diff --git a/doc/2-getting-started.md b/doc/2-getting-started.md
index eb5de1d17..2b7846e36 100644
--- a/doc/2-getting-started.md
+++ b/doc/2-getting-started.md
@@ -88,6 +88,12 @@ Icinga 2 supports [C/C++-style comments](#comments).
 
 The `include` directive can be used to include other files.
 
+   /**
+    * The zones.conf defines zones for a cluster setup.
+    * Not required for single instance setups.
+    */
+    include "zones.conf"
+
     /**
      * The Icinga Template Library (ITL) provides a number of useful templates
      * and command definitions.
@@ -136,6 +142,17 @@ The `constants.conf` configuration file can be used to define global constants:
     /* Our local zone name. */
     const ZoneName = NodeName
 
+### <a id="zones-conf"></a> zones.conf
+
+The `zones.conf` configuration file can be used to configure `Endpoint` and `Zone` objects
+required for a [distributed zone setup](#distributed-monitoring-high-availability). By default
+a local dummy zone is defined based on the `NodeName` constant defined in
+[constants.conf](#constants-conf).
+
+> **Note**
+>
+> Not required for single instance installations.
+
 
 ### <a id="localhost-conf"></a> localhost.conf
 
diff --git a/etc/CMakeLists.txt b/etc/CMakeLists.txt
index 133d1cd3a..961302396 100644
--- a/etc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/etc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ configure_file(icinga/icinga-classic-apache.conf.cmake ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DI
 
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/icinga2.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2)
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/constants.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2)
+install_if_not_exists(icinga2/zones.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2)
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/conf.d/commands.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2/conf.d)
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/conf.d/downtimes.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2/conf.d)
 install_if_not_exists(icinga2/conf.d/generic-host.conf ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR}/icinga2/conf.d)
diff --git a/etc/icinga2/features-available/api.conf b/etc/icinga2/features-available/api.conf
index 802100a0f..104d82c75 100644
--- a/etc/icinga2/features-available/api.conf
+++ b/etc/icinga2/features-available/api.conf
@@ -7,21 +7,3 @@ object ApiListener "api" {
   key_path = SysconfDir + "/icinga2/pki/" + NodeName + ".key"
   ca_path = SysconfDir + "/icinga2/pki/ca.crt"
 }
-
-object Endpoint NodeName {
-  host = NodeName
-}
-
-object Zone ZoneName {
-  endpoints = [ NodeName ]
-}
-
-/*object Endpoint "satellite.example.org" {
-  host = "satellite.example.org"
-}
-
-object Zone "satellite" {
-  parent = "master"
-  endpoints = [ "satellite.example.org" ]
-}*/
-
diff --git a/etc/icinga2/icinga2.conf b/etc/icinga2/icinga2.conf
index 1f1372435..ff2df086f 100644
--- a/etc/icinga2/icinga2.conf
+++ b/etc/icinga2/icinga2.conf
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
  */
 include "constants.conf"
 
+/**
+ * The zones.conf defines zones for a cluster setup.
+ * Not required for single instance setups.
+ */
+include "zones.conf"
+
 /**
  * The Icinga Template Library (ITL) provides a number of useful templates
  * and command definitions.
diff --git a/etc/icinga2/zones.conf b/etc/icinga2/zones.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e7a1d99ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/etc/icinga2/zones.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/*
+ * Endpoint and Zone configuration for a cluster setup
+ * This local example requires `NodeName` defined in
+ * constants.conf.
+ */
+
+object Endpoint NodeName {
+  host = NodeName
+}
+
+object Zone ZoneName {
+  endpoints = [ NodeName ]
+}
+
+/*
+ * Read the documentation on how to configure
+ * a cluster setup with multiple zones.
+ */
+
+/*
+object Endpoint "master.example.org" {
+  host = "master.example.org"
+}
+
+object Endpoint "satellite.example.org" {
+  host = "satellite.example.org"
+}
+
+object Zone "master" {
+  endpoints = [ "master.example.org" ]
+}
+
+object Zone "satellite" {
+  parent = "master"
+  endpoints = [ "satellite.example.org" ]
+}
+*/
+
diff --git a/icinga2.spec b/icinga2.spec
index 355f5ad5d..8ab13c448 100644
--- a/icinga2.spec
+++ b/icinga2.spec
@@ -409,6 +409,7 @@ exit 0
 %attr(0750,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %dir %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/zones.d
 %config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/%{name}.conf
 %config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/constants.conf
+%config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/zones.conf
 %config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/conf.d/*.conf
 %config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/conf.d/hosts/*.conf
 %config(noreplace) %attr(0640,%{icinga_user},%{icinga_group}) %{_sysconfdir}/%{name}/conf.d/hosts/localhost/*.conf