diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index d1adb102b..d2fa42ae1 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ opts.Add(PathOption('PYTHON','Python executable', sys.executable))
 opts.Add(ListOption('INPUT_PLUGINS','Input drivers to include','all',['postgis','shape','raster']))
 opts.Add(ListOption('BINDINGS','Language bindings to build','all',['python']))
 opts.Add('DEBUG', 'Compile a debug version of mapnik', '')
+opts.Add('DESTDIR', 'The root directory to install into. Useful mainly for binary package building', '/')
 opts.Add('BIDI', 'BIDI support', '')
 
 env = Environment(ENV=os.environ, options=opts)
diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 4b5870cbc..39a73c4d9 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import glob
 Import('env')
 
 prefix = env['PYTHON_PREFIX'] + '/'+ 'lib' + '/python' + env['PYTHON_VERSION'] + '/site-packages/'
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 libraries = ['mapnik', 'boost_python%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND']]
 headers = [env['PYTHON_PREFIX'] + '/include/python' + env['PYTHON_VERSION']] + env['CPPPATH']
@@ -39,8 +40,8 @@ fontscollectionpath = mapniklibpath + '/fonts'
 file('mapnik/paths.py','w').write(paths % (env['PREFIX'] + '/'+env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA']+'/mapnik',))
 
 pymapnik = glob.glob('mapnik/*.py')
-env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(prefix+'/mapnik', pymapnik))
+env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(install_prefix+'/mapnik', pymapnik))
 pymapnik2 = glob.glob('mapnik/ogcserver/*.py')
-env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(prefix+'/mapnik/ogcserver', pymapnik2))
-pymapniklib = env.Install(prefix+'/mapnik',_mapnik)
+env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(install_prefix+'/mapnik/ogcserver', pymapnik2))
+pymapniklib = env.Install(install_prefix+'/mapnik',_mapnik)
 env.Alias(target="install",source=pymapniklib)
diff --git a/fonts/SConscript b/fonts/SConscript
index 01a24726b..5c4666468 100644
--- a/fonts/SConscript
+++ b/fonts/SConscript
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import glob
 Import('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 includes = glob.glob('*/*.ttf')
-env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(prefix+'/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/fonts', includes))
+env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(install_prefix+'/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/fonts', includes))
diff --git a/plugins/input/postgis/SConscript b/plugins/input/postgis/SConscript
index d7ea75ae2..d21b875cd 100644
--- a/plugins/input/postgis/SConscript
+++ b/plugins/input/postgis/SConscript
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 Import ('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 postgis_src = Split(
 	"""
@@ -32,5 +33,5 @@ postgis_src = Split(
 
 postgis_inputdriver = env.SharedLibrary('postgis', source=postgis_src, SHLIBPREFIX='', LIBS='pq')
 
-env.Install(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', postgis_inputdriver)
-env.Alias('install', prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
+env.Install(install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', postgis_inputdriver)
+env.Alias('install', install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
diff --git a/plugins/input/raster/SConscript b/plugins/input/raster/SConscript
index 50e8ec547..ea3d89627 100644
--- a/plugins/input/raster/SConscript
+++ b/plugins/input/raster/SConscript
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 Import ('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 raster_src = Split(
 	"""
@@ -33,5 +34,5 @@ raster_src = Split(
 
 raster_inputdriver = env.SharedLibrary('raster', source=raster_src, SHLIBPREFIX='', LIBS=[])
 
-env.Install(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', raster_inputdriver)
-env.Alias('install', prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
+env.Install(install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', raster_inputdriver)
+env.Alias('install', install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
diff --git a/plugins/input/shape/SConscript b/plugins/input/shape/SConscript
index f374f3a7b..c718109a3 100644
--- a/plugins/input/shape/SConscript
+++ b/plugins/input/shape/SConscript
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 Import ('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 shape_src = Split(
 	"""
@@ -38,5 +39,5 @@ shape_src = Split(
 
 shape_inputdriver = env.SharedLibrary('shape', source=shape_src, SHLIBPREFIX='', LIBS=[])
 
-env.Install(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', shape_inputdriver)
-env.Alias('install', prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
+env.Install(install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input', shape_inputdriver)
+env.Alias('install', install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + '/mapnik/input')
diff --git a/src/SConscript b/src/SConscript
index c20b17231..33276974b 100644
--- a/src/SConscript
+++ b/src/SConscript
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import glob
 Import('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 libraries = ['agg'] + env['LIBS']
 
@@ -73,6 +74,6 @@ source += Split(
 
 mapnik = env.SharedLibrary('mapnik', source, LIBS=libraries, LINKFLAGS=linkflags)
 
-env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'], mapnik))
+env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(install_prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'], mapnik))
 includes = glob.glob('../include/mapnik/*.hpp')
-env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(prefix+'/include/mapnik', includes))
+env.Alias(target='install', source=env.Install(install_prefix+'/include/mapnik', includes))
diff --git a/utils/shapeindex/SConscript b/utils/shapeindex/SConscript
index 6feb80050..7d9e49744 100644
--- a/utils/shapeindex/SConscript
+++ b/utils/shapeindex/SConscript
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import glob
 Import ('env')
 
 prefix = env['PREFIX']
+install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 source = Split(
     """
@@ -37,5 +38,5 @@ headers = ['#plugins/input/shape'] + env['CPPPATH']
 
 shapeindex = env.Program('shapeindex', source, CPPPATH=headers, LIBS='boost_program_options%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
 
-env.Install(prefix + '/bin', shapeindex)
-env.Alias('install', prefix + '/bin')
+env.Install(install_prefix + '/bin', shapeindex)
+env.Alias('install', install_prefix + '/bin')