diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a2998411..a0746dfa 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ specify an installation prefix other than $PREFIX using
 
 Fine tuning of some installation directories is available:
 
-	--libdir=DIR	Install libraries in LIBDIR [PREFIX/lib]
+	--libdir=DIR		Install libraries to DIR [PREFIX/lib]
+	--includedir=DIR	Install header files to DIR [PREFIX/include]
 
 Additional options are accepted for compatibility with other
 configure-script calling conventions, but don't do anything yet:
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ for option; do
 	PREFIX="${option#*=}"
     elif [ "${option%%=*}" = '--libdir' ] ; then
 	LIBDIR="${option#*=}"
+    elif [ "${option%%=*}" = '--includedir' ] ; then
+	INCLUDEDIR="${option#*=}"
     elif [ "${option%%=*}" = '--build' ] ; then
 	build_option="${option#*=}"
 	case ${build_option} in
@@ -324,9 +327,12 @@ WARN_CFLAGS=\$(WARN_CXXFLAGS) -Wmissing-declarations
 # The prefix to which notmuch should be installed
 prefix = ${PREFIX}
 
-# The directory to which notmuch libraries should be installed
+# The directory to which libraries should be installed
 libdir = ${LIBDIR:=\$(prefix)/lib}
 
+# The directory to which header files should be installed
+includedir = ${INCLUDEDIR:=\$(prefix)/lib}
+
 # The directory to which emacs lisp files should be installed
 emacs_lispdir=${emacs_lispdir}
 
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.local b/lib/Makefile.local
index 03a458b2..ed6b25f4 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.local
+++ b/lib/Makefile.local
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ install-$(dir):
 	install -m0644 $(dir)/$(LIBNAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/
 	ln -sf $(LIBNAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$(SONAME)
 	ln -sf $(LIBNAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/$(LINKER_NAME)
-	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/
-	install -m0644 $(dir)/notmuch.h $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/
+	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(includedir)
+	install -m0644 $(dir)/notmuch.h $(DESTDIR)$(includedir)/
 
 SRCS  := $(SRCS) $(libnotmuch_c_srcs) $(libnotmuch_cxx_srcs)
 CLEAN := $(CLEAN) $(libnotmuch_modules) $(dir)/$(SONAME) $(dir)/$(LINKER_NAME) $(dir)$(LIBNAME) libnotmuch.a