diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c75274cd0..b9cf4da4f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 # found in the LICENSE file. See the AUTHORS file for names of contributors.
 
 # Inherit some settings from environment variables, if available
-INSTALL_PATH ?= $(CURDIR)
 
 #-----------------------------------------------
 
@@ -49,6 +48,27 @@ else
 	PLATFORM_CCFLAGS += $(JEMALLOC_INCLUDE) -DHAVE_JEMALLOC
 endif
 
+#-------------------------------------------------
+# make install related stuff
+INSTALL_PATH ?= /usr/local
+
+uninstall:
+	@rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/include/rocksdb
+	@rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/$(LIBRARY)
+	@rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/$(SHARED)
+
+install:
+	@install -d $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib
+	@for header_dir in `find "include/rocksdb" -type d`; do \
+		install -d $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$header_dir; \
+	done
+	@for header in `find "include/rocksdb" -type f -name *.h`; do \
+		install -C -m 644 $$header $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$header; \
+	done
+	@[ ! -e $(LIBRARY) ] || install -C -m 644 $(LIBRARY) $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib
+	@[ ! -e $(SHARED) ] || install -C -m 644 $(SHARED) $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib
+#-------------------------------------------------
+
 WARNING_FLAGS = -Wall -Werror -Wsign-compare
 CFLAGS += $(WARNING_FLAGS) -I. -I./include $(PLATFORM_CCFLAGS) $(OPT)
 CXXFLAGS += $(WARNING_FLAGS) -I. -I./include $(PLATFORM_CXXFLAGS) $(OPT) -Woverloaded-virtual