diff --git a/Lib/distutils/command/register.py b/Lib/distutils/command/register.py
index a9ab361a174..bf7be960966 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/command/register.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/command/register.py
@@ -141,12 +141,14 @@ class register(PyPIRCCommand):
         # get the user's login info
         choices = '1 2 3 4'.split()
         while choice not in choices:
-            print '''We need to know who you are, so please choose either:
+            self.announce('''\
+We need to know who you are, so please choose either:
  1. use your existing login,
  2. register as a new user,
  3. have the server generate a new password for you (and email it to you), or
  4. quit
-Your selection [default 1]: ''',
+Your selection [default 1]: ''', log.INFO)
+
             choice = raw_input()
             if not choice:
                 choice = '1'
@@ -167,12 +169,16 @@ Your selection [default 1]: ''',
             # send the info to the server and report the result
             code, result = self.post_to_server(self.build_post_data('submit'),
                 auth)
-            print 'Server response (%s): %s' % (code, result)
+            self.announce('Server response (%s): %s' % (code, result),
+                          log.INFO)
 
             # possibly save the login
             if not self.has_config and code == 200:
-                print 'I can store your PyPI login so future submissions will be faster.'
-                print '(the login will be stored in %s)' % self._get_rc_file()
+                self.announce(('I can store your PyPI login so future '
+                               'submissions will be faster.'), log.INFO)
+                self.announce('(the login will be stored in %s)' % \
+                              self._get_rc_file(), log.INFO)
+
                 choice = 'X'
                 while choice.lower() not in 'yn':
                     choice = raw_input('Save your login (y/N)?')
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/config.py b/Lib/distutils/config.py
index e3a4c57e331..4186c9b1d85 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/config.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/config.py
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ from ConfigParser import ConfigParser
 from distutils.cmd import Command
 
 DEFAULT_PYPIRC = """\
-[pypirc]
-servers =
+[distutils]
+index-servers =
     pypi
 
 [pypi]
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_config.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_config.py
index bfce3e3e72b..cae7689884f 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_config.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import unittest
 
 from distutils.core import PyPIRCCommand
 from distutils.core import Distribution
+from distutils.log import set_threshold
+from distutils.log import WARN
 
 from distutils.tests import support
 
@@ -32,6 +34,17 @@ username:tarek
 password:secret
 """
 
+WANTED = """\
+[distutils]
+index-servers =
+    pypi
+
+[pypi]
+username:tarek
+password:xxx
+"""
+
+
 class PyPIRCCommandTestCase(support.TempdirManager, unittest.TestCase):
 
     def setUp(self):
@@ -53,6 +66,7 @@ class PyPIRCCommandTestCase(support.TempdirManager, unittest.TestCase):
             finalize_options = initialize_options
 
         self._cmd = command
+        self.old_threshold = set_threshold(WARN)
 
     def tearDown(self):
         """Removes the patch."""
@@ -62,6 +76,7 @@ class PyPIRCCommandTestCase(support.TempdirManager, unittest.TestCase):
             os.environ['HOME'] = self._old_home
         if os.path.exists(self.rc):
             os.remove(self.rc)
+        set_threshold(self.old_threshold)
 
     def test_server_registration(self):
         # This test makes sure PyPIRCCommand knows how to:
@@ -98,6 +113,20 @@ class PyPIRCCommandTestCase(support.TempdirManager, unittest.TestCase):
                   ('server', 'server-login'), ('username', 'tarek')]
         self.assertEquals(config, waited)
 
+    def test_server_empty_registration(self):
+
+        cmd = self._cmd(self.dist)
+        rc = cmd._get_rc_file()
+        self.assert_(not os.path.exists(rc))
+
+        cmd._store_pypirc('tarek', 'xxx')
+
+        self.assert_(os.path.exists(rc))
+        content = open(rc).read()
+
+        self.assertEquals(content, WANTED)
+
+
 def test_suite():
     return unittest.makeSuite(PyPIRCCommandTestCase)
 
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_register.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_register.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3a3a3b739b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_register.py
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+"""Tests for distutils.command.register."""
+import sys
+import os
+import unittest
+
+from distutils.command.register import register
+from distutils.core import Distribution
+
+from distutils.tests import support
+from distutils.tests.test_config import PYPIRC, PyPIRCCommandTestCase
+
+class RawInputs(object):
+    """Fakes user inputs."""
+    def __init__(self, *answers):
+        self.answers = answers
+        self.index = 0
+
+    def __call__(self, prompt=''):
+        try:
+            return self.answers[self.index]
+        finally:
+            self.index += 1
+
+WANTED_PYPIRC = """\
+[distutils]
+index-servers =
+    pypi
+
+[pypi]
+username:tarek
+password:xxx
+"""
+
+class registerTestCase(PyPIRCCommandTestCase):
+
+    def test_create_pypirc(self):
+        # this test makes sure a .pypirc file
+        # is created when requested.
+
+        # let's create a fake distribution
+        # and a register instance
+        dist = Distribution()
+        dist.metadata.url = 'xxx'
+        dist.metadata.author = 'xxx'
+        dist.metadata.author_email = 'xxx'
+        dist.metadata.name = 'xxx'
+        dist.metadata.version =  'xxx'
+        cmd = register(dist)
+
+        # we shouldn't have a .pypirc file yet
+        self.assert_(not os.path.exists(self.rc))
+
+        # patching raw_input and getpass.getpass
+        # so register gets happy
+        #
+        # Here's what we are faking :
+        # use your existing login (choice 1.)
+        # Username : 'tarek'
+        # Password : 'xxx'
+        # Save your login (y/N)? : 'y'
+        inputs = RawInputs('1', 'tarek', 'y')
+        from distutils.command import register as register_module
+        register_module.raw_input = inputs.__call__
+        def _getpass(prompt):
+            return 'xxx'
+        register_module.getpass.getpass = _getpass
+        class FakeServer(object):
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.calls = []
+
+            def __call__(self, *args):
+                # we want to compare them, so let's store
+                # something comparable
+                els = args[0].items()
+                els.sort()
+                self.calls.append(tuple(els))
+                return 200, 'OK'
+
+        cmd.post_to_server = pypi_server = FakeServer()
+
+        # let's run the command
+        cmd.run()
+
+        # we should have a brand new .pypirc file
+        self.assert_(os.path.exists(self.rc))
+
+        # with the content similar to WANTED_PYPIRC
+        content = open(self.rc).read()
+        self.assertEquals(content, WANTED_PYPIRC)
+
+        # now let's make sure the .pypirc file generated
+        # really works : we shouldn't be asked anything
+        # if we run the command again
+        def _no_way(prompt=''):
+            raise AssertionError(prompt)
+        register_module.raw_input = _no_way
+
+        cmd.run()
+
+        # let's see what the server received : we should
+        # have 2 similar requests
+        self.assert_(len(pypi_server.calls), 2)
+        self.assert_(pypi_server.calls[0], pypi_server.calls[1])
+
+def test_suite():
+    return unittest.makeSuite(registerTestCase)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main(defaultTest="test_suite")
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS b/Misc/NEWS
index af1c22e2a0c..5360bdd4234 100644
--- a/Misc/NEWS
+++ b/Misc/NEWS
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ Core and Builtins
 Library
 -------
 
+- Issue #4400: .pypirc default generated file was broken in distutils.
+
 - Issue #4163: Use unicode-friendly word splitting in the textwrap functions
   when given an unicode string.