--- a/cmake/AddEventLibrary.cmake
+++ b/cmake/AddEventLibrary.cmake
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     configure_file("lib${LIB_NAME}.pc.in" "lib${LIB_NAME}.pc" @ONLY)
     install(
         FILES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_NAME}.pc"
-        DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib/pkgconfig"
+        DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig"
     )
 endmacro()
 
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@
 macro(export_install_target TYPE LIB_NAME OUTER_INCLUDES)
     if("${LIB_NAME}" STREQUAL "event")
         install(TARGETS "${LIB_NAME}_${TYPE}"
-            LIBRARY DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
-            ARCHIVE DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
-            RUNTIME DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
+            LIBRARY DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
+            ARCHIVE DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
+            RUNTIME DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
             COMPONENT dev
         )
     else()
@@ -67,9 +67,9 @@
         )
         install(TARGETS "${LIB_NAME}_${TYPE}"
             EXPORT LibeventTargets-${TYPE}
-            LIBRARY DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
-            ARCHIVE DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
-            RUNTIME DESTINATION "lib" COMPONENT lib
+            LIBRARY DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
+            ARCHIVE DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
+            RUNTIME DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}" COMPONENT lib
             COMPONENT dev
         )
     endif()
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
         if (NOT WIN32)
             install(FILES
                 "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${LIB_NAME}_shared>/${LIB_LINK_NAME}"
-                DESTINATION "lib"
+                DESTINATION "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}"
                 COMPONENT lib)
         endif()
     endif()
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -946,6 +946,7 @@
 #
 # Create the libraries.
 #
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(AddEventLibrary)
 add_event_library(event_core SOURCES ${SRC_CORE})
 add_event_library(event_extra
@@ -1453,7 +1454,7 @@
 #
 
 set(EVENT_INSTALL_CMAKE_DIR
-    "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib/cmake/libevent")
+    "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}/cmake/libevent")
 
 export(PACKAGE libevent)