diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cbe6086c..2993bd9a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 all: help
 
+prefix=/usr
 EXTERNALS=externals
+LIB_PATH=$(prefix)/share/pixie/
+BIN_PATH=$(prefix)/bin/pixie
+DESTDIR=
 
 PYTHON ?= python2
 PYTHONPATH=$$PYTHONPATH:$(EXTERNALS)/pypy
@@ -18,17 +22,17 @@ help:
 	@echo "make build_no_jit           - build without jit"
 	@echo "make fetch_externals	   - download and unpack external deps"
 
-build_with_jit: fetch_externals
+build_with_jit: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) --opt=jit target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
 
-build_no_jit: fetch_externals
+build_no_jit: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
 
-build_no_jit_shared: fetch_externals
+build_no_jit_shared: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	@if [ ! -d /usr/local/include/boost -a ! -d /usr/include/boost ] ; then echo "Boost C++ Library not found" && false; fi && \
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) --shared target.py && \
 	make compile_basics
@@ -38,13 +42,13 @@ compile_basics:
 	@echo -e "\n\n\n\nWARNING: Compiling core libs. If you want to modify one of these files delete the .pxic files first\n\n\n\n"
 	./pixie-vm -c pixie/uv.pxi -c pixie/io.pxi -c pixie/stacklets.pxi -c pixie/stdlib.pxi -c pixie/repl.pxi
 
-build_preload_with_jit: fetch_externals
+build_preload_with_jit: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) --opt=jit target_preload.py 2>&1 >/dev/null | grep -v 'WARNING'
 
-build_preload_no_jit: fetch_externals
+build_preload_no_jit: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) target_preload.py
 
-build: fetch_externals
+build: fetch_externals standard_path.py
 	$(PYTHON) $(EXTERNALS)/pypy/rpython/bin/rpython $(COMMON_BUILD_OPTS) $(JIT_OPTS) $(TARGET_OPTS)
 
 fetch_externals: $(EXTERNALS)/pypy ./lib
@@ -80,6 +84,14 @@ run_built_tests: pixie-vm
 run_interpreted_tests: target.py
 	PYTHONPATH=$(PYTHONPATH) $(PYTHON) target.py run-tests.pxi
 
+standard_path.py:
+	echo "standard_path = \"$(LIB_PATH)\"" > $@
+
+install: pixie-vm
+	install -D pixie-vm $(DESTDIR)$(BIN_PATH)
+	install -d $(DESTDIR)$(LIB_PATH)
+	cp -R pixie $(DESTDIR)$(LIB_PATH)
+
 compile_tests:
 	find "tests" -name "*.pxi" | xargs -L1 ./pixie-vm -l "tests" -c
 
@@ -95,3 +107,5 @@ clean: clean_pxic
 	rm -rf ./externals
 	rm -f ./pixie-vm
 	rm -f ./*.pyc
+
+.PHONY: standard_path.py compile_tests compile_src clean_pxic clean install
diff --git a/target.py b/target.py
index 7eb8932c..2320d0aa 100644
--- a/target.py
+++ b/target.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from pixie.vm.atom import Atom
 from pixie.vm.persistent_vector import EMPTY as EMPTY_VECTOR
 from pixie.vm.util import unicode_from_utf8, unicode_to_utf8
+from standard_path import standard_path
 import sys
 import os
 import os.path as path
@@ -236,6 +237,14 @@ def add_to_load_paths(path):
     rt.reset_BANG_(LOAD_PATHS.deref(), rt.conj(rt.deref(LOAD_PATHS.deref()), rt.wrap(path)))
 
 
+def add_env_to_load_path():
+    pp = os.environ.get("PIXIE_PATH")
+    if pp is not None:
+        LP = rt.deref(LOAD_PATHS.deref())
+        for path in pp.split(":"):
+            LP = rt.conj(LP, rt.wrap(path))
+        LOAD_PATHS.set_root(Atom(LP))
+
 def init_load_path(self_path):
     if not path.isfile(self_path):
         self_path = find_in_path(self_path)
@@ -248,6 +257,8 @@ def init_load_path(self_path):
     LOAD_PATHS.set_root(Atom(EMPTY_VECTOR.conj(rt.wrap(self_path))))
     # just for run_load_stdlib (global variables can't be assigned to)
     load_path.set_root(rt.wrap(self_path))
+    add_env_to_load_path()
+    LOAD_PATHS.set_root(Atom(rt.conj(rt.deref(LOAD_PATHS.deref()), rt.wrap(standard_path))))
 
 def dirname(path):
     return rpath.sep.join(path.split(rpath.sep)[0:-1])