diff --git a/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss b/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
index 5b3265a9c3..f4586e23ed 100644
--- a/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
@@ -211,12 +211,15 @@
                           (mv dst src)))]
                 [(rd) make-directory]
                 [(md) delete-directory]
+                [(file) delete-file]
                 [else (error 'undo-changes "internal-error: ~e" p)])
               (cdr p)))
      path-changes))
 
   (define (write-uninstaller)
     (define uninstaller (build-path bindir "plt-uninstall"))
+    (printf "Writing uninstaller at: ~a...\n" uninstaller)
+    (register-change! 'file uninstaller)
     (with-output-to-file uninstaller
       (lambda ()
         (printf "#!/bin/sh\n")
@@ -247,10 +250,11 @@
            [dep (cpath "compiled" "config.dep")]
            [src-time (ftime src)]
            [zo-time  (ftime zo)])
+      (printf "Rewriting configuration file at: ~a...\n" src)
       (parameterize ([current-library-collection-paths (list collectsdir)])
         (with-output-to-file (cpath "config.ss")
           (lambda ()
-            (printf ";; automatically generated at installation\n")
+            (printf ";; automatically generated by unixstyle-install\n")
             (printf "(module config (lib \"configtab.ss\" \"setup\")\n")
             (printf "  (define doc-dir ~s)\n" docdir)
             (when (eq? 'shared (system-type 'link)) ; never true for now
@@ -263,7 +267,7 @@
         ;; recompile & set times as if nothing happened (don't remove .dep)
         ;; this requires the file to look the same on all compilations, and
         ;; configtab.ss generates bindings unhygienically for that reason.
-        (unless (and compile? (not (car compile?)))
+        (unless (and (pair? compile?) (not (car compile?)))
           (when src-time (file-or-directory-modify-seconds src src-time))
           (when zo-time
             (with-input-from-file src