diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a438230cb..f37bcf5cc 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 +48,33 @@ else
 	PLATFORM_CCFLAGS += $(JEMALLOC_INCLUDE) -DHAVE_JEMALLOC
 endif
 
+#-------------------------------------------------
+# make install related stuff
+INSTALL_PATH ?= /usr/local
+
+uninstall:
+	rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/include/rocksdb
+	if [ -a $(LIBRARY) ]; then \
+		rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/$(LIBRARY); \
+	fi
+	if [ -a $(SHARED) ]; then \
+		rm -rf $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/$(SHARED); \
+	fi
+
+install:
+	install -d $(INSTALL_PATH)/include/rocksdb
+	install -d $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib
+	for header in `find "include/rocksdb" -type f -name *.h`; do \
+		install -C -m 644 -D $$header $(INSTALL_PATH)/$$header; \
+	done
+	if [ -a $(LIBRARY) ]; then \
+		install -C -m 644 $(LIBRARY) $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/.; \
+	fi;
+	if [ -a $(SHARED) ]; then \
+		install -C -m 644 $(SHARED) $(INSTALL_PATH)/lib/.; \
+	fi;
+#-------------------------------------------------
+
 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
@@ -178,7 +204,7 @@ endif  # PLATFORM_SHARED_EXT
 
 .PHONY: blackbox_crash_test check clean coverage crash_test ldb_tests \
 	release tags valgrind_check whitebox_crash_test format static_lib shared_lib all \
-	dbg
+	dbg install uninstall
 
 all: $(LIBRARY) $(PROGRAMS) $(TESTS)