diff --git a/misc/Makefile.in b/misc/Makefile.in
index 8dcae2ed..ccad78cd 100644
--- a/misc/Makefile.in
+++ b/misc/Makefile.in
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ LPROGS=		@E2INITRD_PROG@
 
 TUNE2FS_OBJS=	tune2fs.o util.o
 MKLPF_OBJS=	mklost+found.o
-MKE2FS_OBJS=	mke2fs.o util.o profile.o prof_err.o
+MKE2FS_OBJS=	mke2fs.o util.o profile.o prof_err.o default_profile.o
 CHATTR_OBJS=	chattr.o
 LSATTR_OBJS=	lsattr.o
 UUIDGEN_OBJS=	uuidgen.o
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ prof_err.c prof_err.h: $(srcdir)/../e2fsck/prof_err.et
 	@echo "	COMPILE_ET prof_err.et"
 	@$(COMPILE_ET) $(srcdir)/../e2fsck/prof_err.et
 
+default_profile.c: $(srcdir)/mke2fs.conf $(srcdir)/profile-to-c.awk
+	@echo "	PROFILE_TO_C mke2fs.conf"
+	$(AWK) -f $(srcdir)/profile-to-c.awk < $(srcdir)/mke2fs.conf \
+		>  default_profile.c
 profile.o:
 	@echo "	CC $<"
 	@$(CC) -c $(ALL_CFLAGS) $(srcdir)/../e2fsck/profile.c -o $@
@@ -351,7 +355,8 @@ clean:
 	$(RM) -f $(SPROGS) $(USPROGS) $(UPROGS) $(UMANPAGES) $(SMANPAGES) \
 		$(FMANPAGES) \
 		base_device base_device.out mke2fs.static filefrag \
-		e2initrd_helper partinfo prof_err.[ch] \#* *.s *.o *.a *~ core 
+		e2initrd_helper partinfo prof_err.[ch] default_profile.c \
+		\#* *.s *.o *.a *~ core 
 
 mostlyclean: clean
 distclean: clean
diff --git a/misc/mke2fs.c b/misc/mke2fs.c
index 0292a643..0c6d4f30 100644
--- a/misc/mke2fs.c
+++ b/misc/mke2fs.c
@@ -900,6 +900,9 @@ static void edit_feature(const char *str, __u32 *compat_array)
 	}
 }
 
+extern const char *mke2fs_default_profile;
+static const char *default_files[] = { "<default>", 0 };
+
 static void PRS(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int		b, c;
@@ -958,7 +961,11 @@ static void PRS(int argc, char *argv[])
 	if ((tmp = getenv("MKE2FS_CONFIG")) != NULL)
 		config_fn[0] = tmp;
 	profile_set_syntax_err_cb(syntax_err_report);
-	profile_init(config_fn, &profile);
+	retval = profile_init(config_fn, &profile);
+	if (retval == ENOENT) {
+		profile_init(default_files, &profile);
+		profile_set_default(profile, mke2fs_default_profile);
+	}
 	
 	setbuf(stdout, NULL);
 	setbuf(stderr, NULL);
diff --git a/misc/profile-to-c.awk b/misc/profile-to-c.awk
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f964efd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/misc/profile-to-c.awk
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/awk
+BEGIN {
+  printf("const char *mke2fs_default_profile = \n");
+}
+
+{
+  printf("  \"%s\\n\"\n", $0);
+}
+
+END {
+  printf(";\n", str)
+}