diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am b/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
index 32f27c7366d1..faaee9c2a9f3 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/Makefile.am
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ pubsuffix.cc: $(srcdir)/effective_tld_names.dat
 sysconf_DATA = recursor.yml-dist
 
 recursor.yml-dist: pdns_recursor
-	dir=$$(mktemp -d) && touch "$$dir/recursor.yml" && ./pdns_recursor --config-dir="$$dir" --config=default 2> /dev/null > $@ && rm "$$dir/recursor.yml" && rmdir "$$dir"
+	./pdns_recursor --config=default 2> /dev/null > $@
 
 ## Manpages
 MANPAGES=pdns_recursor.1 \
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh b/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
index b972994dad2b..ebb338d9162c 100755
--- a/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/meson-dist-script.sh
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ symlinks=$(find . -type l)
 
 # If these two get out-of-sync, fix it! It used to be a symlink but that can no longer be as we are
 # working with a partial checkout in the dist root dir.
-cmp "$MESON_SOURCE_ROOT"/builder-support/gen-version "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"/builder-support/gen-version
+cmp "$MESON_SOURCE_ROOT"/../../builder-support/gen-version "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"/builder-support/gen-version
 
 # Get the dereffed symbolic links (the actual files being pointed to) from the source dir
 # Extract them over the existing symbolic links
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ autoreconf -vi
 
 # Generate man pages
 cd "$MESON_PROJECT_BUILD_ROOT"
-ninja man-pages
-cp -vp rec-man-pages/*.1 "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"
+ninja pdns_recursor.1
+cp -vp *.1 "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"
 
 rm -rf "$MESON_PROJECT_DIST_ROOT"/autom4te.cache
 
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/meson.build b/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
index 7aee85a3d10a..e369367bd44f 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/meson.build
@@ -432,6 +432,8 @@ tools = {
       librec_signers_sodium,
       dep_pubsuffix,
     ],
+    'install': true,
+    'install_dir': get_option('sbindir'),
   },
   'rec_control': {
     'main': src_dir / 'rec_control.cc',
@@ -441,6 +443,7 @@ tools = {
       dep_recrust,
       dep_rust_recrust,
     ],
+    'install': true,
   },
 }
 
@@ -541,6 +544,8 @@ foreach tool, info: tools
   export_dynamic = 'export-dynamic' in info ? info['export-dynamic'] : false
   files_extra = 'files-extra' in info ? info['files-extra'] : []
   deps_extra = 'deps-extra' in info ? info['deps-extra'] : []
+  install = 'install' in info ? info['install'] : false
+  install_dir = 'install_dir' in info ? info['install_dir'] : get_option('bindir')
 
   set_variable(
     var_name,
@@ -554,6 +559,8 @@ foreach tool, info: tools
         librec_common,
         deps_extra,
       ],
+      install: install,
+      install_dir: install_dir,
     )
   )
 
@@ -581,30 +588,41 @@ if python.found()
   foreach tool, info: tools
     if 'manpages' in info
       foreach man_page: info['manpages']
-        generated_man_pages += man_page
+        if not fs.is_file(man_page)
+          generated_man_pages += man_page
+        endif
       endforeach
     endif
   endforeach
-  custom_target(
-     'man-pages',
-     input: man_pages,
-     output: generated_man_pages,
-     install: true,
-     install_dir: join_paths(get_option('mandir'), 'man1'),
-     command: [
-       python,
-       product_source_dir / docs_dir / 'generate-man-pages.py',
-       '--build-root', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
-       '--source-root', '@SOURCE_ROOT@',
-       '--venv-name', 'venv-rec-man-pages',
-       '--requirements-file', docs_dir / 'requirements.txt',
-       '--source-directory', docs_dir,
-       '--target-directory', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
-     ] + man_pages,
-  )
+  if generated_man_pages.length() != 0
+    summary('Generating man pages', true, section: 'Manual Pages')
+    custom_target(
+      'man-pages',
+      input: man_pages,
+      output: generated_man_pages,
+      install: true,
+      install_dir: join_paths(get_option('mandir'), 'man1'),
+      command: [
+        python,
+        product_source_dir / docs_dir / 'generate-man-pages.py',
+        '--build-root', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
+        '--source-root', '@SOURCE_ROOT@',
+        '--venv-name', 'venv-rec-man-pages',
+        '--requirements-file', docs_dir / 'requirements.txt',
+        '--source-directory', docs_dir,
+        '--target-directory', '@BUILD_ROOT@',
+      ] + man_pages,
+    )
+  else
+    summary('Generating man pages', false, section: 'Manual Pages')
+  endif
 endif
 
 if dep_systemd.found()
+  systemd_system_unit_dir = dep_systemd_prog.get_variable(
+    'systemdsystemunitdir',
+  )
+
   systemd_service_conf = configuration_data()
   systemd_service_conf.set('BinDir', get_option('prefix') / get_option('bindir'))
   systemd_service_conf.set('StaticBinDir', get_option('prefix') / get_option('sbindir'))
@@ -684,6 +702,8 @@ if dep_systemd.found()
     input: 'pdns-recursor.service.meson.in',
     output: 'pdns-recursor.service',
     configuration: rec_service_conf_general,
+    install: true,
+    install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
   )
 
   rec_service_conf_instance = configuration_data()
@@ -699,5 +719,18 @@ if dep_systemd.found()
     input: 'pdns-recursor.service.meson.in',
     output: 'pdns-recursor@.service',
     configuration: rec_service_conf_instance,
+    install: true,
+    install_dir: systemd_system_unit_dir,
   )
 endif
+
+
+dep_conf_distfile = custom_target(
+  'gen-conf-distfile',
+  command: [pdns_recursor, '--config=default'],
+  output: 'recursor.yml-dist',
+  capture: true,
+  install: true,
+  install_dir:  get_option('sysconfdir'),
+)
+
diff --git a/pdns/recursordist/rec-main.cc b/pdns/recursordist/rec-main.cc
index 3fae0825f6ae..0666317678b3 100644
--- a/pdns/recursordist/rec-main.cc
+++ b/pdns/recursordist/rec-main.cc
@@ -3014,7 +3014,8 @@ static pair<int, bool> doConfig(Logr::log_t startupLog, const string& configname
       }
     }
     else if (config == "default" || config.empty()) {
-      cout << ::arg().configstring(false, true);
+      auto yaml = pdns::settings::rec::defaultsToYaml();
+      cout << yaml << endl;
     }
     else if (config == "diff") {
       if (!::arg().laxFile(configname)) {
@@ -3249,7 +3250,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
     else {
       configname += ".conf";
-      startupLog->info(Logr::Warning, "Trying to read YAML from .yml or .conf failed, failing back to old-style config read", "configname", Logging::Loggable(configname));
+      startupLog->info(Logr::Warning, "Trying to read YAML from .yml or .conf failed, falling back to old-style config read", "configname", Logging::Loggable(configname));
       bool mustExit = false;
       std::tie(ret, mustExit) = doConfig(startupLog, configname, argc, argv);
       if (ret != 0 || mustExit) {