diff --git a/src/configure.in b/src/configure.in
index 35dce7f..7c65fab 100644
--- a/src/configure.in
+++ b/src/configure.in
@@ -192,25 +192,43 @@
 dnl For gcc don't do this when it is already in the default search path.
 dnl Skip all of this when cross-compiling.
 if test "$cross_compiling" = no; then
+  AC_MSG_CHECKING(--with-local-dir argument)
   have_local_include=''
   have_local_lib=''
-  if test "$GCC" = yes; then
+  AC_ARG_WITH([local-dir], [  --with-local-dir=PATH   search PATH instead of /usr/local for local libraries.
+  --without-local-dir     do not search /usr/local for local libraries.], [
+    local_dir="$withval"
+    case "$withval" in
+    */*) ;;
+    no)
+      # avoid adding local dir to LDFLAGS and CPPFLAGS
+      have_local_dir=yes
+      have_local_lib=yes
+      ;;
+    *) AC_MSG_ERROR(must pass path argument to --with-local-dir) ;;
+    esac
+	AC_MSG_RESULT($local_dir)
+  ], [
+    local_dir=/usr/local
+    AC_MSG_RESULT(Defaulting to $local_dir)
+  ])
+  if test "$GCC" = yes -a "$local_dir" != no; then
     echo 'void f(){}' > conftest.c
     dnl -no-cpp-precomp is needed for OS X 10.2 (Ben Fowler)
-    have_local_include=`${CC-cc} -no-cpp-precomp -c -v conftest.c 2>&1 | grep '/usr/local/include'`
-    have_local_lib=`${CC-cc} -c -v conftest.c 2>&1 | grep '/usr/local/lib'`
+    have_local_include=`${CC-cc} -no-cpp-precomp -c -v conftest.c 2>&1 | grep "${local_dir}/include"`
+    have_local_lib=`${CC-cc} -c -v conftest.c 2>&1 | grep "${local_dir}/lib"`
     rm -f conftest.c conftest.o
   fi
-  if test -z "$have_local_lib" -a -d /usr/local/lib; then
-    tt=`echo "$LDFLAGS" | sed -e 's+-L/usr/local/lib ++g' -e 's+-L/usr/local/lib$++g'`
+  if test -z "$have_local_lib" -a -d "${local_dir}/lib"; then
+    tt=`echo "$LDFLAGS" | sed -e "s+-L${local_dir}/lib ++g" -e "s+-L${local_dir}/lib$++g"`
     if test "$tt" = "$LDFLAGS"; then
-      LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L/usr/local/lib"
+      LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS -L${local_dir}/lib"
     fi
   fi
-  if test -z "$have_local_include" -a -d /usr/local/include; then
-    tt=`echo "$CPPFLAGS" | sed -e 's+-I/usr/local/include ++g' -e 's+-I/usr/local/include$++g'`
+  if test -z "$have_local_include" -a -d "${local_dir}/include"; then
+    tt=`echo "$CPPFLAGS" | sed -e "s+-I${local_dir}/include ++g" -e "s+-I${local_dir}/include$++g"`
     if test "$tt" = "$CPPFLAGS"; then
-      CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I/usr/local/include"
+      CPPFLAGS="$CPPFLAGS -I${local_dir}/include"
     fi
   fi
 fi