diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index be1d0fc62c2..5e2059242e2 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ export CFG_ENABLE_MINGW_CROSS
 export CFG_PREFIX
 export CFG_LIBDIR
 export CFG_RUSTLIBDIR
+export LIBDIR_RELATIVE
 
 ######################################################################
 # Subprograms
@@ -433,12 +434,12 @@ define SREQ
 # Destinations of artifacts for the host compiler
 HROOT$(1)_H_$(3) = $(3)/stage$(1)
 HBIN$(1)_H_$(3) = $$(HROOT$(1)_H_$(3))/bin
-HLIB$(1)_H_$(3) = $$(HROOT$(1)_H_$(3))/$$(CFG_LIBDIR)
+HLIB$(1)_H_$(3) = $$(HROOT$(1)_H_$(3))/$$(LIBDIR_RELATIVE)
 
 # Destinations of artifacts for target architectures
 TROOT$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3) = $$(HLIB$(1)_H_$(3))/$$(CFG_RUSTLIBDIR)/$(2)
 TBIN$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3) = $$(TROOT$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3))/bin
-TLIB$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3) = $$(TROOT$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3))/$$(CFG_LIBDIR)
+TLIB$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3) = $$(TROOT$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3))/lib
 
 # The name of the standard and extra libraries used by rustc
 HSTDLIB_DEFAULT$(1)_H_$(3) = \
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index dbbd1a2bb5f..c26a3c006e1 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -397,7 +397,17 @@ valopt sysconfdir "/etc" "install system configuration files"
 valopt datadir "${CFG_PREFIX}/share" "install data"
 valopt infodir "${CFG_PREFIX}/share/info" "install additional info"
 valopt mandir "${CFG_PREFIX}/share/man" "install man pages in PATH"
-valopt libdir "${CFG_PREFIX}/lib" "install libraries"
+
+# On windows we just store the libraries in the bin directory because
+# there's no rpath
+# FIXME: Thise needs to parameterized over target triples. Do it in platform.mk
+LIBDIR_RELATIVE=lib
+if [ "$CFG_OSTYPE" = "pc-mingw32" ]
+then
+    LIBDIR_RELATIVE=bin
+fi
+
+valopt libdir "${CFG_PREFIX}/${LIBDIR_RELATIVE}" "install libraries"
 valopt rustlibdir "rustlib" "subdirectory name for rustc's libraries"
 
 # Validate Options
@@ -560,10 +570,10 @@ then
         step_msg "on OS X 10.9, forcing use of clang"
         CFG_ENABLE_CLANG=1
         putvar CFG_ENABLE_CLANG
-    else 
-        # on OS X, with xcode 5 and newer, certain developers may have 
+    else
+        # on OS X, with xcode 5 and newer, certain developers may have
         # cc, gcc and g++ point to a  mixture of clang and gcc
-        # if so, this will create very strange build errors 
+        # if so, this will create very strange build errors
         # this last stanza is to detect some such problems and save the future rust
         # contributor some time solving that issue.
         # this detection could be generalized to other OSes aside from OS X
@@ -576,8 +586,8 @@ then
         # note that for xcode 5, g++ points to clang, not clang++
         if !((chk_cc gcc clang  && chk_cc g++ clang) ||
             (chk_cc gcc gcc  &&( chk_cc g++ g++ || chk g++ gcc))) then
-            err "the gcc and g++ in your path point to different compilers. 
-Check which versions are in your path with  cc --version and g++ --version. 
+            err "the gcc and g++ in your path point to different compilers.
+Check which versions are in your path with  cc --version and g++ --version.
 To resolve this problem, either fix your PATH  or run configure with --enable-clang"
         fi
 
@@ -751,15 +761,6 @@ do
   done
 done
 
-# On windows we just store the libraries in the bin directory because
-# there's no rpath
-# FIXME: Thise needs to parameterized over target triples. Do it in platform.mk
-CFG_LIBDIR=lib
-if [ "$CFG_OSTYPE" = "pc-mingw32" ]
-then
-    CFG_LIBDIR=bin
-fi
-
 for h in $CFG_HOST
 do
     for t in $CFG_TARGET
@@ -770,21 +771,21 @@ do
             make_dir $h/stage$i/bin
 
             # host lib dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR
+            make_dir $h/stage$i/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE
 
             # host test dir
             make_dir $h/stage$i/test
 
             # target bin dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR/$CFG_RUSTLIBDIR/$t/bin
+            make_dir $h/stage$i/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE/$CFG_RUSTLIBDIR/$t/bin
 
             # target lib dir
-            make_dir $h/stage$i/$CFG_LIBDIR/$CFG_RUSTLIBDIR/$t/$CFG_LIBDIR
+            make_dir $h/stage$i/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE/$CFG_RUSTLIBDIR/$t/lib
         done
 
         # Fix stage0:
-        make_dir $h/stage0/$CFG_LIBDIR/rustc/$t/bin
-        make_dir $h/stage0/$CFG_LIBDIR/rustc/$t/$CFG_LIBDIR
+        make_dir $h/stage0/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustc/$t/bin
+        make_dir $h/stage0/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE/rustc/$t/$LIBDIR_RELATIVE
 
     done
 
@@ -1038,6 +1039,7 @@ putvar CFG_TARGET
 putvar CFG_C_COMPILER
 putvar CFG_LIBDIR
 putvar CFG_RUSTLIBDIR
+putvar LIBDIR_RELATIVE
 putvar CFG_DISABLE_MANAGE_SUBMODULES
 putvar CFG_ANDROID_CROSS_PATH
 putvar CFG_MINGW32_CROSS_PATH
diff --git a/mk/host.mk b/mk/host.mk
index 9997384d250..3641590662f 100644
--- a/mk/host.mk
+++ b/mk/host.mk
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ $$(HLIB$(2)_H_$(4))/$(CFG_LIBNATIVE_$(4)): \
 $$(HBIN$(2)_H_$(4))/:
 	mkdir -p $$@
 
-ifneq ($(CFG_LIBDIR),bin)
+ifneq ($(LIBDIR_RELATIVE),bin)
 $$(HLIB$(2)_H_$(4))/:
 	mkdir -p $$@
 endif
diff --git a/mk/install.mk b/mk/install.mk
index 5dc11d6efbf..3d144775b83 100644
--- a/mk/install.mk
+++ b/mk/install.mk
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ ISTAGE = 2
 
 PREFIX_ROOT = $(CFG_PREFIX)
 PREFIX_BIN = $(PREFIX_ROOT)/bin
-PREFIX_LIB = $(PREFIX_ROOT)/$(CFG_LIBDIR)
+PREFIX_LIB = $(CFG_LIBDIR)
 
 define INSTALL_PREPARE_N
   # $(1) is the target triple
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ TL$(1)$(2) = $$(TLIB$$(ISTAGE)_T_$(1)_H_$(2))
 # PT{R,B,L} == Prefix Target {Root, Bin, Lib}
 PTR$(1)$(2) = $$(PREFIX_LIB)/$(CFG_RUSTLIBDIR)/$(1)
 PTB$(1)$(2) = $$(PTR$(1)$(2))/bin
-PTL$(1)$(2) = $$(PTR$(1)$(2))/$(CFG_LIBDIR)
+PTL$(1)$(2) = $$(PTR$(1)$(2))/lib
 
 endef
 
diff --git a/mk/target.mk b/mk/target.mk
index 2b9996fb98d..59882e63bfd 100644
--- a/mk/target.mk
+++ b/mk/target.mk
@@ -193,10 +193,8 @@ endif
 $$(TBIN$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3))/:
 	mkdir -p $$@
 
-ifneq ($(CFG_LIBDIR),bin)
 $$(TLIB$(1)_T_$(2)_H_$(3))/:
 	mkdir -p $$@
-endif
 
 endef
 
diff --git a/mk/tests.mk b/mk/tests.mk
index 45e45c42d84..fc5c01a8f28 100644
--- a/mk/tests.mk
+++ b/mk/tests.mk
@@ -101,14 +101,14 @@ endif
 ifdef CFG_WINDOWSY_$(1)
   CFG_TESTLIB_$(1)=$$(CFG_BUILD_DIR)$$(2)/$$(strip \
    $$(if $$(findstring stage0,$$(1)), \
-       stage0/$$(CFG_LIBDIR), \
+       stage0/$$(LIBDIR_RELATIVE), \
       $$(if $$(findstring stage1,$$(1)), \
-           stage1/$$(CFG_LIBDIR), \
+           stage1/$$(LIBDIR_RELATIVE), \
           $$(if $$(findstring stage2,$$(1)), \
-               stage2/$$(CFG_LIBDIR), \
+               stage2/$$(LIBDIR_RELATIVE), \
                $$(if $$(findstring stage3,$$(1)), \
-                    stage3/$$(CFG_LIBDIR), \
-               )))))/$$(CFG_RUSTLIBDIR)/$$(CFG_BUILD)/$$(CFG_LIBDIR)
+                    stage3/$$(LIBDIR_RELATIVE), \
+               )))))/$$(CFG_RUSTLIBDIR)/$$(CFG_BUILD)/lib
   CFG_RUN_TEST_$(1)=$$(call CFG_RUN_$(1),$$(call CFG_TESTLIB_$(1),$$(1),$$(3)),$$(1))
 endif
 
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
index 3e99cbeb727..f804338f4ff 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
@@ -154,12 +154,11 @@ pub fn search(filesearch: @FileSearch, pick: pick) {
 }
 
 pub fn relative_target_lib_path(target_triple: &str) -> Path {
-    let dir = libdir();
-    let mut p = Path::new(dir.as_slice());
+    let mut p = Path::new(libdir());
     assert!(p.is_relative());
     p.push(rustlibdir());
     p.push(target_triple);
-    p.push(dir);
+    p.push("lib");
     p
 }
 
@@ -245,7 +244,7 @@ pub fn rust_path() -> ~[Path] {
 // The name of the directory rustc expects libraries to be located.
 // On Unix should be "lib", on windows "bin"
 pub fn libdir() -> ~str {
-    (env!("CFG_LIBDIR")).to_owned()
+    (env!("LIBDIR_RELATIVE")).to_owned()
 }
 
 // The name of rustc's own place to organize libraries.