diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 10c3a2991..7a642178f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2005-03-17  Alex Roitman  <shura@gramps-project.org>
+	* acinclude.m4: Add macro for defining SHARED_MIME_DIR.
+	* configure.in: Use AM_SHARED_MIME macro.
+	* src/data/Makefile.am: Use defined GCONF_SCHEMA_FILE_DIR and
+	SHARED_MIME_DIR, not the hardcoded paths.
+
 2005-03-17  Martin Hawlisch  <Martin.Hawlisch@gmx.de>
 	* src/Exporter.py (build_info_page): proofreading; (build_format_page):
 	shrink the size of the window by using tooltips to display the
diff --git a/acinclude.m4 b/acinclude.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8c202ca2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acinclude.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+dnl AM_SHARED_MIME
+dnl Defines SHARED_MIME_DIR which is where mime type definitions should go.
+dnl
+
+AC_DEFUN([AM_SHARED_MIME],
+[
+  if test "x$SHARED_MIME_DIR" = "x"; then
+    SHARED_MIME_DIR='$(prefix)/share/mime'
+  fi
+
+  AC_ARG_WITH(mime-dir,
+  [  --with-mime-dir=dir     Shared mime directory.],SHARED_MIME_DIR="$withval",)
+
+  AC_SUBST(SHARED_MIME_DIR)
+  AC_MSG_RESULT([Using directory $SHARED_MIME_DIR for installation of mime type definitions])
+])
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 19b09365d..58485a21d 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ then
 fi
 
 AM_GCONF_SOURCE_2
+AM_SHARED_MIME
 AC_SUBST(RELEASE)
 AC_SUBST(VERSIONSTRING)
 
diff --git a/src/data/Makefile.am b/src/data/Makefile.am
index 903d7999d..367b4bf30 100644
--- a/src/data/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/data/Makefile.am
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	gramps.schemas
 
 install-schemas:
-	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/gconf/schemas
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.schemas $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/gconf/schemas
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(GCONF_SCHEMA_FILE_DIR)
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.schemas $(DESTDIR)$(GCONF_SCHEMA_FILE_DIR)
 	-GCONF_CONFIG_SOURCE=$(GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE) \
 		gconftool-2 --makefile-install-rule $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.schemas
 	-pkill gconfd
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ install-data-local:    install-schemas
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gnome-mime-application-x-*.png $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/icons/gnome/48x48/mimetypes/
 	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/application-registry
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.applications $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/application-registry
-	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime/packages
-	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.xml $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime/packages
+	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(SHARED_MIME_DIR)/packages
+	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.xml $(DESTDIR)$(SHARED_MIME_DIR)/packages
 	$(INSTALL) -d $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime-info
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.keys $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime-info
 	$(INSTALL_DATA) $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.mime $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime-info
-	update-mime-database $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime
+	update-mime-database $(DESTDIR)$(SHARED_MIME_DIR)
 
 uninstall-local:
 	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/applications/gramps.desktop
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ uninstall-local:
 	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime-info/gramps.keys
 	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime-info/gramps.mime
 	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/application-registry/gramps.applications
-	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime/packages/gramps.xml
-	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(sysconfdir)/gconf/schemas/gramps.schemas
-	update-mime-database $(DESTDIR)$(prefix)/share/mime
+	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(SHARED_MIME_DIR)/packages/gramps.xml
+	-rm $(DESTDIR)$(GCONF_SCHEMA_FILE_DIR)/gramps.schemas
+	update-mime-database $(DESTDIR)$(SHARED_MIME_DIR)
 	-GCONF_CONFIG_SOURCE=$(GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE) \
 		gconftool-2 --makefile-uninstall-rule $(top_srcdir)/src/data/gramps.schemas