diff --git a/clientserver.c b/clientserver.c
index 7c897abc4..1e5f3a354 100644
--- a/clientserver.c
+++ b/clientserver.c
@@ -1261,10 +1261,16 @@ static void send_listing(int fd)
 static int load_config(int globals_only)
 {
 	if (!config_file) {
-		if (am_daemon < 0 && am_root <= 0)
+		if (am_daemon < 0 && am_root <= 0) {
 			config_file = RSYNCD_USERCONF;
-		else
+		} else {
 			config_file = RSYNCD_SYSCONF;
+#ifdef RSYNCD_DISTCONF
+			STRUCT_STAT st;
+			if (do_stat(RSYNCD_SYSCONF, &st) != 0)
+				config_file = RSYNCD_DISTCONF;
+#endif
+		}
 	}
 	return lp_load(config_file, globals_only);
 }
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ccad7f132..5360fd186 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(rsync-path,
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RSYNC_PATH, "$RSYNC_PATH", [location of rsync on remote machine])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(rsyncd-conf,
-	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rsyncd-conf=PATH],[set configuration file for rsync server to PATH (default: /etc/rsyncd.conf)]),
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rsyncd-conf=PATH],[set user/admin defined configuration file for rsync server to PATH (default: /etc/rsyncd.conf)]),
 	[ if test ! -z "$with_rsyncd_conf" ; then
 		case $with_rsyncd_conf in
 			yes|no)
@@ -193,7 +193,27 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(rsyncd-conf,
 	fi ],
 	[ RSYNCD_SYSCONF="/etc/rsyncd.conf" ])
 
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RSYNCD_SYSCONF, "$RSYNCD_SYSCONF", [location of configuration file for rsync server])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RSYNCD_SYSCONF, "$RSYNCD_SYSCONF", [location of user/admin defined configuration file for rsync server])
+
+AC_ARG_WITH(rsyncd-distconf,
+	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rsyncd-distconf=PATH],[set vendor configuration file for rsync server to PATH (default: not set)]),
+	[ if test ! -z "$with_rsyncd_distconf" ; then
+		case $with_rsyncd_distconf in
+			yes|no)
+				RSYNCD_DISTCONF="/usr/etc/rsyncd.conf"
+				;;
+			/*)
+				RSYNCD_DISTCONF="$with_rsyncd_distconf"
+				;;
+			*)
+                                AC_MSG_ERROR(You must specify an absolute path to --with-rsyncd-distconf=PATH)
+				;;
+		esac
+	fi
+	],
+	[])
+
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RSYNCD_DISTCONF, "$RSYNCD_DISTCONF", [location of vendor configuration file for rsync server])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH(rsh,
 	AS_HELP_STRING([--with-rsh=CMD],[set remote shell command to CMD (default: ssh)]))
diff --git a/rsyncd.conf.5.md b/rsyncd.conf.5.md
index 3d91cd93d..b44786a16 100644
--- a/rsyncd.conf.5.md
+++ b/rsyncd.conf.5.md
@@ -1239,7 +1239,7 @@ The /etc/rsyncd.secrets file would look something like this:
 
 ## FILES
 
-/etc/rsyncd.conf or rsyncd.conf
+rsyncd.conf or /etc/rsyncd.conf or /usr/etc/rsyncd.conf
 
 ## SEE ALSO