diff --git a/Makefile.local b/Makefile.local
index d9fd1d93..03e32371 100644
--- a/Makefile.local
+++ b/Makefile.local
@@ -39,13 +39,21 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(V),)
 quiet_DOC := "Use \"$(MAKE) V=1\" to see the verbose compile lines.\n"
 quiet = @printf $(quiet_DOC)$(eval quiet_DOC:=)"  $1 $2	$@\n"; $($1)
+quiet_args = @printf $(quiet_DOC)$(eval quiet_DOC:=)"  $1		$2\n"; $($1) $2
 endif
 # The user has explicitly enabled quiet compilation.
 ifeq ($(V),0)
 quiet = @printf "  $1 $2	$@\n"; $($1)
+quiet_args = @printf "  $1		$2\n"; $($1) $2
 endif
 # Otherwise, print the full command line.
 quiet ?= $($1)
+quiet_args ?= $($1) $2
+
+quiet_mkdir = $(call quiet_args,MKDIR,$1)
+quiet_install_bin = $(call quiet_args,INSTBIN,$1)
+quiet_install_data = $(call quiet_args,INSTDATA,$1)
+quiet_symlink = $(call quiet_args,SYMLINK,$1)
 
 %.o: %.cc $(global_deps)
 	$(call quiet,CXX,$(CXXFLAGS)) -c $(FINAL_CXXFLAGS) $< -o $@
@@ -105,12 +113,12 @@ notmuch.1.gz: notmuch.1
 	$(call quiet,gzip) --stdout $^ > $@
 
 install: all notmuch.1.gz
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/bin/
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/man/man1
-	install notmuch $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/bin/
-	install -m0644 notmuch.1.gz $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/man/man1/
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/bin/)
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/)
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/)
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/man/man1)
+	$(call quiet_install_bin, notmuch $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/bin/)
+	$(call quiet_install_data, notmuch.1.gz $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/man/man1/)
 ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS), install)
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "Notmuch is now installed."
@@ -125,18 +133,16 @@ ifeq ($(MAKECMDGOALS), install)
 endif
 
 install-desktop:
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(desktop_dir)
+	$(call quiet,MKDIR) $(DESTDIR)$(desktop_dir)
 	desktop-file-install --mode 0644 --dir $(DESTDIR)$(desktop_dir) notmuch.desktop
 
 install-bash:
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(bash_completion_dir)
-	install -m0644 contrib/notmuch-completion.bash \
-		$(DESTDIR)$(bash_completion_dir)/notmuch
+	$(call quiet-mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(bash_completion_dir))
+	$(call quiet_install_data, contrib/notmuch-completion.bash $(DESTDIR)$(bash_completion_dir)/notmuch)
 
 install-zsh:
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(zsh_completion_dir)
-	install -m0644 contrib/notmuch-completion.zsh \
-		$(DESTDIR)$(zsh_completion_dir)/notmuch
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(zsh_completion_dir))
+	$(call quiet_install_data, contrib/notmuch-completion.zsh $(DESTDIR)$(zsh_completion_dir)/notmuch)
 
 SRCS  := $(SRCS) $(notmuch_client_srcs)
 CLEAN := $(CLEAN) notmuch $(notmuch_client_modules) notmuch.elc notmuch.1.gz
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 7db537e4..3e30cee9 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -282,6 +282,18 @@ EMACS = emacs --quick
 # Command to execute gzip from Makefiles
 gzip = gzip
 
+# Command to create a directory
+MKDIR = install -d
+
+# Command to install an executable
+INSTBIN = install
+
+# Command to install a non-executable file (documentation, etc.)
+INSTDATA = install -m0644
+
+# Command to create a symbolic link
+SYMLINK = ln -sf
+
 # Default FLAGS for C compiler (can be overridden by user such as "make CFLAGS=-g")
 CFLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 
diff --git a/emacs/Makefile.local b/emacs/Makefile.local
index 6e7d2afd..bda3997a 100644
--- a/emacs/Makefile.local
+++ b/emacs/Makefile.local
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ emacs_bytecode := $(subst .el,.elc,$(emacs_sources))
 emacs: $(emacs_bytecode)
 
 install-emacs: install emacs
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)/$(emacs_lispdir)
-	install -m0644 $(emacs_sources) $(emacs_bytecode) $(DESTDIR)$(emacs_lispdir)
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)/$(emacs_lispdir))
+	$(call quiet_install_data, $(emacs_sources) $(emacs_bytecode) $(DESTDIR)$(emacs_lispdir))
 	@echo ""
 	@echo "The notmuch emacs client is now installed."
 	@echo ""
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.local b/lib/Makefile.local
index b24a3571..0463c93a 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.local
+++ b/lib/Makefile.local
@@ -25,15 +25,15 @@ $(dir)/$(SONAME) : $(libnotmuch_modules)
 	$(call quiet,CXX,$(LDFLAGS)) $^ $(FINAL_LDFLAGS) -shared -Wl,-soname=$(SONAME) -o $@
 
 $(dir)/libnotmuch.so: $(dir)/$(SONAME)
-	ln -fs $(SONAME) $@
+	$(call quiet_symlink, $(SONAME) $@)
 
 install: install-$(dir)
 
 install-$(dir):
-	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/
-	install $(dir)/$(SONAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/
-	install $(dir)/notmuch.h $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/
-	ln -sf $(SONAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libnotmuch.so
+	$(call quiet_mkdir, $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/)
+	$(call quiet_install_data, $(dir)/$(SONAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/)
+	$(call quiet_install_data, $(dir)/notmuch.h $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/include/)
+	$(call quiet_symlink, $(SONAME) $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libnotmuch.so)
 
 SRCS  := $(SRCS) $(libnotmuch_c_srcs) $(libnotmuch_cxx_srcs)
 CLEAN := $(CLEAN) $(libnotmuch_modules) $(dir)/$(SONAME) $(dir)/libnotmuch.so *.so