diff --git a/scripts/config.sh b/scripts/config.sh
index 727d3e8cad1a3a5a26581a655cc7471a165f86fc..a5a0df583fa64892b5bc1576ec6f4c978edbfa82 100755
--- a/scripts/config.sh
+++ b/scripts/config.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ Options:
                     check if plumed has features words
   module [word1 [word2]..]
                     check if plumed has enables modules words
+  makefile_conf
+                    dumps the Makefile.conf file
 
 Examples:
 
@@ -48,6 +50,10 @@ do
     ;;
   (has) action=has ;;
   (module) action=module ;;
+  (makefile_conf)
+    echo "$configfile" | awk '{if($1=="makefile_conf") { gsub("^makefile_conf ",""); print} }'
+    exit 0
+    ;;
   (*)
     checklist="$checklist $opt"
   esac
diff --git a/src/config/Makefile b/src/config/Makefile
index b023915890f6b36f8ae27b768420d68bc535842b..815ca69729e14f97454b39cb44a3046bf390c5d5 100644
--- a/src/config/Makefile
+++ b/src/config/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ obj: all
 
 config.txt: ../../Makefile.conf
 	@echo "Updating config.txt file"
-	@ ../maketools/update-config-txt.sh config.txt $(CPPFLAGS)
+	@makefile_conf="$(realpath ../../Makefile.conf)" ../maketools/update-config-txt.sh config.txt $(CPPFLAGS)
 
 version.h:
 	@echo "Updating version.h"
diff --git a/src/maketools/update-config-txt.sh b/src/maketools/update-config-txt.sh
index 4efebe16f2a083ab1a3f6d8ca5458ef8ff5fb4fb..887e0c747b006f8fa0368d58dcff779dedddba37 100755
--- a/src/maketools/update-config-txt.sh
+++ b/src/maketools/update-config-txt.sh
@@ -131,6 +131,10 @@ echo
 echo "# list of modules"
 echo "# syntax: module name on/off (default-on/default-off/always)"
 echo "$modules" | sort
+echo
+echo "# Makefile.conf file"
+echo "# syntax: makefile_conf followed by a single space followed by a line from makefile_conf"
+cat "$makefile_conf" | awk '{printf("makefile_conf %s\n",$0)}'
 
 }> $file~