diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f02a367156..fecf3831f6 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 GO ?= go
+DESTDIR ?= /
 EPOCH_TEST_COMMIT ?= 7462ebe830b256e9e145d133c824de5dfd23045d
 HEAD ?= HEAD
 CHANGELOG_BASE ?= HEAD~
@@ -240,8 +241,8 @@ install.systemd:
 	install ${SELINUXOPT} -m 644 -D contrib/varlink/podman.conf ${TMPFILESDIR}/podman.conf
 
 install.python:
-	$(MAKE) -C contrib/python/podman install
-	$(MAKE) -C contrib/python/pypodman install
+	$(MAKE) DESTDIR=${DESTDIR} -C contrib/python/podman install
+	$(MAKE) DESTDIR=${DESTDIR} -C contrib/python/pypodman install
 
 uninstall:
 	for i in $(filter %.1,$(MANPAGES)); do \
diff --git a/contrib/python/podman/Makefile b/contrib/python/podman/Makefile
index 0a0804566a..7096f6152d 100644
--- a/contrib/python/podman/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/python/podman/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 PYTHON ?= /usr/bin/python3
+DESTDIR ?= /
 
 .PHONY: python-podman
 python-podman:
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ integration:
 
 .PHONY: install
 install:
-	$(PYTHON) setup.py install
+	$(PYTHON) setup.py install --root ${DESTDIR}
 
 .PHONY: clobber
 clobber: uninstall clean
diff --git a/contrib/python/pypodman/Makefile b/contrib/python/pypodman/Makefile
index 6bc5b968b6..fb25776faf 100644
--- a/contrib/python/pypodman/Makefile
+++ b/contrib/python/pypodman/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 PYTHON ?= /usr/bin/python3
+DESTDIR := /
 
 .PHONY: python-pypodman
 python-pypodman:
@@ -14,7 +15,7 @@ integration:
 
 .PHONY: install
 install:
-	$(PYTHON) setup.py install
+	$(PYTHON) setup.py install --root ${DESTDIR}
 
 .PHONY: clobber
 clobber: uninstall clean