diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 64d9183a3abf23686da1d6b65ea652b4f9e21fde..9f08f27d9f8e1c18374f325abf14f47569429c13 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ PROJECT(comm)
 
 SET(EXECUTABLE_OUTPUT_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/bin)
 SET(LIBRARY_OUTPUT_PATH ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/lib)
-SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX /usr/local)
+
+#IF (NOT DEFINED ${INSTALL_DIR})
+IF ("${INSTALL_DIR}" STREQUAL "")
+  MESSAGE ("set install_dir to /usr/local")
+  SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX /usr/local)
+ELSE ()
+  MESSAGE ("set install_dir to input ${INSTALL_DIR}")
+  SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${INSTALL_DIR})
+ENDIF ()
 
 IF (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
  SET(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "DEBUG")