diff --git a/lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc b/lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
--- a/lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
+++ b/lib/libc/gen/Makefile.inc
@@ -573,8 +573,8 @@
 	${PWD_MKDB_CMD} -i -p -d ${DESTDIR}/etc ${DESTDIR}/etc/master.passwd
 .if defined(NO_ROOT) && defined(METALOG)
 	( \
-		echo "./etc/pwd.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
-		echo "./etc/spwd.db type=file mode=0600 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
-		echo "./etc/passwd type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
+		echo ".${DISTBASE}/etc/pwd.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
+		echo ".${DISTBASE}/etc/spwd.db type=file mode=0600 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
+		echo ".${DISTBASE}/etc/passwd type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel"; \
 	) | cat -l >> ${METALOG}
 .endif
diff --git a/share/mk/bsd.subdir.mk b/share/mk/bsd.subdir.mk
--- a/share/mk/bsd.subdir.mk
+++ b/share/mk/bsd.subdir.mk
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@
 distribute: .MAKE
 .for dist in ${DISTRIBUTION}
 	${_+_}cd ${.CURDIR}; \
-	    ${MAKE} install installconfig -DNO_SUBDIR DESTDIR=${DISTDIR}/${dist} SHARED=copies
+	    ${MAKE} install installconfig -DNO_SUBDIR DISTBASE=/${dist} DESTDIR=${DISTDIR}/${dist} SHARED=copies
 .endfor
 .endif
 # Convenience targets to run 'build${target}' and 'install${target}' when
diff --git a/usr.bin/login/Makefile b/usr.bin/login/Makefile
--- a/usr.bin/login/Makefile
+++ b/usr.bin/login/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 afterinstallconfig:
 	${CAP_MKDB_CMD} ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} ${DESTDIR}/etc/login.conf
 .if defined(NO_ROOT) && defined(METALOG)
-	echo "./etc/login.conf.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel" | \
+	echo ".${DISTBASE}/etc/login.conf.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel" | \
 		cat -l >> ${METALOG}
 .endif
 
diff --git a/usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile b/usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
--- a/usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/services_mkdb/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 	${SERVICES_MKDB_CMD} ${CAP_MKDB_ENDIAN} -q -o ${DESTDIR}/var/db/services.db \
 		${DESTDIR}/etc/services
 .if defined(NO_ROOT) && defined(METALOG)
-	echo "./var/db/services.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel" | \
+	echo ".${DISTBASE}/var/db/services.db type=file mode=0644 uname=root gname=wheel" | \
 		cat -l >> ${METALOG}
 .endif
 .endif