diff --git a/usr.sbin/mergemaster/mergemaster.sh b/usr.sbin/mergemaster/mergemaster.sh
index 7f0696846e1b..84ee455d5fb7 100755
--- a/usr.sbin/mergemaster/mergemaster.sh
+++ b/usr.sbin/mergemaster/mergemaster.sh
@@ -849,6 +849,9 @@ mm_install () {
     /etc/login.conf)
       NEED_CAP_MKDB=yes
       ;;
+    /etc/services)
+      NEED_SERVICES_MKDB=yes
+      ;;
     /etc/master.passwd)
       do_install_and_rm 600 "${1}" "${DESTDIR}${INSTALL_DIR}"
       NEED_PWD_MKDB=yes
@@ -1278,6 +1281,17 @@ case "${NEED_CAP_MKDB}" in
   ;;
 esac
 
+case "${NEED_SERVICES_MKDB}" in
+'') ;;
+*)
+  echo ''
+  echo "*** You installed a services file, so make sure that you run"
+  echo "    '/usr/sbin/services_mkdb -q -o ${DESTDIR}/var/db/services.db ${DESTDIR}/etc/services'"
+  echo "     to rebuild your services database"
+  run_it_now "/usr/sbin/services_mkdb -q -o ${DESTDIR}/var/db/services.db ${DESTDIR}/etc/services"
+  ;;
+esac
+
 case "${NEED_PWD_MKDB}" in
 '') ;;
 *)