diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 20773b1fbaf..63f33d2c767 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ mac_task:
         -DCOMMON_FLAGS="${COMMON_FLAGS:--Werror}"
         -DENABLE_ASAN="${ENABLE_ASAN:-OFF}"
         -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON
-        -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF
         -DKDB_DB_FILE="${KDB_DB_FILE:-default.ecf}"
         -DKDB_DB_INIT="${KDB_DB_INIT:-elektra.ecf}"
         -DKDB_DB_SYSTEM="$SYSTEM_DIR"
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index e78a0642207..532a66c19c6 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -274,7 +274,6 @@ before_script:
       -DENABLE_ASAN="${ENABLE_ASAN:-OFF}"
       -DCOMMON_FLAGS="${COMMON_FLAGS--Werror}"
       -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON
-      -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF
       -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON
       -DKDB_DB_SYSTEM="$SYSTEM_DIR"
       -DKDB_DEFAULT_STORAGE="${KDB_DEFAULT_STORAGE:-dump}"
diff --git a/cmake/ElektraCache.cmake b/cmake/ElektraCache.cmake
index c02fbb58096..61f00e68516 100644
--- a/cmake/ElektraCache.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ElektraCache.cmake
@@ -163,11 +163,7 @@ else (BUILD_TESTING)
 	set (INSTALL_TESTING OFF CACHE BOOL "Install test cases" FORCE)
 endif (BUILD_TESTING)
 
-if (${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} MATCHES "Darwin")
-	option (INSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES "Install files to system directories" OFF)
-else ()
-	option (INSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES "Install files to system directories" ON)
-endif ()
+option (INSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES "Install files to system directories" OFF)
 
 option (INSTALL_BUILD_TOOLS "Install build tools for cross-compilation" OFF)
 
diff --git a/doc/COMPILE.md b/doc/COMPILE.md
index f2e82a401a4..4d961cf69dd 100644
--- a/doc/COMPILE.md
+++ b/doc/COMPILE.md
@@ -519,11 +519,11 @@ are installed (by default off). Is needed for cross-compilation.
 Some of Elektra’s targets require to be installed into specific folders in the
 file system hierarchy to work properly.
 
-This variable is enabled by default but requires the install target to have the
-rights to write into the corresponding folders. Set `-DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF`
-if you do not need any of them.
+This variable is disabled by default, since it requires the install target to have the
+rights to write into the corresponding folders. Set `-DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=ON`,
+if you also want to install the files listed below.
 
-If you do not have root rights you can copy them manually to your user folder.
+If you do not have root rights you can also copy the files manually to your user folder.
 
 Currently the installed system files are as following:
 
@@ -692,7 +692,6 @@ and install the build tools:
 
 ```sh
 cmake -DINSTALL_BUILD_TOOLS=ON \
-      -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF \
       -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=$(STAGING_DIR_HOST) \
       ..
 make -j 5
diff --git a/doc/news/_preparation_next_release.md b/doc/news/_preparation_next_release.md
index 99943c201f2..9c1d7b854c9 100644
--- a/doc/news/_preparation_next_release.md
+++ b/doc/news/_preparation_next_release.md
@@ -721,6 +721,7 @@ mounted, use `kdb gen -F <plugin>:<file> elektra <parentKey> <outputName>` to lo
 - Plugin tests are now only added, if `BUILD_TESTING=ON`. _(Klemens Böswirth)_
 - The symbol list for the static version is now exported directly from a CMake function. _(Klemens Böswirth)_
 - Building Elektra with enabled [`io_glib`](../../src/bindings/io/glib) binding does not require libuv anymore. _(René Schwaiger)_
+- We now disable the option `INSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES` by default. This change makes it possible to install Elektra using [Homebrew](https://brew.sh) on Linux without any changes to [Elektra’s Homebrew formula](https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-core/blob/master/Formula/elektra.rb).
 
 ### Docker
 
diff --git a/doc/tutorials/contributing-clion.md b/doc/tutorials/contributing-clion.md
index 190202c5a2b..26d1927fe1c 100755
--- a/doc/tutorials/contributing-clion.md
+++ b/doc/tutorials/contributing-clion.md
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ add the following CMake options to our "Debug" profile:
 -DKDB_DB_SPEC="~/.config/kdb/[xyz]/spec"
 -DKDB_DB_USER=".config/kdb/[xyz]/user"
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=install
--DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF
 ```
 
 where "[xyz]" can be replaced by any unique identifier so that different profiles
diff --git a/doc/tutorials/run_all_tests_with_docker.md b/doc/tutorials/run_all_tests_with_docker.md
index 4a28ea21ebf..341214946df 100644
--- a/doc/tutorials/run_all_tests_with_docker.md
+++ b/doc/tutorials/run_all_tests_with_docker.md
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ Build it with
 -DKDB_DB_HOME="/home/jenkins/workspace/elektra-build-docker/.config/kdb/home" \
 -DKDB_DB_SYSTEM="/home/jenkins/workspace/elektra-build-docker/.config/kdb/system" \
 -DKDB_DB_SPEC="/home/jenkins/workspace/elektra-build-docker/.config/kdb/spec" \
--DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES="OFF" \
 -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION="OFF" \
 -DCMAKE_RULE_MESSAGES="OFF" \
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="/home/jenkins/workspace/elektra-install" \
diff --git a/scripts/build-homepage b/scripts/build-homepage
index 6d8f6cca573..f6474c64a41 100755
--- a/scripts/build-homepage
+++ b/scripts/build-homepage
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ C_FLAGS='-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -Wformat -Werror=format-security -fstack-protector-
 LD_FLAGS='-Wl,-z,now -Wl,-z,relro'
 
 cmake -DENABLE_ASAN=ON -DBUILD_FULL=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED=ON -DBUILD_STATIC=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF \
-	-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${INSTALL_PATH}" -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF \
+	-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${INSTALL_PATH}" \
 	-DPLUGINS='ALL;-EXPERIMENTAL;-fstab;-ruby;-lua;-python;-xerces;-yamlcpp;-python2;file;camel;-dbus' \
 	-DTOOLS='kdb;rest-backend;rest-frontend' \
 	-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="$C_FLAGS" \
diff --git a/scripts/docker/homepage/backend/Dockerfile b/scripts/docker/homepage/backend/Dockerfile
index aa3d35f8ba9..f24655446a5 100644
--- a/scripts/docker/homepage/backend/Dockerfile
+++ b/scripts/docker/homepage/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ RUN ldconfig \
     && cd build \
     && cmake -DENABLE_ASAN=ON -DBUILD_FULL=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED=ON \
              -DBUILD_STATIC=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF \
-             -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF \
              -DPLUGINS="ALL;-EXPERIMENTAL;-fstab;-ruby;-lua;-python;-xerces;-yamlcpp;-python2;file;camel;yajl" \
              -DTOOLS="kdb;rest-backend" \
              -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="$C_FLAGS" \
diff --git a/scripts/docker/homepage/frontend/Dockerfile b/scripts/docker/homepage/frontend/Dockerfile
index e009517fb13..dc1a2786d0a 100644
--- a/scripts/docker/homepage/frontend/Dockerfile
+++ b/scripts/docker/homepage/frontend/Dockerfile
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ RUN mkdir build \
     && cd build \
     && cmake -DENABLE_ASAN=ON -DBUILD_FULL=OFF -DBUILD_SHARED=ON \
              -DBUILD_STATIC=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF \
-             -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF \
              -DPLUGINS="ALL;-EXPERIMENTAL;-fstab;-ruby;-lua;-python;-xerces;-yamlcpp;-python2;file;camel;yajl" \
              -DTOOLS="kdb;rest-frontend" \
              -DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="$C_FLAGS" \
diff --git a/scripts/jenkins/Jenkinsfile b/scripts/jenkins/Jenkinsfile
index 1684b0e10d9..56af0620553 100644
--- a/scripts/jenkins/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/scripts/jenkins/Jenkinsfile
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ CMAKE_FLAGS_BASE = [
   'KDB_DB_SPEC': '${WORKSPACE}/config/kdb/spec',
   'KDB_DB_HOME': '${WORKSPACE}/config/kdb/home',
   'CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX': '${WORKSPACE}/system',
-  'INSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES': 'OFF',
   'BUILD_DOCUMENTATION': 'OFF',
   'CMAKE_RULE_MESSAGES': 'OFF',
   'COMMON_FLAGS': '-Werror'
diff --git a/scripts/vagrant/ubuntu/artful32/README.md b/scripts/vagrant/ubuntu/artful32/README.md
index 9fc3937ec4d..ea3173aa41f 100644
--- a/scripts/vagrant/ubuntu/artful32/README.md
+++ b/scripts/vagrant/ubuntu/artful32/README.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ $ export GTEST_ROOT="/opt/gtest"
 
 
 # configure
-$ cmake -DENABLE_COVERAGE=OFF -DENABLE_OPTIMIZATIONS=OFF -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON -DENABLE_LOGGER=ON -DBUILD_STATIC=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$INSTALL_DIR" -DKDB_DB_SYSTEM="$SYSTEM_DIR" -DINSTALL_SYSTEM_FILES=OFF -DPLUGINS="ALL" -DTOOLS="ALL" ..
+$ cmake -DENABLE_COVERAGE=OFF -DENABLE_OPTIMIZATIONS=OFF -DENABLE_DEBUG=ON -DENABLE_LOGGER=ON -DBUILD_STATIC=OFF -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$INSTALL_DIR" -DKDB_DB_SYSTEM="$SYSTEM_DIR" -DPLUGINS="ALL" -DTOOLS="ALL" ..
 
 # build
 $ make -j4