diff --git a/package/apache/S50apache b/package/apache/S50apache
index 71e8837bae..fd1c58312f 100644
--- a/package/apache/S50apache
+++ b/package/apache/S50apache
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034 # checkpackage-required variable
 DAEMON="apache"
 
+mkdir -p "/var/log/apache2" "/var/run/apache2"
+
 case "$1" in
 	start|restart|graceful|graceful-stop|stop)
 		apachectl -k "$1"
diff --git a/package/apache/apache.mk b/package/apache/apache.mk
index 85a7d0754e..f74f557ef8 100644
--- a/package/apache/apache.mk
+++ b/package/apache/apache.mk
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ APACHE_CONF_OPTS = \
 	--without-suexec-bin \
 	--enable-mods-shared=all \
 	--with-mpm=$(APACHE_MPM) \
-	--disable-luajit
+	--disable-luajit \
+	--enable-layout=Debian \
+	--prefix=/
 
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_BROTLI),y)
 APACHE_CONF_OPTS += --enable-brotli
@@ -102,13 +104,15 @@ endif
 
 define APACHE_FIX_STAGING_APACHE_CONFIG
 	$(SED) 's%"/usr/bin"%"$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin"%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin/apxs
-	$(SED) 's%/usr/build%$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/build%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin/apxs
-	$(SED) 's%^prefix =.*%prefix = $(STAGING_DIR)/usr%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/build/config_vars.mk
+	$(SED) 's%/usr/share/apache2/build%$(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/build%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/bin/apxs
+	$(SED) 's%^prefix =.*%prefix = $(STAGING_DIR)/%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/build/config_vars.mk
+	$(SED) 's%^sbindir =.*%sbindir = $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/sbin%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/build/config_vars.mk
+	$(SED) 's%^includedir = .*%includedir = $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/include/apache2%' $(STAGING_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/build/config_vars.mk
 endef
 APACHE_POST_INSTALL_STAGING_HOOKS += APACHE_FIX_STAGING_APACHE_CONFIG
 
 define APACHE_CLEANUP_TARGET
-	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/manual $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/build
+	$(RM) -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/default-site/htdocs/manual $(TARGET_DIR)/usr/share/apache2/build
 endef
 APACHE_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += APACHE_CLEANUP_TARGET
 
diff --git a/package/apache/apache.service b/package/apache/apache.service
index b8747e2658..561e4e2851 100644
--- a/package/apache/apache.service
+++ b/package/apache/apache.service
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ After=network.target
 
 [Service]
 Type=forking
+ExecStartPre=/bin/mkdir -p /var/log/apache2 /var/run/apache2
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/apachectl start
 ExecReload=/usr/bin/apachectl graceful
 ExecStop=/usr/bin/apachectl stop