diff --git a/etc/Makefile.am b/etc/Makefile.am
index d35ba1a4c796..c63e446c7584 100644
--- a/etc/Makefile.am
+++ b/etc/Makefile.am
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 systemdsystemunit_DATA = flux.service
 #endif
 
+tmpfilesdir = $(prefix)/lib/tmpfiles.d
+
+tmpfiles_DATA = flux.conf
+
 dist_fluxrc_SCRIPTS = \
         rc1 \
         rc3
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ noinst_SCRIPTS = \
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	gen-cmdhelp.py \
+	flux.conf \
 	$(noinst_SCRIPTS)
 
 completions/flux: $(srcdir)/completions/flux.pre
diff --git a/etc/flux.conf b/etc/flux.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d6feb54bbbfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/flux.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# See tmpfiles.d(5)
+# remove Flux dump files older than 30 days
+
+e /var/lib/flux/dump - - - 30d