diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1204a95a..96ac6e54 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -20,13 +20,18 @@ IMAGE_TYPE   := $(IMAGE_TYPE:.%=%)#		iso
 
 # most of the actual work done elsewhere
 include lib/*.mk
+include conf.d/*.mk
 include features.in/*/config.mk
 
+DISTRO_TARGETS := $(shell sed -n 's,^\(distro/[^:.]\+\):.*$$,\1,p' \
+		lib/distro.mk $(wildcard conf.d/*.mk) | sort)
+VE_TARGETS := $(shell sed -n 's,^\(ve/[^:.]\+\):.*$$,\1,p' \
+		lib/ve.mk $(wildcard conf.d/*.mk) | sort)
 DISTROS := $(call addsuffices,$(DISTRO_EXTS),$(DISTRO_TARGETS)) 
 VES     := $(call addsuffices,$(VE_EXTS),$(VE_TARGETS))
 IMAGES  := $(DISTROS) $(VES)
 
-.PHONY: $(IMAGES)
+.PHONY: $(IMAGES) $(DISTRO_TARGETS) $(VE_TARGETS)
 
 help:
 	@echo '** available distribution targets:'
diff --git a/conf.d/README b/conf.d/README
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3df1adcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf.d/README
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+Этот каталог содержит включаемые фрагменты конфигурации образов с тем,
+чтобы было удобнее параллельно разрабатывать специфические дистрибутивы
+без излишних merge conflict'ов.
+
+Следует понимать, что основная цель появления mkimage-profiles на свет
+-- это уменьшение "форков" внутри семейства дистрибутивных профилей.
+Поэтому при возможности следует всё-таки работать над общей базовой
+частью, включая скриптовые хуки и списки пакетов, а также оптимизировать
+граф зависимостей между дистрибутивными конфигурациями.
+
+Попросту говоря, copy-paste -- тревожный признак.
+
+NB: по переменным:
+* $(VAR) подставляются перед их записью в $(CONFIG), который distcfg.mk;
+* $$(VAR) раскрываются позже, при включении $(CONFIG) и востребовании
+  значений -- таким образом их значения могут изменяться до окончания
+  конфигурации, а также зависеть от значений других переменных.
diff --git a/conf.d/desktop.mk b/conf.d/desktop.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1986ae6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf.d/desktop.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# desktop distributions
+ifeq (distro,$(IMAGE_CLASS))
+
+distro/desktop-base: distro/installer sub/main \
+	use/syslinux/ui-vesamenu use/x11/xorg use/bootloader/grub
+
+distro/icewm: distro/desktop-base \
+	use/lowmem use/x11/xdm use/x11/runlevel5 \
+	use/bootloader/lilo use/powerbutton/acpi \
+	use/cleanup/alterator
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,icewm desktop))
+
+endif
diff --git a/conf.d/live.mk b/conf.d/live.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..91394fa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf.d/live.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# live images
+ifeq (distro,$(IMAGE_CLASS))
+
+distro/live: distro/.base use/live use/syslinux/ui-menu
+distro/rescue: distro/.base use/rescue use/syslinux/ui-menu
+distro/dos: distro/.init use/dos use/syslinux/ui-menu
+
+endif
diff --git a/conf.d/server.mk b/conf.d/server.mk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5eb0449a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/conf.d/server.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# server distributions
+ifeq (distro,$(IMAGE_CLASS))
+
+distro/server-base: distro/installer sub/main \
+	use/syslinux/ui-menu use/memtest use/bootloader/grub
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,server-base)
+
+distro/server-mini: distro/server-base use/cleanup/x11-alterator
+	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,el-smp)
+	@$(call add,KMODULES,e1000e igb)
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,\
+		$(call tags,base && (server || network || security || pkg)))
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,extra network))
+
+distro/server-ovz: distro/server-base \
+	use/hdt use/rescue use/firmware/server use/powerbutton/acpi \
+	use/cleanup/x11-alterator
+	@$(call set,STAGE1_KFLAVOUR,std-def)
+	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,std-def ovz-el)
+	@$(call add,KMODULES,bcmwl e1000e igb ndiswrapper rtl8168 rtl8192)
+	@$(call add,KMODULES,ipset ipt-netflow opendpi pf_ring xtables-addons)
+	@$(call add,KMODULES,drbd83 kvm)
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,ovz-server)
+	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,base server))
+	@$(call add,MAIN_LISTS,kernel-wifi)
+	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,dns-server http-server ftp-server kvm-server)
+	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,ipmi mysql-server dhcp-server mail-server)
+	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,monitoring diag-tools)
+
+endif
diff --git a/lib/distro.mk b/lib/distro.mk
index 8aedc6a4..0237f63e 100644
--- a/lib/distro.mk
+++ b/lib/distro.mk
@@ -4,15 +4,8 @@ ifndef MKIMAGE_PROFILES
 $(error this makefile is designed to be included in toplevel one)
 endif
 
-# NB: distro/ targets should be defined in this file
-
-DISTRO_TARGETS := $(shell sed -n 's,^\(distro/[^:.]\+\):.*$$,\1,p' \
-		$(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)) | sort)
-
 ifeq (distro,$(IMAGE_CLASS))
 
-.PHONY: $(DISTRO_TARGETS)
-
 # request particular image subprofile inclusion
 sub/%:
 	@$(call add,SUBPROFILES,$(@:sub/%=%))
@@ -35,63 +28,10 @@ distro/syslinux: distro/.init \
 	use/syslinux use/syslinux/localboot.cfg \
 	use/syslinux/ui-vesamenu use/hdt use/memtest
 
-# live images
-
-distro/live: distro/.base use/live use/syslinux/ui-menu
-distro/rescue: distro/.base use/rescue use/syslinux/ui-menu
-distro/dos: distro/.init use/dos use/syslinux/ui-menu
-
-#  $(VAR) will be substituted before writing them to $(CONFIG);
-# $$(VAR) will remain unsubstituted until $(CONFIG) is included
-#         and their value requested (so the variable referenced
-#         can change its value during configuration _before_
-#         it's actually used); just peek inside $(CONFIG) ;-)
-# BASE_PACKAGES, BASE_LISTS, MAIN_PACKAGES, MAIN_LISTS: see sub.in/main/
-
-# something actually useful (as a network-only installer)
+# something marginally useful (as a network-only installer)
 # NB: doesn't carry stage3 thus cannot use/bootloader
 distro/installer: distro/.base use/install2
 	@$(call set,INSTALLER,altlinux-generic)
 	@$(call set,STAGE1_KMODULES_REGEXP,drm.*)	# for KMS
 
-# server distributions
-
-distro/server-base: distro/installer sub/main \
-	use/syslinux/ui-menu use/memtest use/bootloader/grub
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,server-base)
-
-distro/server-mini: distro/server-base use/cleanup/x11-alterator
-	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,el-smp)
-	@$(call add,KMODULES,e1000e igb)
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,\
-		$(call tags,base && (server || network || security || pkg)))
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,extra network))
-
-distro/server-ovz: distro/server-base \
-	use/hdt use/rescue use/firmware/server use/powerbutton/acpi \
-	use/cleanup/x11-alterator
-	@$(call set,STAGE1_KFLAVOUR,std-def)
-	@$(call set,KFLAVOURS,std-def ovz-el)
-	@$(call add,KMODULES,bcmwl e1000e igb ndiswrapper rtl8168 rtl8192)
-	@$(call add,KMODULES,ipset ipt-netflow opendpi pf_ring xtables-addons)
-	@$(call add,KMODULES,drbd83 kvm)
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,ovz-server)
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,base server))
-	@$(call add,MAIN_LISTS,kernel-wifi)
-	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,dns-server http-server ftp-server kvm-server)
-	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,ipmi mysql-server dhcp-server mail-server)
-	@$(call add,MAIN_GROUPS,monitoring diag-tools)
-
-# desktop distributions
-
-distro/desktop-base: distro/installer sub/main \
-	use/syslinux/ui-vesamenu use/x11/xorg use/bootloader/grub
-
-distro/icewm: distro/desktop-base \
-	use/lowmem use/x11/xdm use/x11/runlevel5 \
-	use/bootloader/lilo use/powerbutton/acpi \
-	use/cleanup/alterator
-	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,icewm desktop))
-
-# NB: if there are too many screens above, it might make sense to distro.d/
 endif
diff --git a/lib/ve.mk b/lib/ve.mk
index bf58d49d..e7c541e3 100644
--- a/lib/ve.mk
+++ b/lib/ve.mk
@@ -4,14 +4,8 @@ ifndef MKIMAGE_PROFILES
 $(error this makefile is designed to be included in toplevel one)
 endif
 
-# NB: ve/ targets should be defined in this file
-VE_TARGETS := $(shell sed -n 's,^\(ve/[^:.]\+\):.*$$,\1,p' \
-	        $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)) | sort)
-
 ifeq (ve,$(IMAGE_CLASS))
 
-.PHONY: $(VE_TARGETS)
-
 ve/.bare: profile/bare
 	@$(call add,BASE_PACKAGES,basesystem)
 
@@ -22,5 +16,4 @@ ve/generic: ve/.bare
 ve/openvpn: ve/.bare
 	@$(call add,BASE_LISTS,$(call tags,server openvpn))
 
-# NB: if there are too many screens above, it might make sense to ve.d/
 endif