diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 610eeef1..80d4bdcb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -222,6 +222,29 @@ else ()
   set(IS_GIT_REPO 0)
 endif ()
 
+#--- rpath related things -----------------------------------------------------
+# use, i.e. don't skip the full RPATH for the build tree
+set(CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH FALSE)
+
+# when building, don't use the install RPATH already
+# (but later on when installing)
+set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH FALSE)
+
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib")
+
+# add the automatically determined parts of the RPATH
+# which point to directories outside the build tree to the install RPATH
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
+
+# the RPATH to be used when installing, but only if it's not a system directory
+list(FIND CMAKE_PLATFORM_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib" isSystemDir)
+if("${isSystemDir}" STREQUAL "-1")
+    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib")
+endif("${isSystemDir}" STREQUAL "-1")
+set(rpath ${CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH})
+string(APPEND rpath ";/usr/local/lib")
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${rpath}")
+
 #--- propagate to the sub-directories -----------------------------------------
 add_subdirectory(src)