diff --git a/data/core/commands/core.lua b/data/core/commands/core.lua
index 870a2117..a4cf4d7d 100644
--- a/data/core/commands/core.lua
+++ b/data/core/commands/core.lua
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ command.add(nil, {
   end,
 
   ["core:open-user-module"] = function()
-    core.root_view:open_doc(core.open_doc(EXEDIR .. "/data/user/init.lua"))
+    core.root_view:open_doc(core.open_doc(USERDIR .. "/init.lua"))
   end,
 
   ["core:open-project-module"] = function()
diff --git a/data/core/init.lua b/data/core/init.lua
index 60d01f57..808083d2 100644
--- a/data/core/init.lua
+++ b/data/core/init.lua
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ function core.init()
   CommandView = require "core.commandview"
   Doc = require "core.doc"
 
-  local project_dir = EXEDIR
+  local project_dir = "."
   local files = {}
   for i = 2, #ARGS do
     local info = system.get_file_info(ARGS[i]) or {}
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ end
 
 function core.load_plugins()
   local no_errors = true
-  local files = system.list_dir(EXEDIR .. "/data/plugins")
+  local files = system.list_dir(DATADIR .. "/plugins")
   for _, filename in ipairs(files) do
     local modname = "plugins." .. filename:gsub(".lua$", "")
     local ok = core.try(require, modname)
diff --git a/data/core/style.lua b/data/core/style.lua
index ab597c26..8ab2008e 100644
--- a/data/core/style.lua
+++ b/data/core/style.lua
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@ style.scrollbar_size = common.round(4 * SCALE)
 style.caret_width = common.round(2 * SCALE)
 style.tab_width = common.round(170 * SCALE)
 
-style.font = renderer.font.load(EXEDIR .. "/data/fonts/font.ttf", 14 * SCALE)
-style.big_font = renderer.font.load(EXEDIR .. "/data/fonts/font.ttf", 34 * SCALE)
-style.icon_font = renderer.font.load(EXEDIR .. "/data/fonts/icons.ttf", 14 * SCALE)
-style.code_font = renderer.font.load(EXEDIR .. "/data/fonts/monospace.ttf", 13.5 * SCALE)
+style.font = renderer.font.load(DATADIR .. "/fonts/font.ttf", 14 * SCALE)
+style.big_font = renderer.font.load(DATADIR .. "/fonts/font.ttf", 34 * SCALE)
+style.icon_font = renderer.font.load(DATADIR .. "/fonts/icons.ttf", 14 * SCALE)
+style.code_font = renderer.font.load(DATADIR .. "/fonts/monospace.ttf", 13.5 * SCALE)
 
 style.background = { common.color "#2e2e32" }
 style.background2 = { common.color "#252529" }
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index d87e7154..5c06415a 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -14,8 +14,15 @@ endif
 
 sdl_dep = dependency('sdl2', method: 'config-tool')
 
+lite_cargs = []
+if host_machine.system() == 'windows'
+    lite_cargs += ['-DLITE_XL_DATA_USE_EXEDIR']
+endif
+
 lite_include = include_directories('src')
-install_subdir('data', install_dir : 'bin')
+install_subdir('data/core', install_dir : 'share/lite-xl')
+install_subdir('data/fonts', install_dir : 'share/lite-xl')
+install_subdir('data/plugins', install_dir : 'share/lite-xl')
 
 lite_link_args = []
 if get_option('buildtype') == 'release'
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 3d51abc8..8130e952 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -123,8 +123,39 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     "  SCALE = tonumber(os.getenv(\"LITE_SCALE\")) or SCALE\n"
     "  PATHSEP = package.config:sub(1, 1)\n"
     "  EXEDIR = EXEFILE:match(\"^(.+)[/\\\\].*$\")\n"
-    "  package.path = EXEDIR .. '/data/?.lua;' .. package.path\n"
-    "  package.path = EXEDIR .. '/data/?/init.lua;' .. package.path\n"
+#ifdef LITE_XL_DATA_USE_EXEDIR
+    "  DATADIR = EXEDIR .. '/data'\n"
+#else
+    "  local prefix = EXEDIR:match(\"^(.+)[/\\\\]bin$\")\n"
+    "  DATADIR = prefix and (prefix .. '/share/lite-xl') or (EXEDIR .. '/data')\n"
+    "  USERDIR = os.getenv(\"HOME\") .. '/.config/lite-xl'\n"
+
+"table.insert(package.searchers, 1, function(module_name)\n"
+"  if module_name == 'user' or module_name:match('^user%.') then\n"
+"    return function(x_module_name)\n"
+"      local filename, err\n"
+"      if x_module_name == 'user' then\n"
+"        filename = USERDIR..'/init.lua'\n"
+"      else\n"
+"        local modname = x_module_name:gsub('^user%.', '')\n"
+"        filename, err = package.searchpath(modname, USERDIR..'/?.lua;'..USERDIR..'/?/init.lua')\n"
+"      end\n"
+"      if filename then\n"
+"        local module_f, module_err = loadfile(filename)\n"
+"        if module_f then\n"
+"          return module_f()\n"
+"        else\n"
+"          return nil, module_err\n"
+"        end\n"
+"      else\n"
+"        return nil, err\n"
+"      end\n"
+"    end\n"
+"  end\n"
+"end)\n"
+#endif
+    "  package.path = DATADIR .. '/?.lua;' .. package.path\n"
+    "  package.path = DATADIR .. '/?/init.lua;' .. package.path\n"
     "  core = require('core')\n"
     "  core.init()\n"
     "  core.run()\n"
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index d224b251..66107d7a 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ executable('lite',
     lite_sources + lite_rc,
     include_directories: [lite_include, font_renderer_include],
     dependencies: [lua_dep, sdl_dep, libm, libdl],
+    c_args: lite_cargs,
     link_with: libfontrenderer,
     link_args: lite_link_args,
     install: true,