diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 85c15cb..6f1006e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -705,6 +705,7 @@ PMDA_PERFEVENT
 PFM_LIBS
 PMDA_PAPI
 PAPI_LIBS
+PAPI_CFLAGS
 PMDA_INFINIBAND
 IB_LIBS
 PMDA_SYSTEMD
@@ -1598,7 +1599,10 @@ Optional Packages:
   --with-python3          enable support for tools requiring Python3 (default
                           is on)
   --with-books            enable building of the PCP books (default is off)
-  --with-papi             enable performance api counter pmda (default is on)
+  --with-papi[=DIR]       enable performance api counter pmda (default is on)
+                          The optional DIR argument can be used to supply the
+                          absolute path name for the primary PAPI installation
+                          directory [default=/usr/local]
   --with-perfevent        enable perfevent pmda (default is on)
   --with-manager          enable daemon manager (default is on)
   --with-webapi           enable REST API daemon (default is on)
@@ -10071,7 +10075,18 @@ if test "x$do_papi" != "xno"; then :
 
     enable_papi=true
 
+    saved_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+    saved_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
     savedLIBS=$LIBS
+
+    case "$do_papi" in
+      yes|no) PAPI_ROOTDIR=/usr ;;
+           *) PAPI_ROOTDIR=$do_papi;
+	      CFLAGS="-I$PAPI_ROOTDIR/include"
+	      LDFLAGS="-L$PAPI_ROOTDIR/lib"
+	   ;;
+    esac
+
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for PAPI_library_init in -lpapi" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for PAPI_library_init in -lpapi... " >&6; }
 if ${ac_cv_lib_papi_PAPI_library_init+:} false; then :
@@ -10109,7 +10124,7 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $ac_cv_lib_papi_PAPI_library_init" >&5
 $as_echo "$ac_cv_lib_papi_PAPI_library_init" >&6; }
 if test "x$ac_cv_lib_papi_PAPI_library_init" = xyes; then :
-  papi_libs="-lpapi"
+  papi_libs="$LDFLAGS -lpapi"
 else
   enable_papi=false
 fi
@@ -10121,7 +10136,7 @@ if test "x$ac_cv_header_papi_h" = xyes; then :
   cat >>confdefs.h <<_ACEOF
 #define HAVE_PAPI_H 1
 _ACEOF
-
+ papi_cflags="$CFLAGS"
 else
   enable_papi=false
 fi
@@ -10135,6 +10150,10 @@ done
 	pmda_papi=$enable_papi
     fi
     LIBS=$savedLIBS
+    CFLAGS="$saved_CFLAGS"
+    LDFLAGS="$saved_LDFLAGS"
+    PAPI_CFLAGS=$papi_cflags
+
     PAPI_LIBS=$papi_libs
 
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 720ee08..ff90675 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -108,8 +108,12 @@ AC_ARG_WITH([books],
     [do_books=no])
 
 AC_ARG_WITH([papi],
-    [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-papi],
-		   [enable performance api counter pmda (default is on)])],
+    [AC_HELP_STRING([--with-papi@<:@=DIR@:>@],
+		   [enable performance api counter pmda (default is on)
+		   The optional DIR argument
+		   can be used to supply the absolute path name
+		   for the primary PAPI installation directory
+                   @<:@default=/usr/local@:>@])],
     [do_papi=$withval; PACKAGE_CONFIGURE="$PACKAGE_CONFIGURE --with-papi=$withval"],
     [do_papi=check])
 
@@ -1286,11 +1290,22 @@ pmda_papi=false
 AS_IF([test "x$do_papi" != "xno"], [
     enable_papi=true
 
+    saved_LDFLAGS="$LDFLAGS"
+    saved_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
     savedLIBS=$LIBS
+
+    case "$do_papi" in
+      yes|no) PAPI_ROOTDIR=/usr ;;
+           *) PAPI_ROOTDIR=$do_papi;
+	      CFLAGS="-I$PAPI_ROOTDIR/include"
+	      LDFLAGS="-L$PAPI_ROOTDIR/lib"
+	   ;;
+    esac
+
     AC_CHECK_LIB([papi], [PAPI_library_init],
-		 [papi_libs="-lpapi"],
+		 [papi_libs="$LDFLAGS -lpapi"],
 		 [enable_papi=false])
-    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([papi.h], [], [enable_papi=false])
+    AC_CHECK_HEADERS([papi.h], [papi_cflags="$CFLAGS"], [enable_papi=false])
     if test "$do_papi" != "check" -a "$enable_papi" != "true"
     then
 	AC_MSG_ERROR(PAPI is not installed, cannot enable the PAPI PMDA)
@@ -1298,6 +1313,9 @@ AS_IF([test "x$do_papi" != "xno"], [
 	pmda_papi=$enable_papi
     fi
     LIBS=$savedLIBS
+    CFLAGS="$saved_CFLAGS"
+    LDFLAGS="$saved_LDFLAGS"
+    AC_SUBST(PAPI_CFLAGS, $papi_cflags)
     AC_SUBST(PAPI_LIBS, $papi_libs)
 ])
 AC_SUBST(PMDA_PAPI, $pmda_papi)
diff --git a/src/include/builddefs.in b/src/include/builddefs.in
index a3a08b1..34d9f4d 100644
--- a/src/include/builddefs.in
+++ b/src/include/builddefs.in
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ LIB_FOR_MICROHTTPD = @libmicrohttpd_LIBS@
 # configuration state for optional performance domains
 SYSTEMD_CFLAGS = @SYSTEMD_CFLAGS@
 SYSTEMD_LIBS = @SYSTEMD_LIBS@
+PAPI_CFLAGS = @PAPI_CFLAGS@
 PAPI_LIBS = @PAPI_LIBS@
 PFM_LIBS = @PFM_LIBS@
 IB_LIBS = @IB_LIBS@
diff --git a/src/pmdas/papi/GNUmakefile b/src/pmdas/papi/GNUmakefile
index 4d362a0..2174f63 100644
--- a/src/pmdas/papi/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/pmdas/papi/GNUmakefile
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ PMDADIR	= $(PCP_PMDAS_DIR)/$(IAM)
 PMDAINIT = $(IAM)_init
 
 LLDLIBS = $(PAPI_LIBS) $(PCP_PMDALIB)
-LCFLAGS = $(INVISIBILITY) -I.
+LCFLAGS = $(PAPI_CFLAGS) $(INVISIBILITY) -I.
 
 CFILES	= papi.c
 DFILES	= README help