diff --git a/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1 b/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
index 46ddbc42acf2..de59ce8c422d 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
+++ b/usr.bin/xinstall/install.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\"	$NetBSD: install.1,v 1.38 2003/08/07 11:17:50 agc Exp $
+.\"	$NetBSD: install.1,v 1.39 2003/12/29 02:01:27 simonb Exp $
 .\"
 .\" Copyright (c) 1987, 1990, 1993
 .\"	The Regents of the University of California.  All rights reserved.
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 .\"
 .\"     @(#)install.1	8.1 (Berkeley) 6/6/93
 .\"
-.Dd December 21, 2002
+.Dd December 29, 2003
 .Dt INSTALL 1
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -144,9 +144,8 @@
 .Ek
 .Ar directory ...\&
 .Sh DESCRIPTION
-The file(s) are moved (copied if the
-.Fl c
-option is specified, or linked if the
+The file(s) are copied 
+(or linked if the
 .Fl l
 option is specified) to the target file or directory.
 If the destination is a directory, then the
@@ -205,9 +204,8 @@ The counter used starts from 0, and the first available name resulting
 from the expansion is used.
 .It Fl c
 Copy the file.
-This flag turns off the default behavior of
-.Nm
-where it deletes the original file after creating the target.
+This is the default behavior; the flag is maintained for backwards
+compatibility only.
 .It Fl d
 Create directories.
 Missing parent directories are created as required.
diff --git a/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c b/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
index bd49a6028ba3..bc7e6a159783 100644
--- a/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
+++ b/usr.bin/xinstall/xinstall.c
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*	$NetBSD: xinstall.c,v 1.82 2003/12/16 20:51:57 heas Exp $	*/
+/*	$NetBSD: xinstall.c,v 1.83 2003/12/29 02:01:27 simonb Exp $	*/
 
 /*
  * Copyright (c) 1987, 1993
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ __COPYRIGHT("@(#) Copyright (c) 1987, 1993\n\
 #if 0
 static char sccsid[] = "@(#)xinstall.c	8.1 (Berkeley) 7/21/93";
 #else
-__RCSID("$NetBSD: xinstall.c,v 1.82 2003/12/16 20:51:57 heas Exp $");
+__RCSID("$NetBSD: xinstall.c,v 1.83 2003/12/29 02:01:27 simonb Exp $");
 #endif
 #endif /* not lint */
 
@@ -76,8 +76,7 @@ __RCSID("$NetBSD: xinstall.c,v 1.82 2003/12/16 20:51:57 heas Exp $");
 #define STRIP_ARGS_MAX 32
 #define BACKUP_SUFFIX ".old"
 
-int	dobackup, docopy, dodir, dostrip, dolink, dopreserve, dorename,
-	    dounpriv;
+int	dobackup, dodir, dostrip, dolink, dopreserve, dorename, dounpriv;
 int	numberedbackup;
 int	mode = S_IRWXU|S_IRGRP|S_IXGRP|S_IROTH|S_IXOTH;
 char	pathbuf[MAXPATHLEN];
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			dobackup = 1;
 			break;
 		case 'c':
-			docopy = 1;
+			/* ignored; was "docopy" which is now the default. */
 			break;
 		case 'd':
 			dodir = 1;
@@ -672,9 +671,6 @@ install(char *from_name, char *to_name, u_int flags)
 		to_name = oto_name;
 	}
 
-	if (!docopy && !devnull && unlink(from_name))
-		err(1, "%s: unlink", from_name);
-
 	/*
 	 * If provided a set of flags, set them, otherwise, preserve the
 	 * flags, except for the dump flag.