diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 16a83841ed557fef04fc6d1ff80e673b919fd123..197b5dc7cec6ab35791fc8f876047069d6befcc1 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 
 2014-06-17  Benno Schulenberg  <bensberg@justemail.net>
 	* src/text.c (do_undo, do_redo): Remove obsolete boolean variable.
+	* doc/man/nano.1, doc/man/nanorc.5, doc/texinfo/nano.texi: Replace
+	SYSCONFDIR with an absolute path or a circumlocution, as suggested
+	by Mike Frysinger, plus some other tweaks.
 
 2014-06-16  David Lawrence Ramsey  <pooka109@gmail.com>
 	* src/nano.c (do_exit): Display the message "No file name" on the
diff --git a/doc/man/nano.1 b/doc/man/nano.1
index 1854fc91949c2762ec5d6e0852b3f0a638981a68..0e93cb761809d75070602ffda3b7e58b80f81d99 100644
--- a/doc/man/nano.1
+++ b/doc/man/nano.1
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ Log search and replace strings to \fI~/.nano/search_history\fP, so they can be
 retrieved in later sessions (if \fInanorc\fP support has been compiled in).
 .TP
 .B \-I (\-\-ignorercfiles)
-Don't look at \fISYSCONFDIR/nanorc\fP or \fI~/.nanorc\fP
+Don't look at the system's \fBnanorc\fP nor at \fB~/.nanorc\fP
 (if \fInanorc\fP support has been compiled in).
 .TP
 .B \-K (\-\-rebindkeypad)
@@ -228,13 +228,14 @@ Ignored, for compatibility with Pico.
 
 .SH INITIALIZATION FILE
 \fBnano\fP will read initialization files in the following order:
-\fISYSCONFDIR/nanorc\fP, then \fI~/.nanorc\fP.  Please see
-\fBnanorc(5)\fP and the example file \fBnanorc.sample\fP, both of which
-should be provided with \fBnano\fP.
+the system's \fBnanorc\fP (if it exists), and then the user's
+\fB~/.nanorc\fP (if it exists).  Please see
+.BR nanorc (5)
+for more information on the possible contents of those files.
 
 .SH NOTES
 If no alternative spell checker command is specified on the command
-line or in one of the \fInanorc\fP files, \fBnano\fP will check the
+line nor in one of the \fInanorc\fP files, \fBnano\fP will check the
 \fBSPELL\fP environment variable for one.
 
 In some cases \fBnano\fP will try to dump the buffer into an emergency
diff --git a/doc/man/nanorc.5 b/doc/man/nanorc.5
index 773f8afeba4e4b00bd43b2004cba46bb3c5421d8..16cc0149b9e9c937b60f5bd53ef47ef9febf0d8b 100644
--- a/doc/man/nanorc.5
+++ b/doc/man/nanorc.5
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ nanorc \- GNU nano's rcfile
 The \fInanorc\fP file contains the default settings for \fBnano\fP, a
 small and friendly editor.  The file should be in Unix format, not in
 DOS or Mac format.  During startup, \fBnano\fP will first read the
-system-wide settings, from \fBSYSCONFDIR/nanorc\fP, and then the
-user-specific settings, from \fB~/.nanorc\fP.
+system-wide settings, from \fB/etc/nanorc\fP (the exact path might be
+different), and then the user-specific settings, from \fB~/.nanorc\fP.
 
 .SH OPTIONS
 The configuration file accepts a series of \fBset\fP and \fBunset\fP
@@ -648,11 +648,11 @@ A special name meaning: apply to all menus where this function exists.
 
 .SH FILES
 .TP
-.B SYSCONFDIR/nanorc
-System-wide configuration file
+.B /etc/nanorc
+System-wide configuration file.
 .TP
 .B ~/.nanorc
-Per-user configuration file
+Per-user configuration file.
 .SH SEE ALSO
 .TP
 \fBnano\fP(1)
diff --git a/doc/texinfo/nano.texi b/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
index c793ec02cbcf5540f6d17c7daa9d1ee54dc028b1..8fe001f8129099c19e0c00f763f470dfba415428 100644
--- a/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
+++ b/doc/texinfo/nano.texi
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ Log search and replace strings to ~/.nano/search_history, so they can be
 retrieved in later sessions (if nanorc support has been compiled in).
 
 @item -I, --ignorercfiles
-Don't look at SYSCONFDIR/nanorc or ~/.nanorc
+Don't look at the system's nanorc file nor at the user's ~/.nanorc
 (if nanorc support has been compiled in).
 
 @item -K, --rebindkeypad
@@ -521,8 +521,9 @@ toggles the -$ (@code{--softwrap}) command line option.
 
 The nanorc files contain the default settings for @code{nano}.  They
 should be in Unix format, not in DOS or Mac format.  During startup,
-@code{nano} will first read the system-wide settings, from SYSCONFDIR/nanorc,
-and then the user-specific settings, from ~/.nanorc.
+@code{nano} will first read the system-wide settings, from /etc/nanorc
+(the exact path might be different), and then the user-specific settings,
+from ~/.nanorc.
 
 A nanorc file accepts a series of "set" and "unset" commands, which can
 be used to configure @code{nano} on startup without using command-line