diff --git a/openscad.pro b/openscad.pro
index 5d36d0d9..d16da5d3 100644
--- a/openscad.pro
+++ b/openscad.pro
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@
 # OPENCSGDIR
 # OPENSCAD_LIBRARIES
 #
-# Please see the 'Building' sections of the OpenSCAD user manual
+# qmake Variables to define the installation:
+#
+#   PREFIX defines the base installation folder
+#   LOCALE_PREFIX can overwrite the location of the gettext message catalogs
+#
+# Please see the 'Building' sections of the OpenSCAD user manual 
 # for updated tips & workarounds.
 #
 # http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual
@@ -473,6 +478,19 @@ isEmpty(PREFIX):PREFIX = /usr/local
 target.path = $$PREFIX/bin/
 INSTALLS += target
 
+LINGUAS = $$cat(po/LINGUAS)
+isEmpty(LOCALE_PREFIX):LOCALE_PREFIX = $$PREFIX/share/openscad/po
+for(language, LINGUAS) {
+  catalog = po/$$language/LC_MESSAGES/openscad.mo
+  exists($$catalog) {
+    translation_path = translation_$${language}.path
+    translation_files = translation_$${language}.files
+    $$translation_path = $$LOCALE_PREFIX/$$language/LC_MESSAGES/
+    $$translation_files = $$catalog
+    INSTALLS += translation_$$language
+  }
+}
+
 examples.path = $$PREFIX/share/openscad/examples/
 examples.files = examples/*
 INSTALLS += examples
diff --git a/src/openscad.cc b/src/openscad.cc
index 2ca899b4..25a2c392 100644
--- a/src/openscad.cc
+++ b/src/openscad.cc
@@ -571,6 +571,7 @@ int gui(vector<string> &inputFiles, const fs::path &original_path, int argc, cha
 	PlatformUtils::registerApplicationPath(app_path.toLocal8Bit().constData());
 
 	parser_init(PlatformUtils::applicationPath());
+
 	QSettings settings;
 	if (settings.value("advanced/localization", false).toBool()) {
 	        localization_init();
diff --git a/src/parsersettings.cc b/src/parsersettings.cc
index 189f6562..b47beccc 100644
--- a/src/parsersettings.cc
+++ b/src/parsersettings.cc
@@ -22,22 +22,38 @@ fs::path get_resource_dir(const std::string &resource_folder)
 	}
 
 	fs::path basepath(applicationdir);
+
+	fs::path paths[] = {
+#if __APPLE__
+		// Application layout when installed on MacOS
+	        basepath.parent_path().parent_path() / "Contents" / "Resources",
+#endif
+#ifdef __unix__
+		// Different unix installation layouts are possible, this
+		// tries to capture the most obvious cases.
+		basepath.parent_path() / "share" / "openscad",
+		basepath.parent_path().parent_path() / "share" / "openscad",
+		fs::path("..") / "..",
+#endif
 #ifdef OPENSCAD_TESTING
-	basepath = "..";
-#endif
-#ifdef __APPLE__
-        fs::path bundlepath = basepath.parent_path().parent_path();
-        if (bundlepath.filename().string() == "OpenSCAD.app") {
-		basepath = bundlepath / "Contents" / "Resources";
-	}
+		// Used when running the test cases from source code layout.
+		fs::path(".."),
 #endif
+		// Try to fall back to path relative to the executable and
+		// relative to the current working directory.
+		basepath,
+		fs::path("."),
+		fs::path(), // end of list marker
+	};
 	
-	fs::path resource_dir = basepath / resource_folder;
-	if (!fs::is_directory(resource_dir)) {
-		return fs::path();
+	for (int a = 0;!paths[a].empty();a++) {
+		fs::path resource_dir = paths[a] / resource_folder;
+	        if (fs::is_directory(resource_dir)) {
+			return resource_dir;
+		}
 	}
 	
-	return resource_dir;
+	return fs::path();
 }
 
 /*!