diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 68db4ff..4ebb9ab 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,28 +2,14 @@
 
 OS = $(shell uname -s)
 ifeq ($(OS), Darwin)
-  PREFIX = /usr/local
+  PREFIX ?= /usr/local
 else
-  PREFIX = /usr
+  PREFIX ?= /usr
 endif
 MANPREFIX = $(PREFIX)/share/man
 
 install:
-	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin
-	for script in bin/*; do \
-		cp -f $$script $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/bin/; \
-		chmod 755 $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/$$script; \
-	done
-	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/mutt-wizard
-	for shared in share/*; do \
-		cp -f $$shared $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/mutt-wizard; \
-	done
-	if [ "$(OS)" = "Darwin" ]; then \
-		sed -iba 's/\/usr\//\/usr\/local\//' $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/mutt-wizard/mutt-wizard.muttrc; \
-		rm $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/mutt-wizard/mutt-wizard.muttrcba; \
-	fi
-	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1
-	cp -f mw.1 $(DESTDIR)$(MANPREFIX)/man1/mw.1
+	utils/install.sh -p "$(PREFIX)"
 
 uninstall:
 	for script in bin/*; do \
diff --git a/share/mutt-wizard.muttrc b/share/mutt-wizard.muttrc
index a6a19f3..2690d84 100644
--- a/share/mutt-wizard.muttrc
+++ b/share/mutt-wizard.muttrc
@@ -3,7 +3,15 @@
 # mutt-wizard will have this file sourced from your muttrc.
 # In the interest of seamless updating, do not edit this file.
 # If you want to override any settings, set those in your muttrc.
-set mailcap_path = /usr/share/mutt-wizard/mailcap
+
+# mailcap_path
+#   PREFIX will be substituted during install. However, if you prefer to
+#   use this configuration file as a standalone, consider substituting it
+#   (along with the %'s surrounding it) for the path to your mutt-wizard's
+#   mailcap file
+#
+set mailcap_path = %PREFIX%/share/mutt-wizard/mailcap
+
 set certificate_file = ~/.cache/mutt-wizard/certificates
 set date_format="%y/%m/%d %I:%M%p"
 set index_format="%2C %zs %?X?A& ? %D %-15.15F %s (%-4.4c)"
diff --git a/utils/install.sh b/utils/install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..532f0c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+
+has_color=false
+
+if which tput >&/dev/null; then
+  num_colors=$(tput colors)
+  [[ -n "${num_colors}" ]] && [[ num_colors -ge 8 ]] && has_color=true
+fi
+
+color_reset='\e[0m'
+color_info='\e[1;96m'
+color_err='\e[1;91m'
+color_bold='\e[0;1m'
+
+if ! $has_color ; then
+  color_reset=
+  color_info=
+  color_err=
+  color_bold=
+fi
+
+info() {
+  echo -e "${color_info}info: ${color_bold}$*${color_reset}"
+}
+
+err() {
+  >&2 echo -e "${color_err}error: ${color_bold}$*${color_reset}"
+}
+
+prefix=/usr
+[[ "$(uname -s)" == "Darwin" ]] && prefix=/usr/local
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<EOF
+usage: $0 [-p <prefix>] [-v]
+
+  -p <prefix>    instalation prefix
+                 (default: ${default_prefix})
+  -v             verbose
+  -h | --help    this message
+
+EOF
+}
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case $1 in
+    -h|--help) usage ; exit 0 ;;
+    -v) set -x ;;
+    -p)
+      [[ -z "$2" ]] && \
+        err "'-p' requires a prefix to be provided" && exit 1
+        prefix=$(realpath -m ${2})
+      shift 1
+      ;;
+    *)
+      err "unrecognized option '${1}'"
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+  shift 1
+done
+
+if [[ ! -d "${prefix}" ]] && ! mkdir -p ${prefix} ; then
+  err "error creating '${prefix}'"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+bindir=${prefix}/bin
+sharedir=${prefix}/share
+mandir=${sharedir}/man1
+
+mkdir -p ${bindir}
+for target in bin/*; do
+  script=$(basename ${target})
+  if ! cp -f ${target} ${bindir}; then
+    err "error: failed copying '${target}' to '${bindir}'" && exit 1
+  fi
+  chmod 755 ${bindir}/${script}
+done
+
+mkdir -p ${sharedir} || exit 1
+for target in share/*; do
+  shared=$(basename ${target})
+  dest=${sharedir}/${shared}
+
+  if ! cp -f ${target} ${dest}; then
+    err "error: failed copying '${target}' to '${dest}'" && exit 1
+  fi
+
+  sed -i "s,%PREFIX%,${concat_dest}," ${dest}
+  if $(grep -q '%PREFIX%' ${dest}); then
+    err "error: failed performingg substitutions on '${dest}'" && exit 1
+  fi
+done
+
+mkdir -p ${mandir} || exit 1
+if ! cp -f mw.1 ${mandir}/mw.1; then
+  err "error: failed copying 'mw.1' to '${mandir}'" && exit 1
+fi
+
+info "install success"