diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b37d03670..c61ea96c6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ if(WITH_MAXSCALE_CNF)
   install(FILES server/maxscale_template.cnf DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_CONFDIR} RENAME maxscale.cnf.template)
 endif()
 install(FILES server/maxscale_binlogserver_template.cnf DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
-install(PROGRAMS ${ERRMSG} DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/lib/maxscale)
 install(FILES ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/COPYRIGHT DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
 install(FILES ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/README DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
 install(FILES ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/LICENSE.TXT DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR})
diff --git a/cmake/package_rpm.cmake b/cmake/package_rpm.cmake
index fabf2a650..4f6c84036 100644
--- a/cmake/package_rpm.cmake
+++ b/cmake/package_rpm.cmake
@@ -23,3 +23,6 @@ set(IGNORED_DIRS
   "%ignore ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/man/man1")
 
 set(CPACK_RPM_USER_FILELIST "${IGNORED_DIRS}")
+
+# Installing this prevents RPM from deleting the /var/lib/maxscale folder
+install(DIRECTORY DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/lib/maxscale)
diff --git a/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/CMakeLists.txt b/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/CMakeLists.txt
index b8ee02e6f..73a091a1f 100644
--- a/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/query_classifier/qc_mysqlembedded/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,4 +15,5 @@ if (BUILD_QC_MYSQLEMBEDDED)
   set_target_properties(qc_mysqlembedded PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS -Wl,--version-script=${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/qc_mysqlembedded.map)
   #set_target_properties(qc_mysqlembedded PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS -Wl,-z,defs)
   install(TARGETS qc_mysqlembedded COMPONENT lib DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR})
+  install(PROGRAMS ${ERRMSG} DESTINATION ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/lib/maxscale)
 endif()