diff --git a/cmake/all.cmake b/cmake/all.cmake
index 7768f968d..ffd6d6301 100644
--- a/cmake/all.cmake
+++ b/cmake/all.cmake
@@ -174,13 +174,14 @@ unset(_CATKIN_CURRENT_PACKAGE)
 configure_shared_library_build_settings()
 
 # set global install destinations
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION bin)
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_ETC_DESTINATION etc)
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_INCLUDE_DESTINATION include)
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION lib)
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIBEXEC_DESTINATION lib)
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR})
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_ETC_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_SYSCONFDIR})
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_INCLUDE_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR})
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIBEXEC_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBEXECDIR})
 set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_PYTHON_DESTINATION ${PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR})
-set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_SHARE_DESTINATION share)
+set(CATKIN_GLOBAL_SHARE_DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR})
 
 # undefine CATKIN_ENV since it might be set in the cache from a previous build
 set(CATKIN_ENV "" CACHE INTERNAL "catkin environment" FORCE)
diff --git a/cmake/catkin_package.cmake b/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
index df36e236a..86cee1cce 100644
--- a/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
+++ b/cmake/catkin_package.cmake
@@ -286,7 +286,8 @@ function(_catkin_package)
   set(DEVELSPACE TRUE)
   set(INSTALLSPACE FALSE)
 
-  set(PROJECT_SPACE_DIR ${CATKIN_DEVEL_PREFIX})
+  set(PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR ${CATKIN_DEVEL_PREFIX}/lib)
+  set(PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR ${CATKIN_DEVEL_PREFIX}/share)
   set(PKG_INCLUDE_PREFIX ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
 
   # absolute path to include dirs and validate that they are existing either absolute or relative to packages source
@@ -314,8 +315,8 @@ function(_catkin_package)
 
   # prepend library path of this workspace
   set(PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS ${lib_paths})
-  list(INSERT PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS 0 ${PROJECT_SPACE_DIR}/lib)
-  set(PKG_CMAKE_DIR ${PROJECT_SPACE_DIR}/share/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake)
+  list(INSERT PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS 0 ${PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR})
+  set(PKG_CMAKE_DIR ${PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake)
   if("${PROJECT_NAME}" STREQUAL "catkin")
     set(PKG_CMAKE_DIR "${catkin_EXTRAS_DIR}")
   endif()
@@ -400,12 +401,24 @@ function(_catkin_package)
   set(DEVELSPACE FALSE)
   set(INSTALLSPACE TRUE)
 
-  set(PROJECT_SPACE_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX})
+  # Guarding the prefix insertion on whether the destination vars are specified as absolute
+  # paths permits both the GNUInstallDirs vars and CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH to be set.
+  if(IS_ABSOLUTE ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION})
+    set(PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION})
+  else()
+    set(PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION})
+  endif()
+  if(IS_ABSOLUTE ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_SHARE_DESTINATION})
+    set(PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR ${CATKIN_GLOBAL_SHARE_DESTINATION})
+  else()
+    set(PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${CATKIN_GLOBAL_SHARE_DESTINATION})
+  endif()
   set(PKG_INCLUDE_PREFIX "\\\${prefix}")
 
   # absolute path to include dir under install prefix if any include dir is set
   set(PROJECT_CMAKE_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIRS "")
   set(PROJECT_PKG_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIRS "")
+
   foreach(idir ${PROJECT_INCLUDE_DIRS})
     # include dirs in source / build / devel space are handled like relative ones
     # since these files are supposed to be installed to the include folder in install space
@@ -433,9 +446,9 @@ function(_catkin_package)
     list_append_unique(PROJECT_PKG_CONFIG_INCLUDE_DIRS ${PROJECT_DEPENDENCIES_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   endif()
 
-  # prepend library path of this workspace
+  # prepend installed library path of this workspace
   set(PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS ${lib_paths})
-  list(INSERT PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS 0 ${PROJECT_SPACE_DIR}/lib)
+  list(INSERT PKG_CONFIG_LIB_PATHS 0 ${PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR})
   # package cmake dir is the folder where the generated pkgConfig.cmake is located
   set(PKG_CMAKE_DIR "\${${PROJECT_NAME}_DIR}")
 
@@ -448,7 +461,7 @@ function(_catkin_package)
       ${catkin_EXTRAS_DIR}/em/pkg.pc.em
       ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/catkin_generated/installspace/${PROJECT_NAME}.pc)
     install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/catkin_generated/installspace/${PROJECT_NAME}.pc
-      DESTINATION lib/pkgconfig
+      DESTINATION ${PROJECT_SPACE_LIBDIR}/pkgconfig
     )
   endif()
 
@@ -495,7 +508,7 @@ function(_catkin_package)
   endforeach()
   install(FILES
     ${installable_cfg_extras}
-    DESTINATION share/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake
+    DESTINATION ${PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake
   )
 
   if(NOT PROJECT_SKIP_CMAKE_CONFIG_GENERATION)
@@ -521,12 +534,12 @@ function(_catkin_package)
     install(FILES
       ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/catkin_generated/installspace/${PROJECT_NAME}Config.cmake
       ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/catkin_generated/installspace/${PROJECT_NAME}Config-version.cmake
-      DESTINATION share/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake
+      DESTINATION ${PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}/cmake
     )
   endif()
 
   # install package.xml
   install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/package.xml
-    DESTINATION share/${PROJECT_NAME}
+    DESTINATION ${PROJECT_SPACE_DATADIR}/${PROJECT_NAME}
   )
 endfunction()
diff --git a/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
index 8740d9944..cb4788274 100644
--- a/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/templates/pkgConfig.cmake.in
@@ -71,11 +71,19 @@ if("@DEVELSPACE@" STREQUAL "TRUE")
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX @CATKIN_DEVEL_PREFIX@)
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_INSTALL_PREFIX "")
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_PREFIX ${@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX})
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_BINDIR ${@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX})
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_LIBDIR ${@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX})
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_DATADIR ${@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX})
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_INCLUDEDIR ${@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX})
 else()
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_SOURCE_PREFIX "")
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_DEVEL_PREFIX "")
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_INSTALL_PREFIX @CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@)
   set(@PROJECT_NAME@_PREFIX ${@PROJECT_NAME@_INSTALL_PREFIX})
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_BINDIR @CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR@)
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_LIBDIR @CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR@)
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_DATADIR @CMAKE_INSTALL_DATADIR@)
+  set(@PROJECT_NAME@_INCLUDEDIR @CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR@)
 endif()
 
 # warn when using a deprecated package
diff --git a/cmake/templates/python_distutils_install.sh.in b/cmake/templates/python_distutils_install.sh.in
index dd35f732b..bb06e11ac 100755
--- a/cmake/templates/python_distutils_install.sh.in
+++ b/cmake/templates/python_distutils_install.sh.in
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ echo_and_run() { echo "+ $@" ; "$@" ; }
 
 echo_and_run cd "@INSTALL_CMD_WORKING_DIRECTORY@"
 
-# ensure that Python install destination exists
-echo_and_run mkdir -p "$DESTDIR@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR@"
+# Ensure that Python install destination exists. The .. is necessary since we
+# want to use the GNUInstallDirs-aware location variable, but PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR
+# already includes the "lib" prefix.
+echo_and_run mkdir -p "$DESTDIR@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION@/../@PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR@"
 
 # Note that PYTHONPATH is pulled from the environment to support installing
 # into one location when some dependencies were installed in another
@@ -30,4 +32,7 @@ echo_and_run /usr/bin/env \
     build --build-base "@CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR@" \
     install \
     --root="${DESTDIR-/}" \
-    @SETUPTOOLS_ARG_EXTRA@ --prefix="@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@" --install-scripts="@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION@"
+    @SETUPTOOLS_ARG_EXTRA@ \
+    --prefix="@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@" \
+    --install-scripts="@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CATKIN_GLOBAL_BIN_DESTINATION@" \
+    --install-lib="@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@CATKIN_GLOBAL_LIB_DESTINATION@/../@PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR@"