diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fde73a4428..247c26dcf3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ ALL_PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS = $(JOB_OPTIONS) $(PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS)
 plain-in-place:
 	$(MAKE) base
 	$(MAKE) pkgs-catalog
+	$(MAKE) rc-config
 	$(RUN_RACO) pkg update $(UPDATE_PKGS_ARGS)
 	$(RUN_RACO) pkg install $(INSTALL_PKGS_ARGS)
 	$(RUN_RACO) setup --only-foreign-libs $(ALL_PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS)
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ plain-in-place:
 win32-in-place:
 	$(MAKE) win32-base
 	$(MAKE) win32-pkgs-catalog SRC_CATALOG="$(SRC_CATALOG)"
+	$(MAKE) rc-config
 	$(WIN32_RUN_RACO) pkg update $(UPDATE_PKGS_ARGS)
 	$(WIN32_RUN_RACO) pkg install $(INSTALL_PKGS_ARGS)
 	$(WIN32_RUN_RACO) setup --only-foreign-libs $(ALL_PLT_SETUP_OPTIONS)
@@ -344,12 +346,16 @@ WIN32_BUNDLE_RACO = $(WIN32_PLAIN_RACKET) $(BUNDLE_RACO_FLAGS)
 
 PKGS_CATALOG = -U -G build/config -l- pkg/dirs-catalog --link --check-metadata
 PKGS_CONFIG = -U -G build/config racket/src/pkgs-config.rkt
+RC_CONFIG = -U -G build/config racket/src/rc-config.rkt
 
 pkgs-catalog:
 	$(RUN_RACKET) $(PKGS_CATALOG) racket/share/pkgs-catalog pkgs
 	$(RUN_RACKET) $(PKGS_CONFIG) "$(DEFAULT_SRC_CATALOG)" "$(SRC_CATALOG)"
 	$(RUN_RACKET) racket/src/pkgs-check.rkt racket/share/pkgs-catalog
 
+rc-config:
+	$(RUN_RACKET) $(RC_CONFIG)
+
 COPY_PKGS_ARGS = PLAIN_RACKET="$(WIN32_PLAIN_RACKET)" SRC_CATALOG="$(SRC_CATALOG)"
 
 win32-pkgs-catalog:
diff --git a/racket/src/rc-config.rkt b/racket/src/rc-config.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..89c872ef53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/racket/src/rc-config.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#lang racket/base
+
+(require racket/format
+         racket/path)
+
+(define config-dir-path (build-path "racket" "etc"))
+(define config-rc-path (build-path config-dir-path "racketrc"))
+
+(when (file-exists? config-rc-path)
+  (call-with-input-file* config-rc-path
+    (lambda (i)
+      (define r (read i))
+      (define xrepl?
+        (equal? r
+                '(when (collection-file-path "main.rkt" "xrepl"
+                                             #:fail (lambda _ #f))
+                   (dynamic-require 'xrepl #f))))
+      (unless xrepl?
+        (error 'racketrc
+               (~a "Global racketrc file exists, but is mismatched.\n"
+                   "  possible solution: delete the racketrc file"))))))
+
+(unless (file-exists? config-rc-path)
+  (printf "Writing ~a\n" config-rc-path)
+  (call-with-output-file*
+   config-rc-path
+   (lambda (o)
+     (write '(when (collection-file-path "main.rkt" "xrepl"
+                                         #:fail (lambda _ #f))
+               (dynamic-require 'xrepl #f)) o)
+     (newline o))))