOPDIR),)
+$(INSTALL_CFGTOPDIR):
+	$(INSTALL) -D -d -m $(CFGTOPDIRMODE) -o $(CFGTOPDIROWNER) -g $(CFGTOPDIRGROUP) $@
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(CONF_D),)
diff --git a/make/defs-dev.mk b/make/defs-dev.mk
index db895eb8..15aa29da 100644
--- a/make/defs-dev.mk
+++ b/make/defs-dev.mk
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ CFGMODE                     ?= 660
 CFGDIROWNER                 ?= $(EXEDIROWNER)
 CFGDIRGROUP                 ?= $(EXEDIRGROUP)
 CFGDIRMODE                  ?= $(EXEDIRMODE)
+CFGTOPDIROWNER              ?= $(CFGDIROWNER)
+CFGTOPDIRGROUP              ?= $(CFGDIRGROUP)
+CFGTOPDIRMODE               ?= $(CFGDIRMODE)
 SYSCFGOWNER                 ?= $(CFGOWNER)
 SYSCFGGROUP                 ?= $(CFGGROUP)
 SYSCFGMODE                  ?= $(CFGMODE)
diff --git a/make/defs-dist.mk b/make/defs-dist.mk
index 83981fd4..bb1602cb 100644
--- a/make/defs-dist.mk
+++ b/make/defs-dist.mk
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ CFGMODE                     ?= 664
 CFGDIROWNER                 ?= $(EXEDIROWNER)
 CFGDIRGROUP                 ?= $(EXEDIRGROUP)
 CFGDIRMODE                  ?= $(EXEDIRMODE)
+CFGTOPDIROWNER              ?= $(CFGDIROWNER)
+CFGTOPDIRGROUP              ?= $(CFGDIRGROUP)
+CFGTOPDIRMODE               ?= $(CFGDIRMODE)
 SYSCFGOWNER                 ?= $(CFGOWNER)
 SYSCFGGROUP                 ?= $(CFGGROUP)
 SYSCFGMODE                  ?= $(CFGMODE)
diff --git a/make/defs.mk b/make/defs.mk
index 2eb295f4..7e778b07 100644
--- a/make/defs.mk
+++ b/make/defs.mk
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ BUILD_CFGDIR                 = $(TOPDIR)/conf
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_SUBDIR),)
   INSTALL_CFGDIR            ?= $(CONFIG_DIR)
 else
+  INSTALL_CFGTOPDIR         ?= $(CONFIG_DIR)
   INSTALL_CFGDIR            ?= $(CONFIG_DIR)/$(CONFIG_SUBDIR)
 endif
 LOCAL_CFG                   ?= $(filter-out %.site.conf, $(filter-out rsyslog-%, $(wildcard *.conf *.xml *.bprof *.jw-tmpl *.ini *.yaml *.toml))) $(LOCAL_EXTRA_CFG)