diff --git a/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss b/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
index f99411eb39..b93bacdad5 100644
--- a/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
+++ b/collects/setup/unixstyle-install.ss
@@ -272,14 +272,15 @@
      (define (ftime file)
        (and (file-exists? file) (file-or-directory-modify-seconds file)))
      (let* ([src (cpath "config.ss")]
-            [zo  (cpath "compiled" "config.zo")]
-            [dep (cpath "compiled" "config.dep")]
+            [zo  (cpath "compiled" "config_ss.zo")]
+            ;; [dep (cpath "compiled" "config_ss.dep")] ; not needed
             [src-time (ftime src)]
             [zo-time  (ftime zo)])
        (printf "Rewriting configuration file at: ~a...\n" src)
-       (parameterize ([current-library-collection-paths ; for configtab.ss
+       (parameterize ([current-namespace (make-base-namespace)] ; to compile
+                      [current-library-collection-paths ; for configtab.ss
                        (list collectsdir)])
-         (with-output-to-file (cpath "config.ss") #:exists 'truncate/replace
+         (with-output-to-file src #:exists 'truncate/replace
            (lambda ()
              (printf ";; automatically generated by unixstyle-install\n")
              (printf "(module config (lib \"configtab.ss\" \"setup\")\n")
@@ -293,14 +294,17 @@
          ;; 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 (pair? compile?) (not (car compile?)))
+         (when compile?
            (when src-time (file-or-directory-modify-seconds src src-time))
-           (when zo-time
-             (with-input-from-file src
-               (lambda ()
-                 (with-output-to-file zo #:exists 'truncate/replace
-                   (lambda () (write (compile (read-syntax)))))))
-             (file-or-directory-modify-seconds zo zo-time)))))]))
+           (if (not zo-time)
+             (printf "WARNING: skipping recompilation, no zo file at ~a\n" zo)
+             (begin
+               (printf "Recompiling to ~a...\n" zo)
+               (with-input-from-file src
+                 (lambda ()
+                   (with-output-to-file zo #:exists 'truncate/replace
+                     (lambda () (write (compile (read-syntax)))))))
+               (file-or-directory-modify-seconds zo zo-time))))))]))
 
 ;; creates a directory including its ancestors when needed
 (define (make-dir* dir)