diff --git a/system/etc.nix b/etc/default.nix
similarity index 86%
rename from system/etc.nix
rename to etc/default.nix
index 756450ebe23..d95a3fc3d12 100644
--- a/system/etc.nix
+++ b/etc/default.nix
@@ -28,28 +28,28 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
     }
 
     { # Hostname-to-IP mappings.
-      source = ./etc/hosts;
+      source = ./hosts;
       target = "hosts";
     }
 
     { # Name Service Switch configuration file.  Required by the C library.
-      source = ./etc/nsswitch.conf;
+      source = ./nsswitch.conf;
       target = "nsswitch.conf";
     }
 
     { # Configuration file for the system logging daemon.
-      source = ./etc/syslog.conf;
+      source = ./syslog.conf;
       target = "syslog.conf";
     }
 
     { # Friendly greeting on the virtual consoles.
-      source = ./etc/issue;
+      source = ./issue;
       target = "issue";
     }
 
     { # Configuration for pwdutils (login, passwd, useradd, etc.).
       # You cannot login without it!
-      source = ./etc/login.defs;
+      source = ./login.defs;
       target = "login.defs";
     }
 
@@ -60,13 +60,13 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
 
     { # Configuration for passwd and friends (e.g., hash algorithm
       # for /etc/passwd).
-      source = ./etc/default/passwd;
+      source = ./default/passwd;
       target = "default/passwd";
     }
 
     { # Configuration for useradd.
       source = pkgs.substituteAll {
-        src = ./etc/default/useradd;
+        src = ./default/useradd;
         inherit defaultShell;
       };
       target = "default/useradd";
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
 
     { # Dhclient hooks for emitting ip-up/ip-down events.
       source = pkgs.substituteAll {
-        src = ./etc/dhclient-exit-hooks;
+        src = ./dhclient-exit-hooks;
         inherit (pkgs) upstart glibc;
       };
       target = "dhclient-exit-hooks";
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
 
     { # Script executed when the shell starts.
       source = pkgs.substituteAll {
-        src = ./etc/profile.sh;
+        src = ./profile.sh;
         inherit systemPath wrapperDir;
         inherit (pkgs) kernel glibc;
         timeZone = config.get ["time" "timeZone"];
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
   ++ (optional ["fonts" "enableFontConfig"] { 
     source = pkgs.runCommand "fonts.conf"
       { 
-        fontDirectories = import ./fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
+        fontDirectories = import ../system/fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
         buildInputs = [pkgs.libxslt];
         inherit (pkgs) fontconfig;
       }
       "xsltproc --stringparam fontDirectories \"$fontDirectories\" \\
-          ${./etc/fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl} $fontconfig/etc/fonts/fonts.conf \\
+          ${./fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl} $fontconfig/etc/fonts/fonts.conf \\
           > $out
       ";
     target = "fonts/fonts.conf";
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ import ../helpers/make-etc.nix {
   ++ (map
     (program:
       { source = pkgs.substituteAll {
-          src = ./etc/pam.d + ("/" + program);
+          src = ./pam.d + ("/" + program);
           inherit (pkgs) pam_unix2;
           pam_ldap =
             if config.get ["users" "ldap" "enable"]
diff --git a/system/etc/default/passwd b/etc/default/passwd
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/default/passwd
rename to etc/default/passwd
diff --git a/system/etc/default/useradd b/etc/default/useradd
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/default/useradd
rename to etc/default/useradd
diff --git a/system/etc/dhclient-exit-hooks b/etc/dhclient-exit-hooks
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/dhclient-exit-hooks
rename to etc/dhclient-exit-hooks
diff --git a/system/etc/fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl b/etc/fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl
rename to etc/fonts/make-fonts-conf.xsl
diff --git a/system/etc/hosts b/etc/hosts
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/hosts
rename to etc/hosts
diff --git a/system/etc/issue b/etc/issue
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/issue
rename to etc/issue
diff --git a/system/etc/ldap.conf.nix b/etc/ldap.conf.nix
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/ldap.conf.nix
rename to etc/ldap.conf.nix
diff --git a/system/etc/login.defs b/etc/login.defs
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/login.defs
rename to etc/login.defs
diff --git a/system/etc/nsswitch.conf b/etc/nsswitch.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/nsswitch.conf
rename to etc/nsswitch.conf
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/chsh b/etc/pam.d/chsh
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/chsh
rename to etc/pam.d/chsh
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/common b/etc/pam.d/common
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/common
rename to etc/pam.d/common
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/login b/etc/pam.d/login
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/login
rename to etc/pam.d/login
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/other b/etc/pam.d/other
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/other
rename to etc/pam.d/other
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/passwd b/etc/pam.d/passwd
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/passwd
rename to etc/pam.d/passwd
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/shadow b/etc/pam.d/shadow
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/shadow
rename to etc/pam.d/shadow
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/sshd b/etc/pam.d/sshd
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/sshd
rename to etc/pam.d/sshd
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/su b/etc/pam.d/su
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/su
rename to etc/pam.d/su
diff --git a/system/etc/pam.d/useradd b/etc/pam.d/useradd
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/pam.d/useradd
rename to etc/pam.d/useradd
diff --git a/system/etc/profile.sh b/etc/profile.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/profile.sh
rename to etc/profile.sh
diff --git a/system/etc/syslog.conf b/etc/syslog.conf
similarity index 100%
rename from system/etc/syslog.conf
rename to etc/syslog.conf
diff --git a/system/system.nix b/system/system.nix
index 83d92958b16..d2eba92af6e 100644
--- a/system/system.nix
+++ b/system/system.nix
@@ -141,13 +141,13 @@ rec {
 
 
   # The services (Upstart) configuration for the system.
-  upstartJobs = import ./upstart.nix {
+  upstartJobs = import ../upstart-jobs/default.nix {
     inherit config pkgs nix modprobe nssModulesPath;
   };
 
 
   # The static parts of /etc.
-  etc = import ./etc.nix {
+  etc = import ../etc/default.nix {
     inherit config pkgs upstartJobs systemPath wrapperDir defaultShell;
     extraEtc = pkgs.lib.concatLists (map (job: job.extraEtc) upstartJobs.jobs);
   };
diff --git a/system/upstart.nix b/upstart-jobs/default.nix
similarity index 98%
rename from system/upstart.nix
rename to upstart-jobs/default.nix
index 6e4b9797d70..f844c1d6d7b 100644
--- a/system/upstart.nix
+++ b/upstart-jobs/default.nix
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ import ../upstart-jobs/gather.nix {
       inherit config;
       inherit (pkgs) stdenv writeText lib xterm slim xorg mesa
         gnome compiz feh kdebase kdelibs xkeyboard_config;
-      fontDirectories = import ./fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
+      fontDirectories = import ../system/fonts.nix {inherit pkgs;};
     })
 
   # Apache httpd.