diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7ce3c1f3..6c707df2 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -87,7 +87,9 @@ else
 fi
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([pykat],
-    AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-pykat], [Disable build of python package pykat.  If this is disabled, KAT will not create plots or perform extra distribution analysis.]), make_pykat="no", make_pykat="yes")
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-pykat], [Disable build of python package kat.  If this is disabled, KAT will not create plots or perform extra distribution analysis.]), make_pykat="no", make_pykat="yes")
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([pykat-install],
+    AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-pykat-install], [Disable installation of python package kat.  If this is disabled, KAT will not install the python package kat to <prefix>/lib/python<version>/site-packages.  The user can manually install the kat package using setuptools.]), make_pykat_install="no", make_pykat_install="yes")
 
 if [[ "${make_pykat}" == "yes" ]]; then
 
@@ -123,6 +125,8 @@ fi
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([MAKE_PYKAT], [test x$make_pykat = xyes])
 AC_SUBST([MAKE_PYKAT])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([MAKE_PYKAT_INSTALL], [test x$make_pykat_install = xyes])
+AC_SUBST([MAKE_PYKAT_INSTALL])
 
 # Check for sphinx to build documentation (optional)
 AC_CHECK_PROG([sphinx], [sphinx-build], [yes], [no])
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ AC_OUTPUT
 
 pystr="detected ${PYTHON_VERSION}.  Plotting and downstream analysis enabled."
 if [[ "${make_pykat}" == "no" ]]; then
-	pystr="no.  No plotting or downstream analysis will be performed."
+	pystr="no.  No plotting or distribution analysis will be performed."
 fi
 sphinxstr="detected. Docs will be built."
 if [[ "${sphinx}" == "no" ]]; then
@@ -185,4 +189,5 @@ AC_MSG_NOTICE([
 
 	Configuration status:
 	- Python V3.5+ - ${pystr}
-	- Sphinx V1.3+ - ${sphinxstr}])
+	- Sphinx V1.3+ - ${sphinxstr}
+        - Python install - ${make_pykat_install}])
diff --git a/doc/Makefile b/doc/Makefile
index d6d3c7fd..d2bce4cb 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile
+++ b/doc/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ MKDIR_P	      = mkdir -p
 INSTALL	      = /usr/bin/install -c -m 644
 
 # Set autoconf variables
-prefix	      = /usr/local
+prefix	      = /home/dan/software/kat_test/nopyinstall
 PACKAGE_TARNAME = kat
 top_srcdir    = ..
 srcdir	      = .
diff --git a/lib/include/kat/kat_fs.hpp b/lib/include/kat/kat_fs.hpp
index a71c99ed..42f6fb9a 100644
--- a/lib/include/kat/kat_fs.hpp
+++ b/lib/include/kat/kat_fs.hpp
@@ -124,33 +124,50 @@ namespace kat {
 #endif
             }
             else {
-                // If we are here then we are not running from an installed location,
-                // we are running from the source tree.
-                // Not 100% sure how far back we need to go (depends on whether using KAT exe or tests)
-                // so try 2, 3 and 4 levels.
-                this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path();
-                this->scriptsDir /= "scripts";
-
-                if (!exists(this->scriptsDir)) {
-                    this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path();
+                path kcc(canonicalExe.parent_path());
+                if (exists("kat.cc")) {
+                    // If we are here then we are not running from an installed location,
+                    // we are running from the source tree.
+                    // Not 100% sure how far back we need to go (depends on whether using KAT exe or tests)
+                    // so try 2, 3 and 4 levels.
+                    this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path();
                     this->scriptsDir /= "scripts";
 
                     if (!exists(this->scriptsDir)) {
-                        this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path().parent_path();
+                        this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path();
                         this->scriptsDir /= "scripts";
 
                         if (!exists(this->scriptsDir)) {
-                            BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(FileSystemException() << FileSystemErrorInfo(string(
-                                "Could not find suitable directory containing KAT scripts relative to provided exe: ") + canonicalExe.c_str()));
-                        }
+                            this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path().parent_path();
+                            this->scriptsDir /= "scripts";
+
+                            if (!exists(this->scriptsDir)) {
+                                BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(FileSystemException() << FileSystemErrorInfo(string(
+                                    "Could not find suitable directory containing KAT scripts relative to provided exe: ") + canonicalExe.c_str()));
+                            }
 
+                        }
+                    }
+                    kda = this->scriptsDir;
+                    kda /= "setup.py";
+                    if (!exists(kda)) {
+                        BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(FileSystemException() << FileSystemErrorInfo(string(
+                             "Could not find suitable directory containing KAT scripts derived from relative path of executable")));
                     }
                 }
-                kda = this->scriptsDir;
-                kda /= "setup.py";
-                if (!exists(kda)) {
-                    BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(FileSystemException() << FileSystemErrorInfo(string(
-                         "Could not find suitable directory containing KAT scripts derived from relative path of executable")));
+                else {
+
+#ifdef HAVE_PYTHON
+                    // Assume user install KAT but without installing python modules alongside
+                    this->scriptsDir = path(KAT_SITE_PKGS).parent_path();
+                    this->scriptsDir /= "local";
+                    if (!exists(this->scriptsDir)) {
+                        BOOST_THROW_EXCEPTION(FileSystemException() << FileSystemErrorInfo(string(
+                            "Could not find KAT scripts at the expected installed location: ") + this->scriptsDir.c_str()));
+                    }
+#else
+                    this->scriptsDir = canonicalExe.parent_path();
+#endif
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.am b/scripts/Makefile.am
index da125924..f8fee285 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.am
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = subdir-objects
 
+
+if MAKE_PYKAT_INSTALL
+
 install-exec-hook:
 	export PYTHONPATH=$(prefix)/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/site-packages && \
 	mkdir -p $(prefix)/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/site-packages/ && \
@@ -8,6 +11,17 @@ install-exec-hook:
 uninstall-hook:
 	cat install_files.txt | xargs rm -rf
 
+else
+
+install-exec-hook:
+	mkdir -p $(prefix)/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/local/ && \
+	cp -r kat $(prefix)/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/local
+
+uninstall-hook:
+	rm -rf $(prefix)/lib/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)/local
+
+endif
+
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	kat/distanalysis.py \
 	kat/plot/__init__.py \