diff --git a/package/nss-mdns/nss-mdns.mk b/package/nss-mdns/nss-mdns.mk
index 4d366335e2..83d9a2a951 100644
--- a/package/nss-mdns/nss-mdns.mk
+++ b/package/nss-mdns/nss-mdns.mk
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ NSS_MDNS_SITE=http://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/nss-mdns
 NSS_MDNS_CONF_OPT += --localstatedir=/var
 
 define NSS_MDNS_INSTALL_CONFIG
-	$(INSTALL) -D -m 0664 package/nss-mdns/nsswitch.conf $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/nsswitch.conf
+	sed -r -i -e 's/^(hosts:[[:space:]]+).*/\1files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4/' \
+	    $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/nsswitch.conf
 endef
 
 NSS_MDNS_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += NSS_MDNS_INSTALL_CONFIG
diff --git a/package/nss-mdns/nsswitch.conf b/package/nss-mdns/nsswitch.conf
deleted file mode 100644
index 94174e03e3..0000000000
--- a/package/nss-mdns/nsswitch.conf
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-# /etc/nsswitch.conf
-
-passwd:         compat
-group:          compat
-shadow:         compat
-
-hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4
-networks:       files
-
-protocols:      db files
-services:       db files
-ethers:         db files
-rpc:            db files
-
-netgroup:       nis