diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a8fd496ebe..0c2ab09dd3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,20 +45,20 @@ common  de-ch  es     fo  fr-ca  hu     ja  mk  nl-be      pt  sl     tr
 
 install: all 
 	mkdir -p "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"
-	install -m 755 -s $(TOOLS) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"
+	$(INSTALL) -m 755 -s $(TOOLS) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"
 	mkdir -p "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)"
 	for x in bios.bin vgabios.bin vgabios-cirrus.bin ppc_rom.bin \
 			video.x proll.elf linux_boot.bin; do \
-		install -m 644 $(SRC_PATH)/pc-bios/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)"; \
+		$(INSTALL) -m 644 $(SRC_PATH)/pc-bios/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)"; \
 	done
 	mkdir -p "$(DESTDIR)$(docdir)"
-	install -m 644 qemu-doc.html  qemu-tech.html "$(DESTDIR)$(docdir)"
+	$(INSTALL) -m 644 qemu-doc.html  qemu-tech.html "$(DESTDIR)$(docdir)"
 ifndef CONFIG_WIN32
 	mkdir -p "$(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1"
-	install qemu.1 qemu-img.1 "$(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1"
+	$(INSTALL) qemu.1 qemu-img.1 "$(DESTDIR)$(mandir)/man1"
 	mkdir -p "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/keymaps"
 	for x in $(KEYMAPS); do \
-		install -m 644 $(SRC_PATH)/keymaps/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/keymaps"; \
+		$(INSTALL) -m 644 $(SRC_PATH)/keymaps/$$x "$(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/keymaps"; \
 	done
 endif
 	for d in $(TARGET_DIRS); do \
diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index abe19c0a64..af5e432dce 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ clean:
 
 install: all 
 ifneq ($(PROGS),)
-	install -m 755 -s $(PROGS) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"
+	$(INSTALL) -m 755 -s $(PROGS) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)"
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(wildcard .depend),)
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index a1de008c56..6e5073b6f9 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ cc="gcc"
 host_cc="gcc"
 ar="ar"
 make="make"
+install="install"
 strip="strip"
 cpu=`uname -m`
 target_list=""
@@ -172,6 +173,8 @@ for opt do
   ;;
   --make=*) make="$optarg"
   ;;
+  --install=*) install="$optarg"
+  ;;
   --extra-cflags=*) CFLAGS="$optarg"
   ;;
   --extra-ldflags=*) LDFLAGS="$optarg"
@@ -256,6 +259,7 @@ echo "  --cross-prefix=PREFIX    use PREFIX for compile tools [$cross_prefix]"
 echo "  --cc=CC                  use C compiler CC [$cc]"
 echo "  --host-cc=CC             use C compiler CC [$host_cc] for dyngen etc."
 echo "  --make=MAKE              use specified make [$make]"
+echo "  --install=INSTALL        use specified install [$install]"
 echo "  --static                 enable static build [$static]"
 echo "  --enable-cocoa           enable COCOA (Mac OS X only)"
 echo "  --enable-mingw32         enable Win32 cross compilation with mingw32"
@@ -447,6 +451,7 @@ echo "Source path       $source_path"
 echo "C compiler        $cc"
 echo "Host C compiler   $host_cc"
 echo "make              $make"
+echo "install           $install"
 echo "host CPU          $cpu"
 echo "host big endian   $bigendian"
 echo "target list       $target_list"
@@ -502,6 +507,7 @@ echo "datadir=$datadir" >> $config_mak
 echo "docdir=$docdir" >> $config_mak
 echo "#define CONFIG_QEMU_SHAREDIR \"$datadir\"" >> $config_h
 echo "MAKE=$make" >> $config_mak
+echo "INSTALL=$install" >> $config_mak
 echo "CC=$cc" >> $config_mak
 if test "$have_gcc3_options" = "yes" ; then
   echo "HAVE_GCC3_OPTIONS=yes" >> $config_mak