diff --git a/config/mount-helper.m4 b/config/mount-helper.m4
index e559b9ab2734..98f3179a93cb 100644
--- a/config/mount-helper.m4
+++ b/config/mount-helper.m4
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_MOUNT_HELPER], [
 	AC_ARG_WITH(mounthelperdir,
 		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-mounthelperdir=DIR],
-		[install mount.zfs in dir [[/sbin]]]),
-		mounthelperdir=$withval,mounthelperdir=/sbin)
+		[install mount.zfs in dir [[$sbindir]]]),
+		mounthelperdir=$withval,mounthelperdir=$sbindir)
 
 	AC_SUBST(mounthelperdir)
 ])
diff --git a/config/user-dracut.m4 b/config/user-dracut.m4
index b9705297f744..f5f14fb00ef7 100644
--- a/config/user-dracut.m4
+++ b/config/user-dracut.m4
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_DRACUT], [
 		[dracutdir=check])
 
 	AS_IF([test "x$dracutdir" = xcheck], [
-		path1=/usr/share/dracut
-		path2=/usr/lib/dracut
+		path1=$prefix/share/dracut
+		path2=$prefix/lib/dracut
 		default=$path2
 
 		AS_IF([test -d "$path1"], [dracutdir="$path1"], [
diff --git a/config/user-systemd.m4 b/config/user-systemd.m4
index e4fd0b57c2b7..8b0d45c4c689 100644
--- a/config/user-systemd.m4
+++ b/config/user-systemd.m4
@@ -7,23 +7,23 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_SYSTEMD], [
 
 	AC_ARG_WITH(systemdunitdir,
 		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemdunitdir=DIR],
-		[install systemd unit files in dir [[/usr/lib/systemd/system]]]),
-		systemdunitdir=$withval,systemdunitdir=/usr/lib/systemd/system)
+		[install systemd unit files in dir [[$libdir/systemd/system]]]),
+		systemdunitdir=$withval,systemdunitdir=$libdir/systemd/system)
 
 	AC_ARG_WITH(systemdpresetdir,
 		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemdpresetdir=DIR],
-		[install systemd preset files in dir [[/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset]]]),
-		systemdpresetdir=$withval,systemdpresetdir=/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset)
+		[install systemd preset files in dir [[$libdir/systemd/system-preset]]]),
+		systemdpresetdir=$withval,systemdpresetdir=$libdir/systemd/system-preset)
 
 	AC_ARG_WITH(systemdmodulesloaddir,
 		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemdmodulesloaddir=DIR],
-		[install systemd module load files into dir [[/usr/lib/modules-load.d]]]),
-		systemdmodulesloaddir=$withval,systemdmodulesloaddir=/usr/lib/modules-load.d)
+		[install systemd module load files into dir [[$libdir/modules-load.d]]]),
+		systemdmodulesloaddir=$withval,systemdmodulesloaddir=$libdir/modules-load.d)
 
 	AC_ARG_WITH(systemdgeneratordir,
 		AS_HELP_STRING([--with-systemdgeneratordir=DIR],
-		[install systemd generators in dir [[/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators]]]),
-		systemdgeneratordir=$withval,systemdgeneratordir=/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators)
+		[install systemd generators in dir [[$libdir/systemd/system-generators]]]),
+		systemdgeneratordir=$withval,systemdgeneratordir=$libdir/systemd/system-generators)
 
 	AS_IF([test "x$enable_systemd" = xcheck], [
 		AS_IF([systemctl --version >/dev/null 2>&1],
diff --git a/config/user-udev.m4 b/config/user-udev.m4
index e6120fc8fef6..1bb7b8eec041 100644
--- a/config/user-udev.m4
+++ b/config/user-udev.m4
@@ -8,13 +8,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_CONFIG_USER_UDEV], [
 
 	AS_IF([test "x$udevdir" = xcheck], [
 		path1=/lib/udev
-		path2=/usr/lib/udev
+		path2=$prefix/lib/udev
 		default=$path2
 
-		AS_IF([test -d "$path1"], [udevdir="$path1"], [
-			AS_IF([test -d "$path2"], [udevdir="$path2"],
-				[udevdir="$default"])
-		])
+		AS_IF([test "$prefix" = "/usr"], [
+			AS_IF([test -d "$path1"], [udevdir="$path1"], [
+				AS_IF([test -d "$path2"], [udevdir="$path2"],
+					[udevdir="$default"])
+			])
+		], [udevdir="$default"])
 	])
 
 	AC_ARG_WITH(udevruledir,
diff --git a/config/zfs-build.m4 b/config/zfs-build.m4
index 55fc029f0847..eb4a7af82180 100644
--- a/config/zfs-build.m4
+++ b/config/zfs-build.m4
@@ -601,24 +601,24 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEFAULT_PACKAGE], [
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([default init config directory])
 	case "$VENDOR" in
 		alpine|artix|gentoo)
-			initconfdir=/etc/conf.d
+			initconfdir=$sysconfdir/conf.d
 			;;
 		fedora|openeuler|redhat|sles|toss)
-			initconfdir=/etc/sysconfig
+			initconfdir=$sysconfdir/sysconfig
 			;;
 		freebsd)
 			initconfdir=$sysconfdir/rc.conf.d
 			;;
 		*)
 		# debian|ubuntu
-			initconfdir=/etc/default
+			initconfdir=$sysconfdir/default
 			;;
 	esac
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$initconfdir])
 	AC_SUBST(initconfdir)
 
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether initramfs-tools is available])
-	if test -d /usr/share/initramfs-tools ; then
+	if test -d $datarootdir/initramfs-tools ; then
 		RPM_DEFINE_INITRAMFS='--define "_initramfs 1"'
 		AC_MSG_RESULT([yes])
 	else
@@ -630,13 +630,13 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEFAULT_PACKAGE], [
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([default bash completion directory])
 	case "$VENDOR" in
 		alpine|arch|artix|debian|gentoo|ubuntu)
-			bashcompletiondir=/usr/share/bash-completion/completions
+			bashcompletiondir=$datarootdir/bash-completion/completions
 			;;
 		freebsd)
 			bashcompletiondir=$sysconfdir/bash_completion.d
 			;;
 		*)
-			bashcompletiondir=/etc/bash_completion.d
+			bashcompletiondir=$sysconfdir/bash_completion.d
 			;;
 	esac
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$bashcompletiondir])
diff --git a/contrib/initramfs/Makefile.am b/contrib/initramfs/Makefile.am
index a583341ea2b1..ee0160c04d9e 100644
--- a/contrib/initramfs/Makefile.am
+++ b/contrib/initramfs/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-i_tdir = /usr/share/initramfs-tools
+i_tdir = $(datarootdir)/initramfs-tools
 dist_i_t_SCRIPTS = \
 	%D%/zfsunlock