diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index 78a60b6fcb30..8ca259b10a17 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -17,11 +17,10 @@ SUBDIR+=sendmail
 
 # NB: keep these sorted by MK_* knobs
 
-.if ${MK_SENDMAIL} == "no"
-ETCMAIL=mailer.conf aliases
-.else
-ETCMAIL=Makefile README mailer.conf access.sample virtusertable.sample \
-	mailertable.sample aliases
+ETCMAIL=aliases
+.if ${MK_SENDMAIL} != "no"
+ETCMAIL+=Makefile README access.sample virtusertable.sample \
+	mailertable.sample
 .endif
 
 # Special top level files for FreeBSD
diff --git a/etc/mail/mailer.conf b/etc/mail/mailer.conf
index 3f4bd392639b..12f28885fb2e 100644
--- a/etc/mail/mailer.conf
+++ b/etc/mail/mailer.conf
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 #
 # Execute the "real" sendmail program, named /usr/libexec/sendmail/sendmail
 #
+# If dma(8) is installed, an example mailer.conf that uses dma(8) instead can
+# can be found in /usr/share/examples/dma.
+#
 sendmail	/usr/libexec/sendmail/sendmail
 mailq		/usr/libexec/sendmail/sendmail
 newaliases	/usr/libexec/sendmail/sendmail
diff --git a/usr.sbin/mailwrapper/Makefile b/usr.sbin/mailwrapper/Makefile
index 799d7e43fb71..65bc7f023ffa 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/mailwrapper/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/mailwrapper/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ SYMLINKS+=	..${BINDIR}/mailwrapper /bin/rmail
 .endif
 
 .if ${MK_MAILWRAPPER} != "no"
-.if !exists(${DESTDIR}/etc/mail/mailer.conf)
+# We install here if either sendmail(8) is enabled, or dma(8) isn't.  In the
+# latter scenario, we take care of the possibility that neither sendmail(8) nor
+# dma(8) are installed and simply provide a default that can be changed for an
+# alternative in ports.
+.if ${MK_SENDMAIL} != "no" || ${MK_DMAGENT} == "no"
 FILES=		${SRCTOP}/etc/mail/mailer.conf
 FILESDIR=	/etc/mail
 FILESMODE=	644