diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index dec7c663..1a17f2a9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ endif
 
 SOURCE      := $$PWD
 EXT_ID      := paperwm@paperwm.github.com
-EXT_DIR     := $(XDG_DATA_HOME)/gnome-shell/extensions
+EXT_DIR     := $(if $(DESTDIR),$(DESTDIR)/usr/share,$(XDG_DATA_HOME))/gnome-shell/extensions
 TARGET      := $(EXT_DIR)/$(EXT_ID)
 
 CONFIG_FILES   = config/user.js config/user.css
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ JS_FILES       = $(wildcard *.js)
 UI_FILES       = $(wildcard *.ui)
 RESOURCE_FILES = $(wildcard resources/*)
 
-RELEASE_FILES = $(JS_FILES) $(UI_FILES) $(RESOURCE_FILES) \
-				$(CONFIG_FILES) $(GSCHEMA_FILES) \
-				schemas/gschemas.compiled \
-				metadata.json \
-				stylesheet.css \
+EXT_FILES = $(JS_FILES) $(UI_FILES) $(RESOURCE_FILES) \
+			$(CONFIG_FILES) \
+			metadata.json \
+			stylesheet.css
+RELEASE_FILES = $(EXT_FILES) \
+				$(GSCHEMA_FILES) schemas/gschemas.compiled \
 				LICENSE
 
 ZIP         := zip
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ endif
 ## Update compiled files
 all: $(RELEASE_FILES)
 
-## Install PaperWM on this system
+## Install PaperWM for this user
 install: schemas/gschemas.compiled
 	@if [[ ! -L "$(TARGET)" && -d "$(TARGET)" ]]; \
 	then                                    \
@@ -61,25 +62,33 @@ install: schemas/gschemas.compiled
 	@echo "gnome-extensions enable $(EXT_ID)"
 	@echo
 
-## Uninstall PaperWM from this system
+## Uninstall PaperWM for this user
 uninstall:
 	@$(call rich_echo,"GNOME_EXT_DISABLE", "$(EXT_ID)")
 	@$(GNOME_EXT_DISABLE) $(EXT_ID)
-	@if [[ `readlink -f $(TARGET)` != `readlink -f $$PWD` ]]; \
+	@if [ -z "$(DESTDIR)" ] && [ ! `readlink -f $(TARGET)` = `readlink -f $$PWD` ]; \
 	then                                                   \
-		echo "'$(TARGET)' does not link to '$$PWD', refusing to remove."; \
-		exit 1                                             \
+		echo "'$(TARGET)' does not link to '$$PWD' and '$(DESTDIR)' undefined,"; \
+		echo "refusing to remove.";                        \
+		exit 1;                                            \
 	fi
 	@if [ -L $(TARGET) ];                                     \
 	then                                                   \
-		$(call rich_echo,"RM", "$(TARGET)")                   \
+		$(call rich_echo,"RM", "$(TARGET)");                  \
 		rm $(EXT);                                         \
 	else                                                   \
-		read -p "Remove $(TARGET)? (y/N): " -n 1 -r           \
-		echo                                               \
-		[[ $$REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]] && rm -rf $(TARGET)           \
+		echo "Remove $(TARGET)? (y/N): ";                  \
+		read REPLY;                                        \
+		[ "$$REPLY" = "Y" ] || [ "$$REPLY" = "y" ] && rm -rf $(TARGET); \
 	fi
 
+## Install in system-wide location
+install-system:
+	for f in $(EXT_FILES); do \
+		install -D -p -m 0644 $$f "$(TARGET)/$$f"; \
+	done
+	install -d "$(DESTDIR)/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas"
+	install -p -m 0644 $(GSCHEMA_FILES) "$(DESTDIR)/usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas/"
 
 ## Generate a release zip for review on GNOME Extensions
 release: $(EXT_ID).zip
@@ -93,6 +102,6 @@ schemas/gschemas.compiled: $(GSCHEMA_FILES)
 	@$(call rich_echo,"MAKE","$@")
 	@$(MAKE) -C schemas gschemas.compiled
 
-.PHONY: install uninstall release
+.PHONY: install install-system uninstall release
 
 include lib.mk
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d9945c1e..a8c92160 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@ Clone the repo and check out the branch for the GNOME Shell version you're runni
 - 40-41 ([EOL](https://release.gnome.org/calendar/#releases)): https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM/tree/gnome-40
 - 3.28-3.38 ([EOL](https://release.gnome.org/calendar/#releases)): https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM/tree/gnome-3.38
 
-then run the [`make install`](https://github.com/paperwm/PaperWM/blob/release/install.sh) 
-from the repository. The installer will create a link to the repo in
+then run [`make install`] from the repository. The installer will create a link to the repo in
 `~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions`. It will then ask if you want to enable PaperWM.
 ```bash
 make install # install, load and enable paperwm
diff --git a/schemas/Makefile b/schemas/Makefile
index 7009a953..ea82e5f1 100644
--- a/schemas/Makefile
+++ b/schemas/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-gschemas.compiled: phony
+gschemas.compiled: *.gschema.xml
 	glib-compile-schemas .
-
-.PHONY: phony
diff --git a/workspace.js b/workspace.js
index 73fdf659..fe6de158 100644
--- a/workspace.js
+++ b/workspace.js
@@ -12,11 +12,22 @@ const WORKSPACE_KEY = 'org.gnome.shell.extensions.paperwm.workspace';
 export class WorkspaceSettings {
     constructor(extension) {
         this.workspaceSettingsCache = {};
-        this.schemaSource = Gio.SettingsSchemaSource.new_from_directory(
-            GLib.build_filenamev([extension.path, "schemas"]),
-            Gio.SettingsSchemaSource.get_default(),
-            false
-        );
+
+        console.debug("Extension path " + extension.dir.get_parent().get_path());
+        console.debug("XDG_DATA_DIR=" + GLib.get_user_data_dir());
+        if (extension.dir.get_parent().get_parent().get_parent().get_path() == GLib.get_user_data_dir()) {
+            console.debug("We are installed in $XDG_DATA_HOME");
+            this.schemaSource = Gio.SettingsSchemaSource.new_from_directory(
+                GLib.build_filenamev([extension.path, "schemas"]),
+                Gio.SettingsSchemaSource.get_default(),
+                false
+            );
+        } else {
+            // assume we are installed system-wide and our schema source is in
+            // the default schema.
+            console.debug("We are installed in system $PREFIX.");
+            this.schemaSource = Gio.SettingsSchemaSource.get_default();
+        }
 
         this.workspaceList = new Gio.Settings({
             settings_schema: this.getSchemaSource().lookup(WORKSPACE_LIST_KEY, true),