diff --git a/etc/rc.d/sendmail b/etc/rc.d/sendmail
index 63a90194784..0cef8561d88 100755
--- a/etc/rc.d/sendmail
+++ b/etc/rc.d/sendmail
@@ -197,6 +197,10 @@ sendmail_precmd()
 			sendmail_cert_create
 		fi
 	fi
+
+	if [ ! -f /var/log/sendmail.st ]; then
+		/usr/bin/install -m 640 -o root -g wheel /dev/null /var/log/sendmail.st
+	fi
 }
 
 run_rc_command "$1"
diff --git a/etc/sendmail/Makefile b/etc/sendmail/Makefile
index 2819653a413..2692d55fdc0 100644
--- a/etc/sendmail/Makefile
+++ b/etc/sendmail/Makefile
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ distribution:
 	    ${.CURDIR}/freebsd.submit.mc freebsd.submit.cf ${DESTDIR}/etc/mail
 	${INSTALL} -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 444 \
 	    ${SMDIR}/helpfile ${DESTDIR}/etc/mail
-	${INSTALL} -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 640 \
-	    /dev/null ${DESTDIR}/var/log/sendmail.st
 .if defined(INSTALL_CF)
 	${INSTALL} -o ${BINOWN} -g ${BINGRP} -m 644 \
 	    ${INSTALL_CF} ${DEST_CF}