diff --git a/sys/cnf.c b/sys/cnf.c
index 634d5dc..eee2abd 100644
--- a/sys/cnf.c
+++ b/sys/cnf.c
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ parser(FILEPTR *f, long f_size,
 	kfree(buf);
 }
 
-void
+long
 parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *inf, struct parser_item *parser_tab)
 {
 	XATTR xattr;
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *inf, struct parser_item *parser_
 	long ret;
 
 	ret = FP_ALLOC(rootproc, &fp);
-	if (ret) return;
+	if (ret) return -1;
 
 	ret = do_open(&fp, path, O_RDONLY, 0, &xattr);
 	if (!ret)
@@ -647,6 +647,8 @@ parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *inf, struct parser_item *parser_
 
 		parser(fp, xattr.size, &include, parser_tab);
 		do_close(rootproc, fp);
+
+		return 0;
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -656,10 +658,12 @@ parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *inf, struct parser_item *parser_
 		parser_msg(inf, NULL);
 		boot_printf(MSG_cnf_cannot_include, path);
 		parser_msg(NULL, NULL);
+
+		return -1;
 	}
 }
 
-void
+long
 parse_cnf(const char *path, struct parser_item *parser_tab, void *data)
 {
 	struct parsinf inf  = { 0ul, NULL, 1, NULL, NULL, data };
@@ -668,13 +672,15 @@ parse_cnf(const char *path, struct parser_item *parser_tab, void *data)
 	long ret;
 
 	ret = FP_ALLOC (rootproc, &fp);
-	if (ret) return;
+	if (ret) return -1;
 
 	ret = do_open(&fp, inf.file = path, O_RDONLY, 0, &xattr);
 	if (!ret)
 	{
 		parser(fp, xattr.size, &inf, parser_tab);
 		do_close(rootproc, fp);
+
+		return 0;
 	}
 	else
 	{
@@ -682,5 +688,7 @@ parse_cnf(const char *path, struct parser_item *parser_tab, void *data)
 		FP_FREE(fp);
 
 		ALERT(MSG_cnf_cant_open, path);
+
+		return -1;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/sys/cnf.h b/sys/cnf.h
index bad9d2e..0affbf5 100644
--- a/sys/cnf.h
+++ b/sys/cnf.h
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ struct parser_item
 
 void parser_msg(struct parsinf *, const char *msg);
 
-void parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *, struct parser_item *);
-void parse_cnf(const char *path, struct parser_item *, void *);
+long parse_include(const char *path, struct parsinf *, struct parser_item *);
+long parse_cnf(const char *path, struct parser_item *, void *);
 
 # endif
 
diff --git a/sys/cnf_mint.c b/sys/cnf_mint.c
index 776035c..5e71e02 100644
--- a/sys/cnf_mint.c
+++ b/sys/cnf_mint.c
@@ -273,11 +273,17 @@ load_config(void)
 	char cnf_path[128];
 	struct cnfdata mydata;
 
+	strcpy(cnf_path, mchdir);
+	strcat(cnf_path, "mint.cnf");
+	if (parse_cnf(cnf_path, parser_tab, &mydata) != 0)
+	{
+		/* mchdir/mint.cnf not found, try sysdir/mint.cnf */
 		strcpy(cnf_path, sysdir);
 		strcat(cnf_path, "mint.cnf");
 
 		parse_cnf(cnf_path, parser_tab, &mydata);
 	}
+}
 
 /*============================================================================*/
 /* Now follows the callback definitions in alphabetical order
diff --git a/sys/global.c b/sys/global.c
index 331b6f2..28bf2f7 100644
--- a/sys/global.c
+++ b/sys/global.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 struct global global =
 {
-	0, 0, 0, -1, 0, 0, ""
+	0, 0, 0, -1, 0, 0, "", ""
 };
 
 long mcpu = 0;
diff --git a/sys/global.h b/sys/global.h
index 01fcfaa..00fea67 100644
--- a/sys/global.h
+++ b/sys/global.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ extern struct global global;
 #define gl_kbd		global.gl_kbd
 #define sysdrv		global.sysdrv
 #define sysdir		global.sysdir
+#define mchdir		global.mchdir
 
 extern BASEPAGE *_base;	/* pointer to kernel's basepage */
 
diff --git a/sys/init.c b/sys/init.c
index 7f34f6c..a2ea8cc 100644
--- a/sys/init.c
+++ b/sys/init.c
@@ -650,6 +650,33 @@ init (void)
 		strcpy(sysdir, temp);
 	}
 
+	/* create mchdir */
+	{
+		char *mch_str = NULL;
+
+		/* first check non-cpu defines */
+#if defined(MILAN)
+		mch_str = "mil";
+#elif defined(ARANYM)
+		mch_str = "ara";
+#elif defined(__mcoldfire__)
+		mch_str = "v4e";
+#elif defined(M68000)
+		mch_str = "000";
+#elif defined(M68030)
+		mch_str = "030";
+#elif defined(M68040)
+		mch_str = "040";
+#elif defined(M68060)
+		mch_str = "060";
+#endif
+
+		if (mch_str != NULL)
+		{
+			ksprintf (mchdir, sizeof(mchdir), "%s%s/", sysdir, mch_str);
+		}
+	}
+
 	/* print the warning message if MP is turned off */
 # ifdef WITH_MMU_SUPPORT
 	if (no_mem_prot && mcpu > 20)
diff --git a/sys/mint/kentry.h b/sys/mint/kentry.h
index 42fe8b0..f7ef575 100644
--- a/sys/mint/kentry.h
+++ b/sys/mint/kentry.h
@@ -531,8 +531,8 @@ struct kentry_module
  */
 struct kentry_cnf
 {
-	void _cdecl (*parse_cnf)(const char *path, struct parser_item *, void *);
-	void _cdecl (*parse_include)(const char *path, struct parsinf *, struct parser_item *);
+	long _cdecl (*parse_cnf)(const char *path, struct parser_item *, void *);
+	long _cdecl (*parse_include)(const char *path, struct parsinf *, struct parser_item *);
 	void _cdecl (*parser_msg)(struct parsinf *, const char *msg);
 };
 #define DEFAULTS_kentry_cnf \
diff --git a/sys/mint/ktypes.h b/sys/mint/ktypes.h
index c3aac71..d41d3aa 100644
--- a/sys/mint/ktypes.h
+++ b/sys/mint/ktypes.h
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ typedef struct sizebuf		SIZEBUF;	/* sized buffer */
 /* global data */
 struct global
 {
-	long  mch;		/* machine we are are running */
+	long  mch;		/* machine we are are running, derived from _MCH cookie */
 	long  fputype;		/* fpu type, value for cookie jar */
 
 	short tosvers;		/* the underlying TOS version */
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ struct global
 	 */
 	short sysdrv;
 	char  sysdir[32];
+	char  mchdir[32];	/* sysdir/<machine>, derived from build type */
 };
 
 /* BIOS device map */
diff --git a/sys/module.c b/sys/module.c
index f69df77..94d7a1d 100644
--- a/sys/module.c
+++ b/sys/module.c
@@ -155,37 +155,6 @@ kernel_close(struct file *f)
 	do_close(rootproc, f);
 }
 
-static const char *get_machdir(void)
-{
-	char *mach = NULL;
-
-	/* first check non-cpu defines */
-#if defined(MILAN)
-	mach = "mil";
-#elif defined(ARANYM)
-	mach = "ara";
-#elif defined(__mcoldfire__)
-	mach = "v4e";
-#elif defined(M68000)
-	mach = "000";
-#elif defined(M68030)
-	mach = "030";
-#elif defined(M68040)
-	mach = "040";
-#elif defined(M68060)
-	mach = "060";
-#endif
-
-	if (mach != NULL)
-	{
-		static char temp[32];
-		ksprintf (temp, sizeof(temp), "%s%s\\", sysdir, mach);
-		return temp;
-	}
-
-	return NULL;
-}
-
 static long load_xfs (struct basepage *b, const char *name, short *class, short *subclass);
 static long load_xdd (struct basepage *b, const char *name, short *class, short *subclass);
 
@@ -205,9 +174,8 @@ void
 load_all_modules(unsigned long mask)
 {
 	int i;
-	const char *machdir = get_machdir();
 
-	if (machdir != NULL)
+	if (strlen(mchdir) > 0)
 	{
 		for (i = 0; i < (sizeof(_types) / sizeof(*_types)); i++)
 		{
@@ -215,7 +183,7 @@ load_all_modules(unsigned long mask)
 			if (mask & (1L << i))
 			{
 				DEBUG(("load_all_modules (machine): processing \"%s\"", _types [i]));
-				load_modules(machdir, _types [i], _loads [i]);
+				load_modules(mchdir, _types [i], _loads [i]);
 				DEBUG(("load_all_modules (machine): done with \"%s\"", _types [i]));
 
 				stop_and_ask();
@@ -386,12 +354,11 @@ void _cdecl
 load_modules_old(const char *ext, long (*loader)(struct basepage *, const char *))
 {
 	long (*l)(struct basepage *, const char *, short *, short *);
-	const char *machdir = get_machdir();
 
 	l = (void *)loader;
 
-	if (machdir != NULL)
-		load_modules(machdir, ext, l);
+	if (strlen(mchdir) > 0)
+		load_modules(mchdir, ext, l);
 	load_modules(sysdir, ext, l);
 }