diff --git a/drivers/ramdisk/Makefile b/drivers/ramdisk/Makefile
index ccbccfbd0..606b11f02 100644
--- a/drivers/ramdisk/Makefile
+++ b/drivers/ramdisk/Makefile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ RAMDISK_DEFINES= \
 PROTO=	proto
 
 # Common to all architectures
-ETC=		system.conf master.passwd group
+ETC=		system.conf group
 EXTRA=		rc
 PROTO_FILES=	proto.common.etc proto.common.dynamic
 PROG_DRIVERS=
@@ -97,7 +97,8 @@ PROGROOT:= ${.OBJDIR:S,/drivers/ramdisk,,}
 
 # Generate dependencies rules for config files
 .for etc in ${ETC}
-${etc}: ${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/${etc}
+etc/${etc}: ${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/${etc}
+	mkdir -p ${.OBJDIR}/etc
 	${INSTALL} $> $@
 .endfor
 
@@ -140,7 +141,7 @@ ${PROGROOT}/${srcdir}/${dir.${prog}:U${prog}}/${prog}:
 .endfor # prog
 .endfor # srcdir
 
-realall image:	proto.gen ${ETC} ${EXTRA} pwd.db spwd.db passwd group
+realall image:	proto.gen ${ETC:C/^/etc\//} ${EXTRA} etc/master.passwd etc/pwd.db etc/spwd.db etc/passwd etc/group
 	${_MKMSG_CREATE} "Generating ramdisk image"
 	${TOOL_MKFSMFS} image proto.gen || { rm -f image; false; }
 #	if fsck.mfs -s image | grep -q CLEAN;	\
@@ -150,17 +151,14 @@ realall image:	proto.gen ${ETC} ${EXTRA} pwd.db spwd.db passwd group
 #		rm -f image; false;             \
 #	fi
 
+etc/pwd.db etc/spwd.db etc/passwd: etc/master.passwd
+
 etc/master.passwd: ${NETBSDSRCDIR}/etc/master.passwd
 	rm -rf ${.OBJDIR}/etc/
 	mkdir -p ${.OBJDIR}/etc
 	${INSTALL} $> $@
 	${TOOL_PWD_MKDB} -V 0 -p -d . etc/master.passwd
 
-# LSC We use @F because some version of make still output a full path for @,
-#     even when the target is just a file name
-pwd.db spwd.db passwd: etc/master.passwd
-	${INSTALL} etc/${@F} ${@F}
-
 proto.dev.mtree:
 	@echo ". type=dir uname=root gname=operator mode=0755" \
 		>${.TARGET}.tmp && \
@@ -172,8 +170,8 @@ proto.dev.mtree:
 # We have to remove the two first entries of the generated proto file, as
 # well as the two last ones (closing $).
 # Do not forget to double $ so that make doesn't try to expand it.
-proto.dev: proto.dev.mtree pwd.db spwd.db passwd group
-	${TOOL_MTREE} -f ${.TARGET}.mtree -N ${.OBJDIR} -C -K device | \
+proto.dev: proto.dev.mtree etc/pwd.db etc/spwd.db etc/passwd etc/group
+	${TOOL_MTREE} -f ${.TARGET}.mtree -N ${.OBJDIR}/etc -C -K device | \
 		${TOOL_TOPROTO} | ${TOOL_SED} -e '1,4d' | \
 		${TOOL_SED} -e '$$d' |${TOOL_SED} -e '$$d' > ${.TARGET}.tmp && \
 		mv ${.TARGET}.tmp ${.TARGET}
diff --git a/drivers/ramdisk/proto.common.etc b/drivers/ramdisk/proto.common.etc
index bd6de5250..4c3107338 100644
--- a/drivers/ramdisk/proto.common.etc
+++ b/drivers/ramdisk/proto.common.etc
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 	etc d--755 0 0
 		mtab    s--555 2 1      /proc/mounts
-		system.conf ---644 0 0 system.conf
-		passwd ---644 0 0 passwd
-		pwd.db ---644 0 0 pwd.db
-		spwd.db ---600 0 0 spwd.db
-		master.passwd ---600 0 0 master.passwd
+		system.conf ---644 0 0 etc/system.conf
+		passwd ---644 0 0 etc/passwd
+		pwd.db ---644 0 0 etc/pwd.db
+		spwd.db ---600 0 0 etc/spwd.db
+		master.passwd ---600 0 0 etc/master.passwd
 		rc ---755 0 0 rc
 #if defined(__i386__)
-		rs.single ---755 0 0 rs.single
+		rs.single ---755 0 0 etc/rs.single
 #endif
 	$
diff --git a/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb/pwd_mkdb.c b/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb/pwd_mkdb.c
index 25d89be82..f7785ae85 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb/pwd_mkdb.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/pwd_mkdb/pwd_mkdb.c
@@ -439,15 +439,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		 * Create original format password file entry.
 		 */
 		if (makeold) {
-#if defined(__minix)
-			(void)fprintf(oldfp, "%s:##%s:%d:%d:%s:%s:%s\n",
-			    pwd.pw_name, pwd.pw_name, pwd.pw_uid, pwd.pw_gid,
-			    pwd.pw_gecos, pwd.pw_dir, pwd.pw_shell);
-#else
 			(void)fprintf(oldfp, "%s:*:%d:%d:%s:%s:%s\n",
 			    pwd.pw_name, pwd.pw_uid, pwd.pw_gid, pwd.pw_gecos,
 			    pwd.pw_dir, pwd.pw_shell);
-#endif /* defined(__minix) */
 			if (ferror(oldfp))
 				wr_error(oldpwdfile);
 		}