diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 449f4b4..1c9ad00 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -252,7 +252,8 @@ if(NOT MSVC)
     }
    " SCANDIR_NEEDS_CONST)
 
-  set(OB_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${OB_PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}")
+  set(OB_MODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${OB_PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR}"
+      CACHE PATH "Set to system install for bindings only build")
   add_definitions(-DOB_MODULE_PATH="\\"${OB_MODULE_PATH}\\"")
 
   # Add some visibility support when using GCC
@@ -380,7 +381,8 @@ if(UNIX AND BUILD_SHARED)
   if(APPLE)
     set(CMAKE_INSTALL_NAME_DIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LIB_INSTALL_DIR})
   else()
-    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}")
+    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}"
+        CACHE PATH "Set sane rpath")
     set(CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH FALSE)
     set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH FALSE)
     set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
@@ -477,6 +479,13 @@ endif()
 # Should the language bindings be regenereted?
 option(RUN_SWIG "Generate language bindings with SWIG" OFF)
 
+# Build bindings only
+option(BINDINGS_ONLY "Build bindings only" OFF)
+
+# Point to library if building bindings only
+set(BABEL_SYSTEM_LIBRARY ${BABEL_LIBRARY}
+    CACHE PATH "Point to openbabel library if building bindings only")
+
 # Should all bindings be built?
 option(ALL_BINDINGS "Build all languages bindings" OFF)
 
diff --git a/scripts/CMakeLists.txt b/scripts/CMakeLists.txt
index 16e9000..ecd2295 100644
--- a/scripts/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/scripts/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -92,16 +92,30 @@ if (DO_PYTHON_BINDINGS)
     endif(RUN_SWIG)
 
     add_library(bindings_python MODULE ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel-python.cpp)
-    target_link_libraries(bindings_python ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} ${BABEL_LIBRARY})
+    if(BINDINGS_ONLY)
+        target_link_libraries(bindings_python ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} ${BABEL_SYSTEM_LIBRARY})
+    else()
+        target_link_libraries(bindings_python ${PYTHON_LIBRARIES} ${BABEL_LIBRARY})
+    endif()
+
     if(NOT WIN32)
         set_target_properties(bindings_python PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME _openbabel
             PREFIX ""
             SUFFIX .so )
-        add_dependencies(bindings_python openbabel)
-        install(TARGETS bindings_python LIBRARY DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR})
-        install(FILES ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel.py DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR})
-        install(FILES ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/pybel.py DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR})
+        if(NOT BINDINGS_ONLY)
+            add_dependencies(bindings_python openbabel)
+        endif()
+
+        install(TARGETS bindings_python
+                LIBRARY DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}
+                COMPONENT bindings_python)
+        install(FILES ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/openbabel.py
+                DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}
+                COMPONENT bindings_python)
+        install(FILES ${openbabel_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python/pybel.py
+                DESTINATION ${LIB_INSTALL_DIR}
+                COMPONENT bindings_python)
     else(NOT WIN32)
         set_target_properties(bindings_python PROPERTIES
             OUTPUT_NAME _openbabel
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index 7841782..6f3495f 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@
 add_definitions(-DTESTDATADIR="\\"${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/test/files/\\"")
 
 # define FORMATDIR for location of format plugin binaries
-add_definitions(-DFORMATDIR="\\"${openbabel_BINARY_DIR}/lib/\\"")
+if(BINDINGS_ONLY)
+  set(FORMATDIR "${OB_MODULE_PATH}/")
+else()
+  set(FORMATDIR "${openbabel_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}/")
+endif()
+add_definitions(-DFORMATDIR="\\"${FORMATDIR}/\\"")
 
 ###########################################################
 #  new tests using obtest.h
@@ -89,7 +94,7 @@ foreach(test ${tests})
   add_test(${test}_Test ${TEST_PATH}/test_${test})
   set_tests_properties(${test}_Test PROPERTIES
     FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "ERROR;FAIL;Test failed"
-    ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib")
+    ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}")
 endforeach(test ${tests})
 
 ############################################################
@@ -152,7 +157,7 @@ if(WITH_INCHI)
              ${TEST_PATH}/test_inchiwrite ${inchidata}/${test} ${inchidata}/${test}.txt)
     set_tests_properties(inchi${test}_Test PROPERTIES
                          FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "Not ok"
-                         ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+                         ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
     )
   endforeach(test ${inchitests})
 endif(WITH_INCHI)
@@ -166,7 +171,7 @@ foreach(test ${old_tests})
   add_test(${test}_Test ${TEST_PATH}/test_${test})
   set_tests_properties(${test}_Test PROPERTIES
     FAIL_REGULAR_EXPRESSION "not ok"
-    ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+    ENVIRONMENT "BABEL_DATADIR=${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data;LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
  )
 endforeach(test ${old_tests})
 
@@ -181,8 +186,8 @@ if(NOT BUILD_SHARED AND NOT BUILD_MIXED)
 endif()
 install(TARGETS roundtrip
                 RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-                LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
-                ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
+                LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
+                ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
 )
 
 ###########################
@@ -199,10 +204,10 @@ if(NOT MINGW AND NOT CYGWIN)
         babel sym smartssym fastsearch unique kekule)
     foreach(pytest ${pytests})
     SET_SOURCE_FILES_PROPERTIES(test${pytest}.py PROPERTIES
-      PYTHONPATH "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
-      BABEL_LIBDIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+      PYTHONPATH "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
+      BABEL_LIBDIR "${FORMATDIR}"
       BABEL_DATADIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data"
-      LD_LIBRARY_PATH "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+      LD_LIBRARY_PATH "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
     )
       ADD_PYTHON_TEST(pytest_${pytest} test${pytest}.py)
       set_tests_properties(pytest_${pytest} PROPERTIES
@@ -221,10 +226,10 @@ if (PYTHON_BINDINGS)
       bindings _pybel example)
   foreach(pybindtest ${pybindtests})
     SET_SOURCE_FILES_PROPERTIES(test${pybindtest}.py PROPERTIES
-        PYTHONPATH "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
-        BABEL_LIBDIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+        PYTHONPATH "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/python:${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
+        BABEL_LIBDIR "${FORMATDIR}"
         BABEL_DATADIR "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/data"
-        LD_LIBRARY_PATH "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib"
+        LD_LIBRARY_PATH "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib${LIB_SUFFIX}"
     )
     if(MSVC)
       SET_SOURCE_FILES_PROPERTIES(test${pybindtest}.py PROPERTIES
diff --git a/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f547bf..fb98441 100644
--- a/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ if(BUILD_SHARED)
     target_link_libraries(${tool} ${BABEL_LIBRARY})
     install(TARGETS ${tool}
                     RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-                    LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
-                    ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
+                    LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
+                    ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
     )
   endforeach(tool)
 
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ if(BUILD_SHARED)
     target_link_libraries(obspectrophore ${BABEL_LIBRARY})
     install(TARGETS obspectrophore
                     RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-                    LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
-                    ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
+                    LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
+                    ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
     )
 
     # obgrep -- requires getopt
@@ -66,8 +66,8 @@ if(BUILD_SHARED)
       target_link_libraries(obgrep ${BABEL_LIBRARY})
       install(TARGETS obgrep
                       RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-                      LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
-                      ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib
+                      LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
+                      ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
       )
   endif(NOT MINIMAL_BUILD)
 
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ else(BUILD_SHARED)
 
   install(TARGETS babel
           RUNTIME DESTINATION bin
-          LIBRARY DESTINATION lib
-          ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib)
+          LIBRARY DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX}
+          ARCHIVE DESTINATION lib${LIB_SUFFIX})
 
 endif(BUILD_SHARED)