diff --git a/skel/scripts/paths b/skel/scripts/paths
index a575456..42a4029 100644
--- a/skel/scripts/paths
+++ b/skel/scripts/paths
@@ -5,54 +5,77 @@
 #  to override values if needed.
 #
 
+# build proposed paths
 case "${PREFIX}" in
 /)
-    BINDIR="/bin"
-    SBINDIR="/sbin"
-    LIBDIR="/lib"
-    INCLUDEDIR="/usr/include"
-    CONFIGDIR="/etc"
-    VARDIR="/var"
-    SHAREDIR="/usr/share/@P@"
-    DOCSDIR="/usr/share/doc/@P@"
-    WEBDIR="/srv/http"
+    MY_BINDIR="/bin"
+    MY_SBINDIR="/sbin"
+    MY_LIBDIR="/lib"
+    MY_INCLUDEDIR="/usr/include"
+    MY_CONFIGDIR="/etc"
+    MY_VARDIR="/var"
+    MY_SHAREDIR="/usr/share/@P@"
+    MY_DOCSDIR="/usr/share/doc/@P@"
+    MY_WEBDIR="/srv/http"
     ;;
 
 /usr)
-    BINDIR="/usr/bin"
-    SBINDIR="/usr/sbin"
-    LIBDIR="/usr/lib"
-    INCLUDEDIR="/usr/include"
-    CONFIGDIR="/etc"
-    VARDIR="/var"
-    SHAREDIR="/usr/share/@P@"
-    DOCSDIR="/usr/share/doc/@P@"
-    WEBDIR="/srv/http"
+    MY_BINDIR="/usr/bin"
+    MY_SBINDIR="/usr/sbin"
+    MY_LIBDIR="/usr/lib"
+    MY_INCLUDEDIR="/usr/include"
+    MY_CONFIGDIR="/etc"
+    MY_VARDIR="/var"
+    MY_SHAREDIR="/usr/share/@P@"
+    MY_DOCSDIR="/usr/share/doc/@P@"
+    MY_WEBDIR="/srv/http"
     ;;
 
 /usr/local)
-    BINDIR="/usr/local/bin"
-    SBINDIR="/usr/local/sbin"
-    LIBDIR="/usr/local/lib"
-    INCLUDEDIR="/usr/local/include"
-    CONFIGDIR="/usr/local/etc"
-    VARDIR="/var"
-    SHAREDIR="/usr/local/share/@P@"
-    DOCSDIR="/usr/local/share/doc/@P@"
-    WEBDIR="/srv/http"
+    MY_BINDIR="/usr/local/bin"
+    MY_SBINDIR="/usr/local/sbin"
+    MY_LIBDIR="/usr/local/lib"
+    MY_INCLUDEDIR="/usr/local/include"
+    MY_CONFIGDIR="/usr/local/etc"
+    MY_VARDIR="/var"
+    MY_SHAREDIR="/usr/local/share/@P@"
+    MY_DOCSDIR="/usr/local/share/doc/@P@"
+    MY_WEBDIR="/srv/http"
     ;;
 
 /opt/*)
-    BINDIR="${PREFIX}/bin"
-    SBINDIR="${PREFIX}/sbin"
-    LIBDIR="${PREFIX}/lib"
-    INCLUDEDIR="${PREFIX}/include"
-    CONFIGDIR="/etc${PREFIX}"
-    VARDIR="/var${PREFIX}"
-    SHAREDIR="/var${PREFIX}"
-    DOCSDIR="${PREFIX}/doc"
-    WEBDIR="${PREFIX}/http"
+    MY_BINDIR="${PREFIX}/bin"
+    MY_SBINDIR="${PREFIX}/sbin"
+    MY_LIBDIR="${PREFIX}/lib"
+    MY_INCLUDEDIR="${PREFIX}/include"
+    MY_CONFIGDIR="/etc${PREFIX}"
+    MY_VARDIR="/var${PREFIX}"
+    MY_SHAREDIR="/var${PREFIX}"
+    MY_DOCSDIR="${PREFIX}/doc"
+    MY_WEBDIR="${PREFIX}/http"
+    ;;
+
+**)
+    MY_BINDIR="${PREFIX}/bin"
+    MY_SBINDIR="${PREFIX}/sbin"
+    MY_LIBDIR="${PREFIX}/lib"
+    MY_INCLUDEDIR="${PREFIX}/include"
+    MY_CONFIGDIR="${PREFIX}/etc"
+    MY_VARDIR="${PREFIX}/var"
+    MY_DOCSDIR="${PREFIX}/share/doc"
+    MY_WEBDIR="${PREFIX}/srv/http"
     ;;
 esac
 
-CGIDIR="${WEBDIR}/cgi-bin"
+MY_CGIDIR="${WEBDIR}/cgi-bin"
+
+# assign paths allowing user to override
+[ -z "${BINDIR}" ] && BINDIR="${MY_BINDIR}"
+[ -z "${SBINDIR}" ] && SBINDIR="${MY_SBINDIR}"
+[ -z "${LIBDIR}" ] && LIBDIR="${MY_LIBDIR}"
+[ -z "${INCLUDEDIR}" ] && INCLUDEDIR="${MY_INCLUDEDIR}"
+[ -z "${CONFIGDIR}" ] && CONFIGDIR="${MY_CONFIGDIR}"
+[ -z "${VARDIR}" ] && VARDIR="${MY_VARDIR}"
+[ -z "${DOCSDIR}" ] && DOCSDIR="${MY_DOCSDIR}"
+[ -z "${WEBDIR}" ] && WEBDIR="${MY_WEBDIR}"
+[ -z "${CGIDIR}" ] && CGIDIR="${MY_CGIDIR}"