diff --git a/usr.sbin/sade/install.c b/usr.sbin/sade/install.c
index 9d69fca94da1..892f8fa78345 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sade/install.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sade/install.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ installVarDefaults(dialogMenuItem *self)
 	    variable_set2(VAR_FIXIT_TTY,		"standard", 0);
     else
 	    variable_set2(VAR_FIXIT_TTY,		"serial", 0);
-    variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR,		"/usr/tmp", 0);
+    variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR,		"/var/tmp", 0);
     variable_set2(VAR_MEDIA_TIMEOUT,		itoa(MEDIA_TIMEOUT), 0);
     if (getpid() != 1)
 	variable_set2(SYSTEM_STATE,		"update", 0);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.c
index 9d69fca94da1..892f8fa78345 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.c
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ installVarDefaults(dialogMenuItem *self)
 	    variable_set2(VAR_FIXIT_TTY,		"standard", 0);
     else
 	    variable_set2(VAR_FIXIT_TTY,		"serial", 0);
-    variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR,		"/usr/tmp", 0);
+    variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR,		"/var/tmp", 0);
     variable_set2(VAR_MEDIA_TIMEOUT,		itoa(MEDIA_TIMEOUT), 0);
     if (getpid() != 1)
 	variable_set2(SYSTEM_STATE,		"update", 0);
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/installUpgrade.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/installUpgrade.c
index e32f11ee2be6..5b44b79094f8 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/installUpgrade.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/installUpgrade.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ installUpgrade(dialogMenuItem *self)
 
     if (extractingBin) {
 	while (!*saved_etc) {
-	    char *cp = msgGetInput("/usr/tmp/etc", "Under which directory do you wish to save your current /etc?");
+	    char *cp = msgGetInput("/var/tmp/etc", "Under which directory do you wish to save your current /etc?");
 
 	    if (!cp || !*cp || Mkdir(cp)) {
 		if (msgYesNo("Directory was not specified, was invalid or user selected Cancel.\n\n"
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ installUpgradeNonInteractive(dialogMenuItem *self)
 	return DITEM_FAILURE;
     }
 
-    saved_etc = "/usr/tmp/etc";
+    saved_etc = "/var/tmp/etc";
     Mkdir(saved_etc);
     msgNotify("Preserving /etc directory..");
     if (vsystem("tar -cpBf - -C /etc . | tar -xpBf - -C %s", saved_etc)) {
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
index 25dfac8d05a7..7577aac4ec3b 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/media.c
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ mediaSetTape(dialogMenuItem *self)
     if (mediaDevice) {
 	char *val;
 
-	val = msgGetInput("/usr/tmp", "Please enter the name of a temporary directory containing\n"
+	val = msgGetInput("/var/tmp", "Please enter the name of a temporary directory containing\n"
 			  "sufficient space for holding the contents of this tape (or\n"
 			  "tapes).  The contents of this directory will be removed\n"
 			  "after installation, so be sure to specify a directory that\n"
diff --git a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/package.c b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/package.c
index 5a21e3203087..f1a3b87cb4d5 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/sysinstall/package.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/sysinstall/package.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ package_extract(Device *dev, char *name, Boolean depended)
     /* Make a couple of paranoid locations for temp files to live if user specified none */
     if (!variable_get(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR)) {
 	/* Set it to a location with as much space as possible */
-	variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR, "/usr/tmp", 0);
+	variable_set2(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR, "/var/tmp", 0);
     }
     Mkdir(variable_get(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR));
     vsystem("chmod 1777 %s", variable_get(VAR_PKG_TMPDIR));