diff --git a/mo2.cmake b/mo2.cmake
index 12975d7..4bc4e53 100644
--- a/mo2.cmake
+++ b/mo2.cmake
@@ -4,6 +4,15 @@ if (DEFINED MO2_DEFINED)
 	return()
 endif()
 
+option(MO2_INSTALL_IS_BIN
+	"if set, CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX is assumed to point to bin rather than one level below")
+
+if (MO2_INSTALL_IS_BIN)
+	set(MO2_INSTALL_BIN ".")
+else()
+	set(MO2_INSTALL_BIN "bin")
+endif()
+
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/mo2_versions.cmake)
 include(${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/mo2_utils.cmake)
 
diff --git a/mo2_cpp.cmake b/mo2_cpp.cmake
index a7dae9d..26a2409 100644
--- a/mo2_cpp.cmake
+++ b/mo2_cpp.cmake
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ endfunction()
 function(mo2_configure_plugin TARGET)
 	mo2_configure_target(${TARGET} ${ARGN})
 	mo2_set_project_to_run_from_install(
-		${TARGET} EXECUTABLE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/bin/ModOrganizer.exe)
+		${TARGET} EXECUTABLE ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/ModOrganizer.exe)
 endfunction()
 
 #! mo2_install_plugin : install the given MO2 plugin
@@ -317,13 +317,15 @@ function(mo2_install_plugin TARGET)
 	cmake_parse_arguments(MO2 "FOLDER" "" "" ${ARGN})
 
 	if (${MO2_FOLDER})
-		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION bin/plugins/$<TARGET_FILE_BASE_NAME:${TARGET}>)
+		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins/$<TARGET_FILE_BASE_NAME:${TARGET}>)
 	else()
-		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION bin/plugins)
+		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} RUNTIME DESTINATION ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins)
 	endif()
-	install(TARGETS ${TARGET} ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
 
-	# install PDB if possible
-	install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:${TARGET}> DESTINATION pdb OPTIONAL)
+	if (NOT MO2_INSTALL_IS_BIN)
+		install(TARGETS ${TARGET} ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
+		# install PDB if possible
+		install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:${TARGET}> DESTINATION pdb OPTIONAL)
+	endif()
 
 endfunction()
diff --git a/mo2_python.cmake b/mo2_python.cmake
index 719e0c9..1ef8419 100644
--- a/mo2_python.cmake
+++ b/mo2_python.cmake
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ function(mo2_python_requirements TARGET)
 
 	install(
 		DIRECTORY "${MO2_LIBDIR}"
-		DESTINATION "bin/plugins/${TARGET}/"
+		DESTINATION "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins/${TARGET}/"
 		PATTERN "__pycache__" EXCLUDE
 	)
 
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ function(mo2_configure_python_module TARGET)
 			FILES "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/plugin-requirements.txt")
 	endif()
 
-    set(install_dir "bin/plugins/${TARGET}")
+    set(install_dir "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins/${TARGET}")
 
 	# directories that go in bin/plugins/${name}
 	install(
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ function(mo2_configure_python_simple TARGET)
 		PREFIX data
 		FILES ${json_files})
 
-    set(install_dir "bin/plugins")
+    set(install_dir "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/plugins")
 
 	# .py files directly in src/ go to plugins/
 	install(FILES ${py_files} DESTINATION ${install_dir})
diff --git a/mo2_utils.cmake b/mo2_utils.cmake
index cf60049..25bdbde 100644
--- a/mo2_utils.cmake
+++ b/mo2_utils.cmake
@@ -181,12 +181,14 @@ endfunction()
 # this function attach install() entries that deploy Qt for the given binaries
 #
 # \param:NOPLUGINS do not deploy Qt plugins
+# \param:DIRECTORY directory, relative to CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX, to deploy to, default
+#   to ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}
 # \param:BINARIES names of the binaries (in the install path) to deploy from
 #
 function(mo2_deploy_qt)
 	cmake_parse_arguments(DEPLOY "NOPLUGINS" "DIRECTORY" "BINARIES" ${ARGN})
 
-	mo2_set_if_not_defined(DEPLOY_DIRECTORY "bin")
+	mo2_set_if_not_defined(DEPLOY_DIRECTORY "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}")
 
 	mo2_find_qt_executable(windeployqt windeployqt)
 
@@ -353,14 +355,14 @@ endfunction()
 # \param:TARGET target to generate releases for
 # \param:INSTALL if set, QM files will be installed
 # \param:DIRECTORY if INSTALL is set, path where translations should be installed,
-#   default to bin/translations
+#   default to ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/translations
 # \param:QM_FILE .qm file to generate
 # \param:TS_FILES source ts
 #
 function(mo2_add_lrelease TARGET)
 	cmake_parse_arguments(MO2 "INSTALL" "DIRECTORY;QM_FILE" "TS_FILES" ${ARGN})
 
-	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_DIRECTORY "bin/translations")
+	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_DIRECTORY "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/translations")
 
 	mo2_find_qt_executable(lrelease_command lrelease)
 
@@ -395,7 +397,7 @@ endfunction()
 # \param:TARGET target to generate translations for
 # \param:RELEASE if set, will use mo2_add_lrelease to generate .qm files
 # \param:INSTALL_RELEASE if true, will install generated .qm files (force RELEASE)
-# \param:INSTALL_DIRECTORY installation directory for .qm files, default to bin/translations
+# \param:INSTALL_DIRECTORY installation directory for .qm files, default to ${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/translations
 # \param:TS_FILE intermediate .ts file to generate
 # \param:QM_FILE file .qm file to generate if RELEASE or INSTALL_RELEASE is set
 # \param:SOURCES source directories to look for translations, send to mo2_add_lupdate
@@ -405,7 +407,7 @@ function(mo2_add_translations TARGET)
 
 	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_TS_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${TARGET}_en.ts)
 	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_QM_FILE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/${TARGET}_en.qm)
-	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "bin/translations")
+	mo2_set_if_not_defined(MO2_INSTALL_DIRECTORY "${MO2_INSTALL_BIN}/translations")
 
 	# force release with install
 	if (${MO2_INSTALL_RELEASE})