--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(colm,
 		COLM_WRAP="$withval/bin/colm-wrap"
 		CPPFLAGS="-I$withval/include ${CPPFLAGS}"
 		CPPFLAGS="-I$withval/include/aapl ${CPPFLAGS}"
-		LDFLAGS="-L$withval/lib ${LDFLAGS}"
-		LIBCOLM_LA="$withval/lib/libcolm.la"
-		LIBFSM_LA="$withval/lib/libfsm.la"
+		LDFLAGS="-L$libdir ${LDFLAGS}"
+		LIBCOLM_LA="$libdir/libcolm.la"
+		LIBFSM_LA="$libdir/libfsm.la"
 		COLM_SHARE="$withval/share"
 	],
 	[]
@@ -209,11 +209,11 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(subject,
 
 		SUBJ_COLM_BIN="${withval}/bin/colm"
 		SUBJ_COLM_CPPFLAGS="-I${withval}/include"
-		SUBJ_COLM_LDFLAGS="-L${withval}/lib -Wl,-rpath,${withval}/lib"
+		SUBJ_COLM_LDFLAGS="-L${libdir} -Wl,-rpath,${libdir}"
 
 		SUBJ_RAGEL_BIN="$withval/bin/ragel"
 		SUBJ_RAGEL_CPPFLAGS="-I$withval/include"
-		SUBJ_RAGEL_LDFLAGS="-L$withval/lib -Wl,-rpath,${withval}/lib"
+		SUBJ_RAGEL_LDFLAGS="-L${libdir} -Wl,-rpath,${libdir}"
 		SUBJ_RAGEL_LM="${withval}/share"
 
 		SUBJ_RAGEL_C_BIN="$withval/bin/ragel-c"
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(colm,
 	[
 		EXTERNAL_COLM="$withval"
 		EXTERNAL_INC="-I$withval/include"
-		EXTERNAL_LIBS="-L$withval/lib"
+		EXTERNAL_LIBS="-L$withval/${libdir}"
 		AC_CHECK_FILES(["$EXTERNAL_COLM/bin/colm"], [],
 			[AC_ERROR(["could not find $EXTERNAL_COLM/bin/colm"])])
 	],