diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 0c24f2a9395e11045dee946ffb81270f9909dd38..a5a8ede0d451d841c4300b4d33bd3a22aefde707 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@ all: lib/libdarshan-posix.a lib/libdarshan-mpi-io.a lib/libdarshan.so darshan-pa
 DESTDIR =
 srcdir = @srcdir@
 prefix = @prefix@
-datarootdir = @datarootdir@
 exec_prefix = @exec_prefix@
+datarootdir = $(DESTDIR)@datarootdir@
 includedir = $(DESTDIR)@includedir@
 mandir = $(DESTDIR)@mandir@
 sbindir = $(DESTDIR)@sbindir@