diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 43654110267..347269664ce 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -615,20 +615,15 @@ set(MASTER_HEADERS
   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/mfem.hpp
   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/mfem-performance.hpp)
 
-# Installation options
-set(MFEM_USE_GNUINSTALLDIRS OFF
-  CACHE BOOL "Enable to use the GNUInstallDirs CMake module.")
-set(install_include_dir_default include)
-set(install_bin_dir_default bin)
-set(install_lib_dir_default lib)
-set(install_share_dir_default share)
-if (MFEM_USE_GNUINSTALLDIRS)
-  include(GNUInstallDirs)
-  set(install_include_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}")
-  set(install_bin_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}")
-  set(install_lib_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}")
-  set(install_share_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR}")
-endif()
+# Installation options (we use GNUInstallDirs but prefer lib on all platforms)
+if(NOT DEFINED CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR)
+  set(CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR lib CACHE PATH "Object code libraries (lib)")
+endif()
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+set(install_include_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR}")
+set(install_bin_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}")
+set(install_lib_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}")
+set(install_share_dir_default "${CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR}")
 mfem_cache_path(INSTALL_INCLUDE_DIR "${install_include_dir_default}"
   "Relative or absolute path for installing header files.")
 mfem_cache_path(INSTALL_BIN_DIR "${install_bin_dir_default}"
diff --git a/INSTALL b/INSTALL
index 6b7fc3c86c5..2a24aa0ad9d 100644
--- a/INSTALL
+++ b/INSTALL
@@ -973,8 +973,10 @@ Note that running all the tests may take a while.
 Installation prefix can be configured by setting the standard CMake variable
 CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX; for fine-tuning the installation directories the following
 variables can be used: INSTALL_INCLUDE_DIR, INSTALL_LIB_DIR, INSTALL_BIN_DIR,
-INSTALL_SHARE_DIR, and INSTALL_CMAKE_DIR; alternatively, fine-tuning can be done
-by setting MFEM_USE_GNUINSTALLDIRS=ON to use the CMake module GNUInstallDirs.
+INSTALL_SHARE_DIR, and INSTALL_CMAKE_DIR; alternatively, and with lower precedence,
+one can also use the variables defined by the CMake-provided GNUInstallDirs module:
+CMAKE_INSTALL_INCLUDEDIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR, CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR and
+CMAKE_INSTALL_DATAROOTDIR.
 To install the library, use
 
    make install