diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index d883e7961..4c356997d 100755
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -710,9 +710,30 @@ if test "$USE_NUMERIC" = "y"; then
 AC_DEFINE(HAS_NUMERIC)
 fi
 
-NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=""
-if test -n "$NUMARRAY_HOME"; then
-NUMARRAY_INC_DIR="$NUMARRAY_HOME/include/python"
+if test -n "$NUMARRAY_INC_DIR" ; then
+  echo "setting NUMARRAY_INC_DIR to $NUMARRAY_INC_DIR"
+else
+ NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=""
+ if test -n "$NUMARRAY_HOME"; then
+  dir4="$NUMARRAY_HOME/include/python2.4"
+  if test -d $dir4 ; then
+    NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=$dir4
+  else
+    dir3="$NUMARRAY_HOME/include/python2.3"
+    if test -d $dir3 ; then
+      NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=$dir3
+    else
+      dir1="$NUMARRAY_HOME/include/python"
+      if test -d $dir1 ; then
+        NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=$dir1
+      else
+        echo "WARNING: NUMARRAY include dir $dir1 does not exist."
+        NUMARRAY_INC_DIR=$dir1
+      fi
+    fi
+  fi
+  echo "setting NUMARRAY_INC_DIR to $NUMARRAY_INC_DIR"
+ fi
 fi
 AC_SUBST(NUMARRAY_INC_DIR)
 AC_SUBST(NUMARRAY_HOME)
diff --git a/preconfig b/preconfig
index 18cabeb2c..edf153607 100755
--- a/preconfig
+++ b/preconfig
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ USE_NUMERIC=${USE_NUMERIC:="default"}
 
 # If numarray was installed using the --home option, set this to the
 # home directory for numarray.
-NUMARRAY_HOME=${NUMARRAY_HOME:="$HOME/python_modules"}
+NUMARRAY_HOME=${NUMARRAY_HOME:=""}
 
 # If you want to install the Cantera Python package somewhere other
 # than the default 'site-packages' directory within the Python library