diff --git a/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl b/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
index 89930972a872199903e64404b22bf57e7b3da644..40e04bbb1709799e1184b325129a60bbd88d1e92 100644
--- a/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
+++ b/Configurations/descrip.mms.tmpl
@@ -375,8 +375,11 @@ install_ssldirs : check_INSTALLTOP
                 CREATE/DIR/PROT=(S:RWED,O:RWE,G,W) OSSL_DATAROOT:[MISC]
         COPY/PROT=W:RE $(MISC_SCRIPTS) OSSL_DATAROOT:[MISC]
         @ ! Install configuration file
-        COPY/PROT=W:RE {- sourcefile("apps", "openssl-vms.cnf") -} -
-                ossl_dataroot:[000000]openssl.cnf
+        COPY/PROT=W:R {- sourcefile("apps", "openssl-vms.cnf") -} -
+                ossl_dataroot:[000000]openssl.cnf-dist
+        IF F$SEARCH("OSSL_DATAROOT:[000000]openssl.cnf") .EQS. "" THEN -
+                COPY/PROT=W:R {- sourcefile("apps", "openssl-vms.cnf") -} -
+                        ossl_dataroot:[000000]openssl.cnf
 
 install_shared : check_INSTALLTOP
         @ {- output_off() if $disabled{shared}; "" -} !
diff --git a/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl b/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
index 9feb4b1bbcc6eb388ef77e94b888dcd217f5079a..3b6914c930886636fed151fdc135df41c0dd9bee 100644
--- a/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
+++ b/Configurations/unix-Makefile.tmpl
@@ -346,10 +346,15 @@ install_ssldirs:
 		mv -f $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/misc/$$fn.new \
 		      $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/misc/$$fn; \
 	done
-	@echo "install $(SRCDIR)/apps/openssl.cnf -> $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf"
+	@echo "install $(SRCDIR)/apps/openssl.cnf -> $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.dist"
 	@cp $(SRCDIR)/apps/openssl.cnf $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.new
 	@chmod 644 $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.new
-	@mv -f  $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.new $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf
+	@mv -f  $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.new $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf.dist
+	@if ! [ -f "$(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf" ]; then \
+		echo "install $(SRCDIR)/apps/openssl.cnf -> $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf"; \
+		cp $(SRCDIR)/apps/openssl.cnf $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf; \
+		chmod 644 $(DESTDIR)$(OPENSSLDIR)/openssl.cnf; \
+	fi
 
 install_dev:
 	@[ -n "$(INSTALLTOP)" ] || (echo INSTALLTOP should not be empty; exit 1)
diff --git a/Configurations/windows-makefile.tmpl b/Configurations/windows-makefile.tmpl
index b35feb5fe73c55aa8652cfefa4b93e547660d8e2..cbb9116be8da65fd1918a1a47289ab671c099700 100644
--- a/Configurations/windows-makefile.tmpl
+++ b/Configurations/windows-makefile.tmpl
@@ -257,7 +257,10 @@ install_ssldirs:
 	@"$(PERL)" "$(SRCDIR)\util\mkdir-p.pl" "$(OPENSSLDIR)\private"
 	@"$(PERL)" "$(SRCDIR)\util\mkdir-p.pl" "$(OPENSSLDIR)\misc"
 	@"$(PERL)" "$(SRCDIR)\util\copy.pl" "$(SRCDIR)\apps\openssl.cnf" \
-                                       "$(OPENSSLDIR)"
+                                        "$(OPENSSLDIR)\openssl.cnf.dist"
+	@IF NOT EXIST "$(OPENSSLDIR)\openssl.cnf" \
+         "$(PERL)" "$(SRCDIR)\util\copy.pl" "$(SRCDIR)\apps\openssl.cnf" \
+                                        "$(OPENSSLDIR)\openssl.cnf"
 	@"$(PERL)" "$(SRCDIR)\util\copy.pl" $(MISC_SCRIPTS) \
                                         "$(OPENSSLDIR)\misc"