diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 43e76bd..f19d933 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 PREFIX = /usr/local
 NAGIOS_DIR = ${PREFIX}/nagios
 NAGIOS_EXEC = ${NAGIOS_DIR}/libexec
+NAGIOS_USER = _nagios
+NAGIOS_GROUP = ${NAGIOS_USER}
 SYSTEMD_UNIT_DIR = /lib/systemd/system
 
 rc: install
@@ -29,7 +31,9 @@ install:
 	@chmod 755 ${NAGIOS_EXEC}/check_onion
 	@echo installing ircbot.sh to ${PREFIX}/bin
 	@cp -f ircbot.sh ${PREFIX}/bin
-	test -f /etc/ircbot.conf || install -m 640 ircbot.conf.default /etc/ircbot.conf
+	@echo installing ircbot.conf to /etc
+	test -f /etc/ircbot.conf || install -m 640 -o root -g ${NAGIOS_GROUP} ircbot.conf.default /etc/ircbot.conf
+	test -f /var/log/ircbot.log || install -m 640 -o ${NAGIOS_USER} -g wheel /dev/null /var/log/ircbot.log
 	@chmod 755 ${PREFIX}/bin/ircbot.sh
 
 uninstall:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index daea892..dc13c87 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -59,7 +59,3 @@ systemd or rc. Start it with `systemctl start ircbot` or `rcctl start ircbot`.
 
 The nagios IRC bot (ircbot.sh) does not automatically rejoin the
 IRC server and channel after it loses the connection.
-
-The Makefile does not install the /etc/ircbot.conf configuration
-file with the correct ownership and permissions. It should be
-readable by nagios user on Linux and _nagios user on OpenBSD.
diff --git a/ircbot.conf.default b/ircbot.conf.default
index 42d5516..d82568d 100644
--- a/ircbot.conf.default
+++ b/ircbot.conf.default
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ password='mysecretpass'
 port='6667'
 inputf=/tmp/ircinput
 msgf=/tmp/ircmsg
-logf=/tmp/notify_irc.log
+logf=/var/log/ircbot.log
 joinmsg="nagios bot reporting"