diff --git a/etc/Makefile b/etc/Makefile
index bfb5282dcb7..e7fa2d55380 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile
+++ b/etc/Makefile
@@ -256,10 +256,6 @@ distribution:
 	    ${DESTDIR}/boot/device.hints
 .endif
 .endif
-.if ${MK_NIS} == "no"
-	sed -i "" -e '/_compat:/d' -e 's/compat/files/' \
-		${DESTDIR}/etc/nsswitch.conf
-.endif
 
 distrib-dirs:
 	mtree -eU ${MTREE_FOLLOWS_SYMLINKS} -f ${.CURDIR}/mtree/BSD.root.dist -p ${DESTDIR}/
diff --git a/etc/nsswitch.conf b/etc/nsswitch.conf
index c95b9a4e01c..ab27fb9fde9 100644
--- a/etc/nsswitch.conf
+++ b/etc/nsswitch.conf
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 #
-# nsswitch.conf(5) - name service switch configuration file
 # $FreeBSD$
 #
-group: compat
-group_compat: nis
+# To enable NIS the commented entries should replace their uncommented
+# equivalents.  See nsswitch.conf(5) for more information.
+#
+group: files
+#group_compat: nis
+#group: compat
+
+passwd: files
+#passwd_compat: nis
+#passwd: compat
+
+services: files
+#services_compat: nis
+#services: compat
+
 hosts: files dns
 networks: files
-passwd: compat
-passwd_compat: nis
 shells: files
-services: compat
-services_compat: nis
 protocols: files
 rpc: files