diff --git a/cmake/install_layout.cmake b/cmake/install_layout.cmake
index a14ef05c5..4e3095e8e 100644
--- a/cmake/install_layout.cmake
+++ b/cmake/install_layout.cmake
@@ -9,3 +9,24 @@ set(MAXSCALE_DOCDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DOCDIR}/maxscale CACHE PATH "Documentation i
 # These are the only hard-coded absolute paths
 set(MAXSCALE_VARDIR /var CACHE PATH "Data file path (usually /var/)")
 set(MAXSCALE_CONFDIR /etc CACHE PATH "Configuration file installation path (/etc/)")
+
+# Default values for directories and subpaths where files are searched. These
+# are used in `server/include/gwdirs.h.in`.
+
+set(DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH "run/maxscale" CACHE PATH "Default PID file subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH "log/maxscale" CACHE PATH "Default log subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH "lib/maxscale" CACHE PATH "Default datadir subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH "${MAXSCALE_LIBDIR}" CACHE PATH "Default library subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH "cache/maxscale" CACHE PATH "Default cache subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH "lib/maxscale" CACHE PATH "Default language file subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH "${MAXSCALE_BINDIR}" CACHE PATH "Default executable subpath")
+set(DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH "etc" CACHE PATH "Default configuration subpath")
+
+set(DEFAULT_PIDDIR ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/${DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default PID file directory")
+set(DEFAULT_LOGDIR ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/${DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default log directory")
+set(DEFAULT_DATADIR ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/${DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default datadir path")
+set(DEFAULT_LIBDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH}/ CACHE PATH "Default library path")
+set(DEFAULT_CACHEDIR ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/${DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default cache directory")
+set(DEFAULT_LANGDIR ${MAXSCALE_VARDIR}/${DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default language file directory")
+set(DEFAULT_EXECDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default executable directory")
+set(DEFAULT_CONFIGDIR /${DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH} CACHE PATH "Default configuration directory")
diff --git a/cmake/package_tgz.cmake b/cmake/package_tgz.cmake
index 06ccf201e..cd30b7ce2 100644
--- a/cmake/package_tgz.cmake
+++ b/cmake/package_tgz.cmake
@@ -2,14 +2,16 @@
 message(STATUS "Generating tar.gz packages")
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH FALSE)
 set(MAXSCALE_BINDIR /bin CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
-set(MAXSCALE_LIBDIR /lib CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
+set(MAXSCALE_LIBDIR /lib/maxscale CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR /share CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(MAXSCALE_DOCDIR /share CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(MAXSCALE_VARDIR /var CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(MAXSCALE_CONFDIR /etc CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "/" CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
-set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "$ORIGIN/../lib" CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "$ORIGIN/../lib/maxscale/" CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR /share CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
+set(DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH /lib/maxscale CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
+set(DEFAULT_LIBDIR "/usr/local/maxscale/lib/maxscale" CACHE PATH "" FORCE)
 set(CPACK_GENERATOR "TGZ")
 
 # Include the var directories in the tarball
diff --git a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
index 0a2c0dab1..d607b021d 100644
--- a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
+++ b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
@@ -21,30 +21,31 @@
 
 EXTERN_C_BLOCK_BEGIN
 
-// NOTE: If you make changes here, ensure they are compatible with the
-//       situation in <root>/CMakeLists.txt, where directories are installed.
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH    "run/maxscale"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH    "log/maxscale"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH   "lib/maxscale"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH    "@MAXSCALE_LIBDIR@"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH  "cache/maxscale"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH   "lib/maxscale"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH   "@MAXSCALE_BINDIR@"
-#define MXS_DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH "etc"
+/**
+ * All of the following DEFAULT_* variables are defined in cmake/install_layout.cmake
+ */
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH    "@DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH    "@DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH   "@DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH    "@DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH  "@DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH   "@DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH   "@DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH@"
+#define MXS_DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH "@DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH@"
 
 /** Default file locations, configured by CMake */
 static const char* default_cnf_fname = "maxscale.cnf";
-static const char* default_configdir = "/" MXS_DEFAULT_CONFIG_SUBPATH;
+static const char* default_configdir = "@DEFAULT_CONFIGDIR@";
 /*< This should be changed to just /run eventually,
  * the /var/run folder is an old standard and the newer FSH 3.0
  * uses /run for PID files.*/
-static const char* default_piddir   = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/"      MXS_DEFAULT_PID_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_logdir   = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/"      MXS_DEFAULT_LOG_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_datadir  = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/"      MXS_DEFAULT_DATA_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_libdir   = "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/" MXS_DEFAULT_LIB_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_cachedir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/"      MXS_DEFAULT_CACHE_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_langdir  = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/"      MXS_DEFAULT_LANG_SUBPATH;
-static const char* default_execdir  = "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/" MXS_DEFAULT_EXEC_SUBPATH;
+static const char* default_piddir   = "@DEFAULT_PIDDIR@";
+static const char* default_logdir   = "@DEFAULT_LOGDIR@";
+static const char* default_datadir  = "@DEFAULT_DATADIR@";
+static const char* default_libdir   = "@DEFAULT_LIBDIR@";
+static const char* default_cachedir = "@DEFAULT_CACHEDIR@";
+static const char* default_langdir  = "@DEFAULT_LANGDIR@";
+static const char* default_execdir  = "@DEFAULT_EXECDIR@";
 
 static char* configdir = NULL;
 static char* logdir = NULL;