diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5c93a58..07d7a02 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ FIND_PACKAGE (Threads)
 
 set (CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -Wall -fno-omit-frame-pointer")
 set (CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -Wall")
+set (LIB_INSTALL_DIR "lib${LIB_SUFFIX}" CACHE PATH "Installation path for libraries")
+
+# Set CMAKE_LIB_INSTALL_DIR if not defined
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
 # Appends the cmake/modules path to MAKE_MODULE_PATH variable.
 set (CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/modules ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH})
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 63d15f8..234b071 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ macro (mraa_CREATE_INSTALL_PKGCONFIG generated_file install_location)
 endmacro (mraa_CREATE_INSTALL_PKGCONFIG)
 mraa_create_install_pkgconfig (mraa.pc lib${LIB_SUFFIX}/pkgconfig)
 
-install (TARGETS mraa DESTINATION lib)
+install(TARGETS mraa DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR} LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_FULL_LIBDIR} )
 
 if (DOXYGEN_FOUND)
   set (CMAKE_SWIG_FLAGS -DDOXYGEN=${DOXYGEN_FOUND})
diff --git a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
index b8e8439..9c51ef0 100644
--- a/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ list (GET PYTHON_VERSION_LIST 1 PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR)
 
 install (FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/_mraa.so
          ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/mraa.py
-         DESTINATION lib/python${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR}/site-packages/)
+         DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/python${PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR}.${PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR}/site-packages/)
 
 add_subdirectory (docs)