diff --git a/src/bin/Makefile.am b/src/bin/Makefile.am
index 1e6555853e..64b63e7c4b 100644
--- a/src/bin/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/bin/Makefile.am
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ SUBDIRS = . overrides test
 AM_CFLAGS = -I${top_builddir} ${GLIB_CFLAGS} ${GNOME_CFLAGS} ${GTK_CFLAGS} \
   ${GUILE_INCS} \
   ${QOF_CFLAGS} \
-  -DPREFIX=\"${prefix}\" \
-  -DSYSCONFDIR=\"${GNC_CONFIGDIR}\" \
-  -DDATADIR=\"${GNC_SHAREDIR}\" \
-  -DLIBDIR=\"${GNC_LIBDIR}\" \
+  -DPKGSYSCONFDIR=\"${GNC_CONFIGDIR}\" \
+  -DPKGDATADIR=\"${GNC_SHAREDIR}\" \
   -DGNC_HELPDIR=\"${GNC_HELPDIR}\" \
   -I${top_srcdir}/src \
   -I${top_srcdir}/src/core-utils \
diff --git a/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c b/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
index 8cbf62cdb0..d76f805b6d 100644
--- a/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
+++ b/src/bin/gnucash-bin.c
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ gnc_print_unstable_message(void)
 /* Priority of paths: The default is set at build time.  It may be
    overridden by environment variables, which may, in turn, be
    overridden by command line options.  */
-static char *config_path = SYSCONFDIR;
-static char *share_path = DATADIR;
+static char *config_path = PKGSYSCONFDIR;
+static char *share_path = PKGDATADIR;
 static char *help_path = GNC_HELPDIR;
 
 static void
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ load_system_config(void)
     if (is_system_config_loaded) return;
 
     update_message("loading system configuration");
+    /* FIXME: use runtime paths from gnc-path.c here */
     system_config = g_build_filename(config_path, "config", NULL);
     is_system_config_loaded = try_load(system_config);
     g_free(system_config);
@@ -512,12 +513,24 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv)
     gnc_print_unstable_message();
 
     if (add_quotes_file) {
+        gchar *prefix = gnc_path_get_prefix ();
+	gchar *pkgsysconfdir = gnc_path_get_pkgsysconfdir ();
+	gchar *pkgdatadir = gnc_path_get_pkgdatadir ();
+	gchar *pkglibdir = gnc_path_get_pkglibdir ();
         /* This option needs to run without a display, so we can't
            initialize any GUI libraries.  */
         gnome_program_init(
             "gnucash", VERSION, LIBGNOME_MODULE,
             argc, argv,
-            GNOME_PROGRAM_STANDARD_PROPERTIES, GNOME_PARAM_NONE);
+	    GNOME_PARAM_APP_PREFIX, prefix,
+	    GNOME_PARAM_APP_SYSCONFDIR, pkgsysconfdir,
+	    GNOME_PARAM_APP_DATADIR, pkgdatadir,
+	    GNOME_PARAM_APP_LIBDIR, pkglibdir,
+	    GNOME_PARAM_NONE);
+	g_free (prefix);
+	g_free (pkgsysconfdir);
+	g_free (pkgdatadir);
+	g_free (pkglibdir);
         scm_boot_guile(argc, argv, inner_main_add_price_quotes, 0);
         exit(0);  /* never reached */
     }
diff --git a/src/engine/Makefile.am b/src/engine/Makefile.am
index 2cf4a0bbb8..089ad7939e 100644
--- a/src/engine/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/engine/Makefile.am
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@ PWD := $(shell pwd)
 pkglib_LTLIBRARIES = libgncmod-engine.la libgw-engine.la libgw-kvp.la
 
 AM_CFLAGS = \
-	-DPREFIX=\"${prefix}\" \
-	-DSYSCONFDIR=\"${GNC_CONFIGDIR}\" \
-	-DDATADIR=\"${GNC_SHAREDIR}\" \
-	-DLIBDIR=\"${GNC_LIBDIR}\" \
 	-I${top_srcdir}/lib/libc \
 	-I${top_srcdir}/src/core-utils \
 	-I${top_srcdir}/src \
@@ -224,14 +220,18 @@ gwrap-files2: \
 	touch $@
 	( cd g-wrapped; $(LN_S) -f ../gw-kvp*.scm . )
 
-gncla-dir.h: gncla-dir.h.in ${top_builddir}/config.status
+gncla-dir.h: gncla-dir.h.in ${top_builddir}/config.status Makefile
 	rm -f $@.tmp
 	sed < $< > $@.tmp \
 		-e 's#@-LOCALE_DIR-@#${LOCALE_DIR}#g' \
 		-e 's#@-GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR-@#${GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR}#g' \
 		-e 's#@-GNC_GLADE_DIR-@#${GNC_GLADE_DIR}#g' \
 		-e 's#@-GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY-@#${GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY}#g' \
-                -e 's#@-libdir-@#${libdir}#g'
+		-e 's#@-pkglibdir-@#${pkglibdir}#g' \
+		-e 's#@-libdir-@#${libdir}#g' \
+		-e 's#@-pkgsysconfdir-@#${GNC_CONFIGDIR}#g' \
+		-e 's#@-pkgdatadir-@#${GNC_SHAREDIR}#g' \
+		-e 's#@-prefix-@#${prefix}#g'
 	mv $@.tmp $@
 
 BUILT_SOURCES = iso-4217-currencies.c \
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-engine.c b/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
index 36f7325bea..a0ea2899d6 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-engine.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ gnc_engine_init(int argc, char ** argv)
   gnc_engine_init_hook_t hook;
   GList * cur;
   gchar *tracefilename;
-  gchar *pkglibdir;
+  gchar *libdir;
 
   if (1 == engine_is_initialized) return;
 
@@ -107,16 +107,16 @@ gnc_engine_init(int argc, char ** argv)
   /* Now register our core types */
   cashobjects_register();
 
-  pkglibdir = gnc_path_get_pkglibdir ();
+  libdir = gnc_path_get_libdir ();
   for (lib = libs; lib->lib ; lib++)
   {
-      if (qof_load_backend_library(pkglibdir, lib->lib))
+      if (qof_load_backend_library(libdir, lib->lib))
       {
           engine_is_initialized = 1;
       }
       else
       {
-	  g_message("failed to load %s from %s\n", lib->lib, pkglibdir);
+	  g_message("failed to load %s from %s\n", lib->lib, libdir);
 	  /* If this is a required library, stop now! */
 	  if (lib->required)
 	  {
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ gnc_engine_init(int argc, char ** argv)
 	  }
       }
   }
-  g_free (pkglibdir);
+  g_free (libdir);
 
   /* call any engine hooks */
   for (cur = engine_init_hooks; cur; cur = cur->next)
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-path.c b/src/engine/gnc-path.c
index 45e32cb411..ee61d274b3 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-path.c
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-path.c
@@ -38,21 +38,21 @@ gchar *gnc_path_get_libdir()
 }
 
 /** Returns the datadir path, usually
- * "$prefix/share". Needed for gnome_program_init().
+ * "$prefix/share/gnucash". Needed for gnome_program_init().
  *
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
-gchar *gnc_path_get_datadir()
+gchar *gnc_path_get_pkgdatadir()
 {
-  return g_strdup (DATADIR);
+  return g_strdup (PKGDATADIR);
 }
 
 /** Returns the sysconfdir path, usually
- * "$prefix/etc". Needed for gnome_program_init().
+ * "$prefix/etc/gnucash". Needed for gnome_program_init().
  *
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
-gchar *gnc_path_get_sysconfdir()
+gchar *gnc_path_get_pkgsysconfdir()
 {
-  return g_strdup (SYSCONFDIR);
+  return g_strdup (PKGSYSCONFDIR);
 }
 
 
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ gchar *gnc_path_get_sysconfdir()
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
 gchar *gnc_path_get_pkglibdir()
 {
-  return g_strdup (GNC_LIBDIR);
+  return g_strdup (PKGLIBDIR);
 }
 
 /** Returns the glade file path, usually
diff --git a/src/engine/gnc-path.h b/src/engine/gnc-path.h
index d2c5b1b7ac..a733f1bc6a 100644
--- a/src/engine/gnc-path.h
+++ b/src/engine/gnc-path.h
@@ -37,17 +37,17 @@ gchar *gnc_path_get_prefix(void);
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
 gchar *gnc_path_get_libdir(void);
 
-/** Returns the datadir path, usually
- * "$prefix/share". Needed for gnome_program_init(void).
+/** Returns the pkgdatadir path, usually
+ * "$prefix/share/gnucash". Needed for gnome_program_init(void).
  *
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
-gchar *gnc_path_get_datadir(void);
+gchar *gnc_path_get_pkgdatadir(void);
 
-/** Returns the sysconfdir path, usually
- * "$prefix/etc". Needed for gnome_program_init(void).
+/** Returns the pkgsysconfdir path, usually
+ * "$prefix/etc/gnucash". Needed for gnome_program_init(void).
  *
  * @returns A newly allocated string. */
-gchar *gnc_path_get_sysconfdir(void);
+gchar *gnc_path_get_pkgsysconfdir(void);
 
 
 /** Returns the pkglibdir path, usually
diff --git a/src/engine/gncla-dir.h.in b/src/engine/gncla-dir.h.in
index e75409c0f4..acb857f9f8 100644
--- a/src/engine/gncla-dir.h.in
+++ b/src/engine/gncla-dir.h.in
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@
  *  02110-1301, USA.
  */
 
-#define GNC_LIBDIR "@-libdir-@"
+#define PREFIX "@-prefix-@"
+#define PKGDATADIR "@-pkgdatadir-@"
+#define PKGSYSCONFDIR "@-pkgsysconfdir-@"
+
+#define LIBDIR "@-libdir-@"
+#define PKGLIBDIR "@-pkglibdir-@"
 
 #define LOCALE_DIR  "@-LOCALE_DIR-@"
 
diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-gnome-utils.c b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-gnome-utils.c
index 82f14b59fe..aad8acba08 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/gnc-gnome-utils.c
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/gnc-gnome-utils.c
@@ -195,23 +195,23 @@ gnc_gnome_init (int argc, char **argv, const char * version)
   char *fullname;
   GError *error = NULL;
   gchar *prefix = gnc_path_get_prefix ();
-  gchar *sysconfdir = gnc_path_get_sysconfdir ();
-  gchar *datadir = gnc_path_get_datadir ();
-  gchar *libdir = gnc_path_get_libdir ();
+  gchar *pkgsysconfdir = gnc_path_get_pkgsysconfdir ();
+  gchar *pkgdatadir = gnc_path_get_pkgdatadir ();
+  gchar *pkglibdir = gnc_path_get_pkglibdir ();
 
   gnc_gtk_add_rc_file();
   gnucash_program = gnome_program_init(
       "gnucash", version, LIBGNOMEUI_MODULE,
       argc, argv,
       GNOME_PARAM_APP_PREFIX, prefix,
-      GNOME_PARAM_APP_SYSCONFDIR, sysconfdir,
-      GNOME_PARAM_APP_DATADIR, datadir,
-      GNOME_PARAM_APP_LIBDIR, libdir,
+      GNOME_PARAM_APP_SYSCONFDIR, pkgsysconfdir,
+      GNOME_PARAM_APP_DATADIR, pkgdatadir,
+      GNOME_PARAM_APP_LIBDIR, pkglibdir,
       GNOME_PARAM_NONE);
   g_free (prefix);
-  g_free (sysconfdir);
-  g_free (datadir);
-  g_free (libdir);
+  g_free (pkgsysconfdir);
+  g_free (pkgdatadir);
+  g_free (pkglibdir);
 
   /* initialization required for gtkhtml */
   gtk_widget_set_default_colormap (gdk_rgb_get_colormap ());