diff --git a/util-linux/Config.in b/util-linux/Config.in
index 2cd578332..01da99c41 100644
--- a/util-linux/Config.in
+++ b/util-linux/Config.in
@@ -208,6 +208,18 @@ config CONFIG_FEATURE_HWCLOCK_LONGOPTIONS
 	  are overly fond of its long options, such as --hctosys, --utc, etc)
 	  then enable this option.
 
+config CONFIG_FEATURE_HWCLOCK_ADJTIME_FHS
+	bool "  Use FHS /var/lib/hwclock/adjtime"
+	default y
+	depends on CONFIG_HWCLOCK
+	help
+	  Starting with FHS 2.3, the adjtime state file is supposed to exist
+	  at /var/lib/hwclock/adjtime instead of /etc/adjtime.  If you wish 
+	  to use the FHS behavior, answer Y here, otherwise answer N for the
+	  classic /etc/adjtime path.
+
+	  http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#VARLIBHWCLOCKSTATEDIRECTORYFORHWCLO
+
 config CONFIG_IPCRM
 	bool "ipcrm"
 	default n
diff --git a/util-linux/hwclock.c b/util-linux/hwclock.c
index 11261f47d..45959e7a1 100644
--- a/util-linux/hwclock.c
+++ b/util-linux/hwclock.c
@@ -155,11 +155,15 @@ static int from_sys_clock(int utc)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-
+#ifdef CONFIG_FEATURE_HWCLOCK_ADJTIME_FHS
+# define ADJTIME_PATH "/var/lib/hwclock/adjtime"
+#else
+# define ADJTIME_PATH "/etc/adjtime"
+#endif
 static int check_utc(void)
 {
 	int utc = 0;
-	FILE *f = fopen ( "/var/lib/hwclock/adjtime", "r" );
+	FILE *f = fopen ( ADJTIME_PATH, "r" );
 
 	if ( f ) {
 		char buffer [128];