diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index de039010f5e..2583a4110f7 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ AC_SUBST([HAS_RELATIVE_LOCALEDIR])
 
 # icondir and desktopdir may differ from datadir (suggested by Gentoo)
 AC_ARG_WITH([icondir],
-            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-icondir@<:@=DIR@:>@], [change icon directory under gnome]),
+            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-icondir@<:@=DIR@:>@], [change icon directory under gnome or kde, needs --with-gnome or --with-kde option]),
 		  [case "${withval}" in
 		   yes)
 				ICONDIR="${datadir}/icons"
@@ -145,8 +145,17 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([icondir],
 		   esac])
 AC_SUBST([ICONDIR])
 
+if test "x$icondir" = "xnone"; then
+        icondirset=no
+else
+        icondirset=yes
+fi
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAS_ICONDIR], [test "x$icondirset" = "xyes"])
+
+
 AC_ARG_WITH([desktopdir],
-            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-desktopdir@<:@=DIR@:>@], [change desktop directory under gnome 2]),
+            AS_HELP_STRING([--with-desktopdir@<:@=DIR@:>@], [change desktop directory under gnome or kde, needs --with-gnome or --with-kde option]),
 		  [case "${withval}" in
 		   yes)	
 				DESKTOPDIR="${datadir}/applications"
@@ -159,6 +168,13 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([desktopdir],
 		   esac])
 AC_SUBST([DESKTOPDIR])
 
+if test "x$desktopdir" = "xnone"; then
+        desktopdirset=no
+else
+        desktopdirset=yes
+fi
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL([HAS_DESKTOPDIR], [test "x$desktopdirset" = "xyes"])
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([game],
               AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-game], [disable compilation of game]),
diff --git a/icons/Makefile.am b/icons/Makefile.am
index 1fe4a60b92b..6cef3ef4253 100644
--- a/icons/Makefile.am
+++ b/icons/Makefile.am
@@ -1,22 +1,46 @@
 EXTRA_DIST = wesnoth.desktop wesnoth-icon.png
 
 if GNOME1
+if HAS_DESKTOPDIR
+gnome1desktopdir = @DESKTOPDIR@
+else
 gnome1desktopdir = @GNOME1_DESKTOP@
+endif
 dist_gnome1desktop_DATA = wesnoth.desktop
+if HAS_ICONDIR
+gnome1icondir = @ICONDIR@
+else
 gnome1icondir = $(datadir)/icons
+endif
 gnome1icon_DATA = wesnoth-icon.png
 endif
 
 if GNOME2
+if HAS_DESKTOPDIR
+gnome2desktopdir = @DESKTOPDIR@
+else
 gnome2desktopdir = $(datadir)/applications
+endif
 dist_gnome2desktop_DATA = wesnoth.desktop 
+if HAS_ICONDIR
+gnome2icondir = @ICONDIR@
+else
 gnome2icondir = $(datadir)/icons
+endif
 gnome2icon_DATA = wesnoth-icon.png
 endif
 
 if KDE
+if HAS_DESKTOPDIR
+kdedesktopdir = @DESKTOPDIR@
+else
 kdedesktopdir = @KDE_DESKTOP@
+endif
 dist_kdedesktop_DATA = wesnoth.desktop
+if HAS_ICONDIR
+kdeicondir = @ICONDIR@
+else
 kdeicondir = @KDE_ICON@
+endif
 kdeicon_DATA = wesnoth-icon.png
 endif