diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index ffc358208c8a..fb0e3e87450e 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -184,9 +184,11 @@ distribution:
 	    ${DESTDIR}/var/crash
 	cd ${.CURDIR}/..; ${INSTALL} -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 444 \
 		${FREEBSD} ${DESTDIR}/
+.if exists(${.CURDIR}/../sys/${MACHINE}/conf/GENERIC.hints)
 	${INSTALL} -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 444 \
 	    ${.CURDIR}/../sys/${MACHINE}/conf/GENERIC.hints \
 	    ${DESTDIR}/boot/device.hints
+.endif
 
 distrib-dirs:
 	mtree -eU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} -f ${.CURDIR}/mtree/BSD.root.dist -p ${DESTDIR}/