diff --git a/leaf b/leaf
index 0c2dc57..4a66c2c 100755
--- a/leaf
+++ b/leaf
@@ -440,9 +440,81 @@ leaf_trace_package() {
   find . -type l | sort > "${_trace_dir}"/LINKS
   sed -i "s/.//" "${_trace_dir}"/{DIRS,FILES,LINKS}
   install -vm644 "${PKGBUILD_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}.PKGBUILD" "${_trace_dir}/PKGBUILD"
+  leaf_trace_conffiles "${_trace_dir}"
   popd > /dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
+leaf_trace_conffiles() {
+  # usage: leaf_trace_conffiles <trace_dir>
+  # called with CWD = pkgdir (same as leaf_trace_package)
+  local _trace_dir="$1"
+  local _out="${_trace_dir}/CONFFILES"
+  local _p _type _val _mode _uid _gid
+
+  [ -d ./etc ] || return 0
+
+  : > "${_out}"
+
+  # regular files
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' _p; do
+    _mode=$(stat -c %a -- "$_p")
+    _uid=$(stat -c %u -- "$_p")
+    _gid=$(stat -c %g -- "$_p")
+    _val=$(sha256sum -- "$_p" | awk '{print $1}')
+    printf '%s\tf\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n' "/${_p#./}" "${_val}" "${_mode}" "${_uid}" "${_gid}" >> "${_out}"
+  done < <(find ./etc -type f -print0)
+
+  # symlinks
+  while IFS= read -r -d '' _p; do
+    _mode=$(stat -c %a -- "$_p")
+    _uid=$(stat -c %u -- "$_p")
+    _gid=$(stat -c %g -- "$_p")
+    _val=$(readlink -- "$_p")
+    printf '%s\tl\t%s\t%s\t%s\t%s\n' "/${_p#./}" "${_val}" "${_mode}" "${_uid}" "${_gid}" >> "${_out}"
+  done < <(find ./etc -type l -print0)
+
+  sort -o "${_out}" "${_out}" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+leaf_conffile_is_unmodified() {
+  # usage: leaf_conffile_is_unmodified <abs_path> <trace_dir>
+  # return 0 if unmodified (safe to remove), 1 otherwise
+  local path="$1" tdir="$2"
+  local cf="${tdir}/CONFFILES"
+  local line type val mode uid gid
+  local cur_val cur_mode cur_uid cur_gid
+
+  [ -r "${cf}" ] || return 1
+  [ -e "${path}" ] || return 1
+
+  line="$(grep -F -m1 -- "${path}"$'\t' "${cf}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
+
+  IFS=$'\t' read -r _p type val mode uid gid <<< "${line}"
+
+  cur_mode="$(stat -c %a -- "${path}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
+  cur_uid="$(stat -c %u -- "${path}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
+  cur_gid="$(stat -c %g -- "${path}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
+
+  # metadata changed -> treat as modified
+  if [ "${cur_mode}" != "${mode}" ] || [ "${cur_uid}" != "${uid}" ] || [ "${cur_gid}" != "${gid}" ]; then
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  case "${type}" in
+    f)
+      cur_val="$(sha256sum -- "${path}" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')" || return 1
+      [ "${cur_val}" = "${val}" ] && return 0 || return 1
+      ;;
+    l)
+      cur_val="$(readlink -- "${path}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 1
+      [ "${cur_val}" = "${val}" ] && return 0 || return 1
+      ;;
+    *)
+      return 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
 leaf_update_package_database() {
   local _item="$(echo "$2" | awk 'BEGIN{FS="/";OFS="\\/"}{print $1,$2}')"
   case $1 in
@@ -645,33 +717,73 @@ leaf_remove_package() {
   [ -n "$(grep "${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}" ${INSTALLED_PACKAGES})" ] || {
     leaf_error "Package ${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME} is NOT installed"
   }
+
   leaf_phase_must "Preremove" src_preremove "Preremove failed."
+
   local _file _link _directory _etc_backup_path _relative_path _backup_etc=false
-  _etc_backup_path="/etc/.leaf_backup/${PKGNAME}_$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
-  cat "${TRACE_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}/FILES" | while read -r _file; do
-    if [[ "${_file}" == /etc/* && -f "${_file}" ]]; then
-      _backup_etc=true
-      _relative_path="${_file#/etc/}"
-      mkdir -pv "${_etc_backup_path}/$(dirname "${_relative_path}")"
-      mv -v "${_file}" "${_etc_backup_path}/${_relative_path}"
+  local _trace_dir="${TRACE_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}"
+  local _has_conffiles=0
+
+  [ -r "${_trace_dir}/CONFFILES" ] && _has_conffiles=1
+
+  _etc_backup_path="/etc/.leaf_backup/${PKG_NAME}_$(date +%Y%m%d%H%M%S)"
+
+  # FILES
+  while read -r _file; do
+    if [[ "${_file}" == /etc/* && -e "${_file}" ]]; then
+      if [ "${_has_conffiles}" -eq 1 ]; then
+        if leaf_conffile_is_unmodified "${_file}" "${_trace_dir}"; then
+          rm -fv -- "${_file}"
+        else
+          leaf_record_message "Preserved modified config file: ${_file}"
+        fi
+        continue
+      fi
+
+      # fallback for old packages without CONFFILES (keep old behavior)
+      if [[ -f "${_file}" ]]; then
+        _backup_etc=true
+        _relative_path="${_file#/etc/}"
+        mkdir -pv "${_etc_backup_path}/$(dirname "${_relative_path}")"
+        mv -v -- "${_file}" "${_etc_backup_path}/${_relative_path}"
+      else
+        rm -fv -- "${_file}"
+      fi
     else
-      rm -fv "${_file}"
+      rm -fv -- "${_file}"
     fi
-  done
+  done < "${_trace_dir}/FILES"
+
   if [[ "${_backup_etc}" == true ]]; then
     leaf_record_message "Found files in /etc, backuped to ${_etc_backup_path}."
   fi
-  cat "${TRACE_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}/LINKS" | while read -r _link; do
-    [ ! -L "${_link}" ] || rm -fv "${_link}"
-  done
-  cat "${TRACE_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}/DIRS" | while read -r _directory; do
-    if [[ -d ${_directory} ]]; then
+
+  # LINKS
+  while read -r _link; do
+    if [[ "${_link}" == /etc/* && -e "${_link}" ]]; then
+      if [ "${_has_conffiles}" -eq 1 ]; then
+        if leaf_conffile_is_unmodified "${_link}" "${_trace_dir}"; then
+          rm -fv -- "${_link}"
+        else
+          leaf_record_message "Preserved modified config link: ${_link}"
+        fi
+        continue
+      fi
+    else
+      [ ! -L "${_link}" ] || rm -fv -- "${_link}"
+    fi
+  done < "${_trace_dir}/LINKS"
+
+  # DIRS
+  while read -r _directory; do
+    if [[ -d "${_directory}" ]]; then
       rmdir --ignore-fail-on-non-empty "${_directory}"
     fi
-  done
+  done < "${_trace_dir}/DIRS"
+
   leaf_phase_must "Postremove" src_postremove "Postremove failed."
   leaf_invoke_hooks remove
-  rm -rf "${TRACE_DIR}/${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}"
+  rm -rf "${_trace_dir}"
   leaf_update_package_database delete "${PKG_PREFIX}/${PKG_NAME}"
   leaf_update_environment
 }