diff --git a/src/bee-install.sh.in b/src/bee-install.sh.in
index 84bc63a..5699ccb 100644
--- a/src/bee-install.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee-install.sh.in
@@ -347,7 +347,12 @@ function do_install_file() {
        vv="vv"
     fi
 
+    if [ -n "${BEE_BEEDESTDIR}" ] ; then
+        changedir="--transform=s,^/,${BEE_BEEDESTDIR}/,"
+    fi
+
     start_cmd tar -x --dereference -${vv}Pf ${file} \
+        ${changedir} \
         --transform="s,^FILES$,${BEE_METADIR}/${pkg}/FILES," \
         --transform="s,^BUILD$,${BEE_METADIR}/${pkg}/${beefile}," \
         --transform="s,^META$,${BEE_METADIR}/${pkg}/META," \
diff --git a/src/bee.sh.in b/src/bee.sh.in
index 856f3fd..3027b37 100644
--- a/src/bee.sh.in
+++ b/src/bee.sh.in
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ function print_usage() {
 	  bee --print-config
 	  bee --help
 	  bee --version  
+	  bee --destdir=/path/to/destdir
 	EOF
 }
 
@@ -83,6 +84,23 @@ function search_tool_cmd {
     done
 }
 
+options=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name=bee \
+    --option=destdir/d= \
+    -- "${@}")
+
+eval set -- ${options}
+
+while true ; do
+    case "${1}" in
+        --destdir)
+            BEE_BEEDESTDIR=${2}
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        --)
+            shift
+            break;
+    esac
+done
 
 options=$(${BEE_BINDIR}/beegetopt --name=bee \
     --stop-on-no-option \
@@ -136,6 +154,9 @@ if [ "${TOOL}" = "init" ] ; then
     config_export_prefix_variables
 fi
 
+BEE_METADIR=${BEE_BEEDESTDIR}${BEE_METADIR}
+BEE_CACHEDIR=${BEE_BEEDESTDIR}${BEE_CACHEDIR}
+
 if [ "${OPT_PRINTCONFIG}" = "1" ] ; then
     config_print
     exit 0
diff --git a/src/beelib.config.sh.in b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
index cd06b25..b153eb9 100644
--- a/src/beelib.config.sh.in
+++ b/src/beelib.config.sh.in
@@ -352,6 +352,8 @@ function config_export() {
     export BEE_DATADIR
     export BEE_LIBEXECDIR
 
+    export BEE_BEEDESTDIR
+
     export BEE_VERSION
 
     export XDG_CONFIG_HOME