diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ef163f7..3e1d1ac 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
                          Default = "/usr"])
 AS_IF([test "x$PY_PREFIX" = x], [PY_PREFIX="/usr"])
 
+AC_ARG_VAR([JAVA_PREFIX], [Prefix for installing the Java lib jar.
+                           (Normal --prefix is ignored for Java because
+                           Java has different conevntions.)
+                           Default = "/usr/local/lib"])
+AS_IF([test "x$JAVA_PREFIX" = x], [JAVA_PREFIX="/usr/local/lib"])
 
 AC_PROG_CC
 AC_PROG_CPP
diff --git a/lib/java/Makefile.am b/lib/java/Makefile.am
index e878ae9..45a88e2 100644
--- a/lib/java/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/java/Makefile.am
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 	$(ANT)
 
 install-exec-hook:
-	$(ANT) install
+	$(ANT) install -Dinstall.path=$(DESTDIR)$(JAVA_PREFIX)
 
 # Make sure this doesn't fail if ant is not configured.
 clean-local:
diff --git a/lib/java/build.xml b/lib/java/build.xml
index cd01017..75e7451 100644
--- a/lib/java/build.xml
+++ b/lib/java/build.xml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
   <property name="src" location="src" />
   <property name="build" location="build" />
+  <property name="install.path" value="/usr/local/lib" />
 
   <target name="init">
     <tstamp />
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@
 
   <target name="install" depends="dist">
     <exec executable="install">
-      <arg line="libthrift.jar /usr/local/lib/" />
+      <arg line="libthrift.jar ${install.path}" />
     </exec>
   </target>