diff --git a/Documentation/Developers/CHANGELOG-RENE b/Documentation/Developers/CHANGELOG-RENE
index cbd4a3ace..2aac9bf85 100644
--- a/Documentation/Developers/CHANGELOG-RENE
+++ b/Documentation/Developers/CHANGELOG-RENE
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
  - fixed torcs (delete lingering x86 objects files before the build)
  - Sebastian Jaenicke: patched slrn
  - Daniel Pischl: updated icewm and gkrellm
+ - fixed iptables for system without or non-current /usr/src/linux
 
 *) 2003-11-21 (2.0.0-rc3 - 2.0.0-rc4)
 
diff --git a/package/base/iptables/iptables.conf b/package/base/iptables/iptables.conf
index 32693cae1..4a9eda814 100644
--- a/package/base/iptables/iptables.conf
+++ b/package/base/iptables/iptables.conf
@@ -20,8 +20,10 @@
 # 
 # --- ROCK-COPYRIGHT-NOTE-END ---
 
-var_append makeopt ' ' "PREFIX=$root/$prefix BINDIR=$root/sbin"
-var_append makeinstopt ' ' "PREFIX=$root/$prefix BINDIR=$root/sbin"
+# never ever use the kernel source - always use the installed headers
+var_append makeopt ' ' "PREFIX=$root/$prefix BINDIR=$root/sbin \
+                        KERNEL_DIR=$root/usr"
+makeinstopt="$makeopt install"
 
 runconf=0