diff -r -u parrot-current/config/init/defaults.pm parrot-andy/config/init/defaults.pm
--- parrot-current/config/init/defaults.pm	2009-03-21 21:02:56.000000000 -0400
+++ parrot-andy/config/init/defaults.pm	2009-03-25 00:10:33.701938937 -0400
@@ -129,6 +129,21 @@
         # -shared for GNU ld.
         ld_load_flags => $Config{lddlflags},
 
+        # Set -rpath (or equivalent) to append to $linkflags (and
+        # $ldflags) for executables to find the shared libparrot in
+        # the build directory.
+        # This is often something like -R $builddir/blib/lib
+        # (This is initialized to undef so that later parts of
+        # Configure.pl can distinguish between the variable being
+        # unset and being set (on the command line) to the empty
+        # string.)
+        rpath_blib => undef,
+
+        # Set -rpath (or equivalent) for the installed executables to
+        # find the installed shared libparrot.  
+        # This is often something like -R /usr/local/lib
+        rpath_lib => undef,
+
         libs => $Config{libs},
 
         cc_inc     => "-I./include",
diff -r -u parrot-current/config/inter/libparrot.pm parrot-andy/config/inter/libparrot.pm
--- parrot-current/config/inter/libparrot.pm	2009-03-21 21:02:56.000000000 -0400
+++ parrot-andy/config/inter/libparrot.pm	2009-03-25 00:49:53.213944808 -0400
@@ -97,22 +97,30 @@
 
     # Set -rpath (or equivalent) for executables to find the
     # shared libparrot in the build directory.
-    $conf->data->set(
-        rpath_blib => ( $parrot_is_shared && $conf->data->get('rpath') )
-        ? $conf->data->get('rpath')
-            . $conf->data->get('build_dir')
-            . $conf->data->get('slash')
-            . $conf->data->get('blib_dir')
-        : ''
-    );
+    # Respect a hint file or command-line override.
+    my $rpath_blib = $conf->option_or_data('rpath_blib');
+    if (!defined($rpath_blib)) {
+        $rpath_blib = ( $parrot_is_shared && $conf->data->get('rpath') )
+            ? $conf->data->get('rpath')
+                . $conf->data->get('build_dir')
+                . $conf->data->get('slash')
+                . $conf->data->get('blib_dir')
+            : '';
+    }
 
     # Set -rpath (or equivalent) for the installed executables to find the
     # installed shared libparrot.
+    my $rpath_lib = $conf->option_or_data('rpath_lib');
+    if (!defined($rpath_lib)) {
+        $rpath_lib = ( $parrot_is_shared && $conf->data->get('rpath') )
+            ? $conf->data->get('rpath')
+                . $conf->data->get('libdir')
+            : '';
+    }
+
     $conf->data->set(
-        rpath_lib => ( $parrot_is_shared && $conf->data->get('rpath') )
-        ? $conf->data->get('rpath')
-            . $conf->data->get('libdir')
-        : ''
+        rpath_blib => $rpath_blib,
+        rpath_lib  => $rpath_lib
     );
 
     unless ( defined( $conf->data->get('libparrot_ldflags') ) ) {
diff -r -u parrot-current/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm parrot-andy/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm
--- parrot-current/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm	2009-03-21 21:02:48.000000000 -0400
+++ parrot-andy/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf/Shared.pm	2009-03-25 00:17:38.418939204 -0400
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
     parrot_is_shared
     prefix
     profile
+    rpath_lib
     sbindir
     sharedstatedir
     silent
diff -r -u parrot-current/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm parrot-andy/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm
--- parrot-current/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm	2009-03-21 21:02:48.000000000 -0400
+++ parrot-andy/lib/Parrot/Configure/Options/Conf.pm	2009-03-25 00:18:04.834939494 -0400
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@
                             [/usr/local]
     --exec-prefix=EPREFIX   Install architecture-dependent files in EPREFIX
                             [PREFIX]
+    --rpath_lib=RPATH       add RPATH into link flags to tell the
+                            installed parrot how to find the installed 
+                            version of libparrot.so (if appropriate).
 
     By default, `make install' will install all the files in
     `/usr/local/bin', `/usr/local/lib' etc.  You can specify