diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 26de23b..b226f31 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ from lamerpack import checkForLamerpack
 from debugmode import checkForDebugBuild
 from timeout import checkForClientTimeout
 from relsignals import checkReliableSignals
+from mandir import checkForUserMandir
+from mandir import autodetectMandir
 
 conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
                       'MAINTAINER_MODE':checkForMaintainerMode,
@@ -63,7 +65,9 @@ conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
 		      'checkForLamerPack':checkForLamerpack,
 		      'checkForDebugBuild':checkForDebugBuild,
 		      'checkForClientTimeout':checkForClientTimeout,
-		      'checkReliableSignals':checkReliableSignals
+		      'checkReliableSignals':checkReliableSignals,
+		      'checkForUserMandir':checkForUserMandir,
+		      'autodetectMandir':autodetectMandir
 		      })
 # check for CC options
 for option in Split("""
@@ -125,6 +129,8 @@ if conf.checkReliableSignals():
 conf.checkForLockPrefix()
 PREFIX=conf.checkPrefix(PREFIX)
 conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DSYSCONFDIR=\\"'+PREFIX+'/etc\\"')
+MANDIR=conf.autodetectMandir(PREFIX)
+conf.checkForUserMandir(MANDIR)
 EFENCE = conf.MAINTAINER_MODE()
 if EFENCE == True:
     EFENCE=conf.CheckLib("efence","EF_Abort")
@@ -135,5 +141,5 @@ conf.Finish()
 
 env.Append(CPPFLAGS = "-DPACKAGE_VERSION=\\\""+VERSION+"\\\"")
 # process build rules
-Export( Split("env PREFIX"))
+Export( Split("env PREFIX MANDIR"))
 env.SConscript(dirs=Split("doc . bsd_src common server client clients contrib tests man"))
diff --git a/man/SConscript b/man/SConscript
index c416bdc..102fa17 100644
--- a/man/SConscript
+++ b/man/SConscript
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 from os import symlink, unlink
-Import(Split("env PREFIX"))
-
-MANDIR=PREFIX+'/man'
+Import(Split("env PREFIX MANDIR"))
 
 MAN1=Split("""
 fgetcmd.1   fmkdir.1    frmcmd.1    fspd.1
@@ -39,5 +37,3 @@ if 'install' in COMMAND_LINE_TARGETS:
 	env.Symlink(MANDIR+'/man1/'+pair[1]+'.1.gz',MANDIR+'/man1/'+pair[0]+'.1.gz')
 
 env.Alias("install",MANDIR)
-
-Export(Split("MANDIR"))
diff --git a/site_scons/mandir.py b/site_scons/mandir.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..575c6a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site_scons/mandir.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#
+# SCons user-supplied mandir configuration
+#
+# Version 1.0
+# 27-Aug-2009
+#
+
+from SCons.Script import ARGUMENTS
+import os.path
+
+def checkForUserMandir(conf,oldmandir=None):
+    """Returns mandir specified on command line or oldmandir if none is supplied."""
+    conf.Message("Checking for user supplied mandir... ")
+    lp = ARGUMENTS.get('mandir', 0)
+    if lp:
+       conf.Result(1)
+       return lp
+    else:
+       conf.Result(0)
+       return oldmandir
+
+def autodetectMandir(conf,prefix):
+    """Try to autodetect where to put man pages."""
+    SEARCH = [ prefix+'/share/man', prefix+'/man' ]
+    conf.Message("Checking where to install man pages... ")
+    for d in SEARCH:
+        if os.path.isdir(d):
+            conf.Result(d)
+            return d
+    d = prefix + '/man'
+    conf.Result(d)
+    return d