diff --git a/include/windconf.h b/include/windconf.h
index 78c4a431e..ebfac1e8b 100644
--- a/include/windconf.h
+++ b/include/windconf.h
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
                      */
 
 #define CONFIG_FILE ".nethackrc"
-#define CONFIG_TEMPLATE ".nethackrc.template"
+#define CONFIG_TEMPLATE "nethackrc.template"
 #define SYSCF_TEMPLATE "sysconf.template"
 #define SYMBOLS_TEMPLATE "symbols.template"
 #define GUIDEBOOK_FILE "Guidebook.txt"
diff --git a/sys/windows/Makefile.mingw32 b/sys/windows/Makefile.mingw32
index a341ebfc8..29067442c 100644
--- a/sys/windows/Makefile.mingw32
+++ b/sys/windows/Makefile.mingw32
@@ -1136,7 +1136,7 @@ $(ONH)/%.o: $(SRC)/%.c $(NHLUAH) | $(ONH)
 #==========================================
 TARGET_CPU = x64
 NHV=370
-PKGFILES = .nethackrc.template Guidebook.txt license NetHack.exe NetHack.txt \
+PKGFILES = nethackrc.template Guidebook.txt license NetHack.exe NetHack.txt \
         NetHackW.exe opthelp nhdat370 record symbols sysconf.template
 FILESTOZIP = $(addprefix $(GAMEDIR)/, $(PKGFILES))
 MAINZIP = $(PkgDir)/nethack-$(NHV)-win-$(TARGET_CPU)-msys2.zip
@@ -1224,7 +1224,7 @@ all: package
 
 TO_BINARY = $(GAMEDIR)/NetHack.exe $(RTARGETS) $(GAMEDIRDLLS) \
 	     $(addprefix $(GAMEDIR)/, \
-	     $(addsuffix .template, sysconf .nethackrc symbols) \
+	     $(addsuffix .template, sysconf nethackrc symbols) \
 	     Guidebook.txt NetHack.txt license opthelp record)
 
 ifeq "$(HAVE_SOUNDLIB)" "Y"
diff --git a/sys/windows/Makefile.nmake b/sys/windows/Makefile.nmake
index d7f15b0d8..0f0b5f9b5 100644
--- a/sys/windows/Makefile.nmake
+++ b/sys/windows/Makefile.nmake
@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ binary.tag: 	$(DAT)\data $(DAT)\rumors $(DAT)\oracles $(DLB) \
 	if exist $(DOC)\nethack.txt copy $(DOC)\nethack.txt $(GAMEDIR)\NetHack.txt
 	@if exist $(GAMEDIR)\NetHack.PDB echo NOTE: You may want to remove $(GAMEDIR:\=/)/NetHack.PDB to conserve space
 	@if exist $(GAMEDIR)\NetHackW.PDB echo NOTE: You may want to remove $(GAMEDIR:\=/)/NetHackW.PDB to conserve space
-	-if exist $(MSWSYS)\.nethackrc.template copy $(MSWSYS)\.nethackrc.template   $(GAMEDIR)
+	-if exist $(MSWSYS)\nethackrc.template copy $(MSWSYS)\nethackrc.template   $(GAMEDIR)
 	-if not exist $(GAMEDIR)\record. goto>$(GAMEDIR)\record.
 	echo binary built > $@
 
@@ -2298,9 +2298,9 @@ $(SndWavDir)\sa2_xplevelup.wav: $(SndWavDir)\sa2_xplevelup.uu $(U)uudecode.exe
 # packaging
 #===============================================================================
 
-PKGFILES = .nethackrc.template Guidebook.txt license NetHack.exe NetHack.txt \
+PKGFILES = nethackrc.template Guidebook.txt license NetHack.exe NetHack.txt \
 	 NetHackW.exe opthelp nhdat370 record symbols sysconf.template
-FILESTOZIP = $(BinDir)\.nethackrc.template $(BinDir)\Guidebook.txt $(BinDir)\license \
+FILESTOZIP = $(BinDir)\nethackrc.template $(BinDir)\Guidebook.txt $(BinDir)\license \
 	$(BinDir)\NetHack.exe $(BinDir)\NetHack.txt $(BinDir)\NetHackW.exe \
 	$(BinDir)\opthelp $(BinDir)\nhdat370 $(BinDir)\record \
 	$(BinDir)\symbols $(BinDir)\sysconf.template 
diff --git a/sys/windows/.nethackrc.template b/sys/windows/nethackrc
similarity index 100%
rename from sys/windows/.nethackrc.template
rename to sys/windows/nethackrc
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/afternethack.proj b/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/afternethack.proj
index 00bba9ce3..7f8bd89ac 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/afternethack.proj
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/NetHack/afternethack.proj
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
   <Import Project="..\dirs.props" />
   <!-- TODO not copying record -->
   <Target Name="Build"
-	Inputs="$(SysWindDir).nethackrc.template;$(DocDir)Guidebook.txt;$(DatDir)license;$(SysWindDir)sysconf.template;$(DocDir)nethack.txt;$(DatDir)symbols;$(WinWin32Dir)record;$(DatDir)opthelp"
-	Outputs="$(BinDir).nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp">
-    <Copy SourceFiles="$(SysWindDir).nethackrc.template;$(DocDir)Guidebook.txt;$(DatDir)license;$(SysWindDir)sysconf.template;$(DocDir)nethack.txt;$(DatDir)symbols;$(WinWin32Dir)record;$(DatDir)opthelp"
-	      DestinationFiles="$(BinDir).nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)nethack.txt;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp" />
+	Inputs="$(SysWindDir)nethackrc.template;$(DocDir)Guidebook.txt;$(DatDir)license;$(SysWindDir)sysconf.template;$(DocDir)nethack.txt;$(DatDir)symbols;$(WinWin32Dir)record;$(DatDir)opthelp"
+	Outputs="$(BinDir)nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp">
+    <Copy SourceFiles="$(SysWindDir)nethackrc.template;$(DocDir)Guidebook.txt;$(DatDir)license;$(SysWindDir)sysconf.template;$(DocDir)nethack.txt;$(DatDir)symbols;$(WinWin32Dir)record;$(DatDir)opthelp"
+	      DestinationFiles="$(BinDir)nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)nethack.txt;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp" />
   </Target>
   <Target Name="Clean">
-	<Delete Files="$(BinDir).nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)nethack.txt;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp"/>
+	<Delete Files="$(BinDir)nethackrc.template;$(BinDir)Guidebook.txt;$(BinDir)license;$(BinDir)sysconf.template;$(BinDir)nethack.txt;$(BinDir)symbols.template;$(BinDir)record;$(BinDir)opthelp"/>
   </Target>
 </Project>
diff --git a/sys/windows/vs/NetHackPackage.wapproj b/sys/windows/vs/NetHackPackage.wapproj
index 8738b24d1..3bdcf8ce3 100644
--- a/sys/windows/vs/NetHackPackage.wapproj
+++ b/sys/windows/vs/NetHackPackage.wapproj
@@ -112,8 +112,8 @@
     <Content Include="Images\Wide310x150Logo.scale-125.png" />
     <Content Include="Images\Wide310x150Logo.scale-150.png" />
     <Content Include="Images\Wide310x150Logo.scale-200.png" />
-    <Content Include="..\..\..\binary\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\.nethackrc.template">
-      <Link>NetHackW\.nethackrc.template</Link>
+    <Content Include="..\..\..\binary\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\nethackrc.template">
+      <Link>NetHackW\nethackrc.template</Link>
     </Content>
     <Content Include="..\..\..\binary\$(Configuration)\$(Platform)\Guidebook.txt">
       <Link>NetHackW\Guidebook.txt</Link>
@@ -141,4 +141,4 @@
     <ProjectReference Include="NetHackW\NetHackW.vcxproj" />
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="$(WapProjPath)\Microsoft.DesktopBridge.targets" />
-</Project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</Project>