diff --git a/GNUmakefile b/GNUmakefile
index 01b4fd08c77..f8cd90689e1 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile
+++ b/GNUmakefile
@@ -27,20 +27,20 @@ CARGO  ?= cargo
 CARGOFLAGS ?=
 RUSTC_ARCH ?= # should be empty except for cross-build, not --target $(shell rustc --print host-tuple)
 
+#prefix appended to all binaries and library dir
+PROG_PREFIX ?=
+
 # Install directories
 PREFIX ?= /usr/local
 DESTDIR ?=
 BINDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/bin
 DATAROOTDIR ?= $(PREFIX)/share
-LIBSTDBUF_DIR ?= $(PREFIX)/libexec/coreutils
+LIBSTDBUF_DIR ?= $(PREFIX)/libexec/$(PROG_PREFIX)coreutils
 # Export variable so that it is used during the build
 export LIBSTDBUF_DIR
 
 INSTALLDIR_BIN=$(DESTDIR)$(BINDIR)
 
-#prefix to apply to coreutils binary and all tool binaries
-PROG_PREFIX ?=
-
 # This won't support any directory with spaces in its name, but you can just
 # make a symlink without spaces that points to the directory.
 BASEDIR       ?= $(shell pwd)