diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 9c67eb9f1..bc269b7f7 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -301,7 +301,8 @@ config_options = [
            an alternate location. On Unix-like systems, the default is the same
            as the $prefix option. If this option is set to the empty string (the
            default on Windows), then the Package will be installed to the system
-           default 'site-packages' directory.""",
+           default 'site-packages' directory. To install to the current user's
+           site-packages directory, use 'python_prefix=USER'.""",
         defaults.python_prefix, PathVariable.PathAccept),
     EnumVariable(
         'python3_package',
@@ -325,7 +326,8 @@ config_options = [
            an alternate location. On Unix-like systems, the default is the same
            as the $prefix option. If this option is set to the empty string (the
            default on Windows), then the Package will be installed to the system
-           default 'site-packages' directory.""",
+           default 'site-packages' directory. To install to the current user's
+           site-packages directory, use 'python3_prefix=USER'.""",
         defaults.python_prefix, PathVariable.PathAccept),
     EnumVariable(
         'matlab_toolbox',
@@ -838,6 +840,12 @@ if env['python_package'] in ('full','default','new'):
             warnNoPython = True
             env['python_package'] = 'minimal'
 
+    try:
+        import site
+        env['python_usersitepackages'] = site.getusersitepackages()
+    except AttributeError: # getusersitepackages is only in Python 2.7+
+        env['python_usersitepackages'] = '<user site-packages directory>'
+
     # Check for 3to2 if we're building the "new" Python module
     # See http://pypi.python.org/pypi/3to2
     if env['python_package'] == 'new':
@@ -861,9 +869,11 @@ if env['python3_package'] in ('y', 'default'):
     # See if we can execute the Python 3 interpreter
     try:
         script = '\n'.join(("from distutils.sysconfig import *",
-                            "print(get_python_version())"))
+                            "import site",
+                            "print(get_python_version())",
+                            "print(site.getusersitepackages())"))
         info = getCommandOutput(env['python3_cmd'], '-c', script)
-        env['python3_version'] = info.strip()
+        env['python3_version'], env['python3_usersitepackages'] = info.splitlines()
     except OSError:
         info = False
 
@@ -1009,12 +1019,18 @@ else:
     env['inst_python_bindir'] = pjoin(instRoot, 'bin')
     env['inst_incdir'] = pjoin(instRoot, 'include', 'cantera')
     env['inst_incroot'] = pjoin(instRoot, 'include')
-    env['python_module_loc'] = pjoin(env['python_prefix'], 'lib',
-                                     'python%i.%i' % sys.version_info[:2],
-                                     'site-packages')
-    env['python3_module_loc'] = env.subst(pjoin('${python3_prefix}', 'lib',
-                                                'python${python3_version}',
-                                                'site-packages'))
+    if env['python_prefix'] == 'USER':
+        env['python_module_loc'] = env['python_usersitepackages']
+    else:
+        env['python_module_loc'] = pjoin(env['python_prefix'], 'lib',
+                                         'python%i.%i' % sys.version_info[:2],
+                                         'site-packages')
+    if env['python3_package'] == 'y' and env['python3_prefix'] == 'USER':
+        env['python3_module_loc'] = env['python3_usersitepackages']
+    else:
+        env['python3_module_loc'] = env.subst(pjoin('${python3_prefix}', 'lib',
+                                                    'python${python3_version}',
+                                                    'site-packages'))
     if env['layout'] == 'compact':
         env['inst_matlab_dir'] = pjoin(instRoot, 'matlab', 'toolbox')
         env['inst_datadir'] = pjoin(instRoot, 'data')
diff --git a/interfaces/cython/SConscript b/interfaces/cython/SConscript
index 6ac76f3f3..ee696b5d4 100644
--- a/interfaces/cython/SConscript
+++ b/interfaces/cython/SConscript
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ def add_dependencies(mod, ext):
 
 
 def install_module(prefix, python_version):
-    if prefix:
+    if prefix == 'USER':
+        # Install to the OS-dependent user site-packages directory
+        extra = '--user'
+    elif prefix:
         # A specific location for the Cantera python module has been specified
         extra = '--prefix="%s"' % prefix
     else:
diff --git a/platform/posix/SConscript b/platform/posix/SConscript
index 4654468dc..def48a3f5 100644
--- a/platform/posix/SConscript
+++ b/platform/posix/SConscript
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ localenv = env.Clone()
 # 'setup_cantera'
 if localenv['layout'] != 'debian':
     v = sys.version_info
-    localenv['python_module_loc'] = pjoin(localenv['python_prefix'], 'lib',
-                                          'python%i.%i' % v[:2], 'site-packages')
+    if localenv['python_prefix'] == 'USER':
+        localenv['python_module_loc'] = ''
     target = build(localenv.SubstFile('setup_cantera', 'setup_cantera.in'))
     install('$inst_bindir', target)
 
diff --git a/platform/posix/setup_cantera.in b/platform/posix/setup_cantera.in
index a87689a80..77ba64799 100644
--- a/platform/posix/setup_cantera.in
+++ b/platform/posix/setup_cantera.in
@@ -26,10 +26,12 @@ if [ "@matlab_toolbox@" = "y" ]; then
     export MATLABPATH
 fi
 
-if [ -z $PYTHONPATH ]; then
-    PYTHONPATH=@python_module_loc@
-else
-    PYTHONPATH=@python_module_loc@:$PYTHONPATH
+if [ "@python_module_loc@" != "" ]; then
+    if [ -z $PYTHONPATH ]; then
+        PYTHONPATH=@python_module_loc@
+    else
+        PYTHONPATH=@python_module_loc@:$PYTHONPATH
+    fi
 fi
 
 if [ "@python_array_home@" != "" ]; then
diff --git a/src/python/SConscript b/src/python/SConscript
index 06da1a455..2544a71ad 100644
--- a/src/python/SConscript
+++ b/src/python/SConscript
@@ -76,7 +76,10 @@ localenv.AddPostAction(make_setup,
                                                                    extraArgs))
 
 # Install the Python module
-if localenv['python_prefix']:
+if localenv['python_prefix'] == 'USER':
+    # Install to the platform-specific user site-packages directory
+    extra = '--user'
+elif localenv['python_prefix']:
     # A specific location for the Cantera python module has been specified
     extra = '--prefix="%s"' % localenv['python_prefix']
 else: