diff --git a/etc/postinst.in b/etc/postinst.in
index 82886990f..1a2c68ca3 100755
--- a/etc/postinst.in
+++ b/etc/postinst.in
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 
 
 # Create directories
-mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_LIBDIR@
-mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_BINDIR@
-mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR@
-mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_DOCDIR@
-mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_CONFDIR@
+mkdir -p @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_LIBDIR@
+mkdir -p @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_BINDIR@
+mkdir -p @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_SHAREDIR@
+mkdir -p @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_DOCDIR@
+
+# MAXSCALE_VARDIR is an absolute path to /var by default
 mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/log/maxscale
 mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/lib/maxscale
 mkdir -p @MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/cache/maxscale
diff --git a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
index b8044484b..cf1f47987 100644
--- a/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
+++ b/server/include/gwdirs.h.in
@@ -24,11 +24,11 @@
 /** Default file locations, configured by CMake */
 static const char* default_cnf_fname = "maxscale.cnf";
 static const char* default_configdir = "/etc/";
-static const char* default_piddir = "/var/run/maxscale/";
-static const char* default_logdir = "/var/log/maxscale/";
-static const char* default_datadir = "/var/lib/maxscale/";
+static const char* default_piddir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/run/maxscale/";
+static const char* default_logdir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/log/maxscale/";
+static const char* default_datadir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/lib/maxscale/";
 static const char* default_libdir = "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@MAXSCALE_LIBDIR@";
-static const char* default_cachedir = "/var/cache/maxscale/";
+static const char* default_cachedir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/cache/maxscale/";
 static const char* default_langdir = "@MAXSCALE_VARDIR@/lib/maxscale/";
 
 static char* configdir = NULL;