diff --git a/DOCS/documentation.html b/DOCS/documentation.html
index 610b70e648..c454cca363 100644
--- a/DOCS/documentation.html
+++ b/DOCS/documentation.html
@@ -1616,8 +1616,30 @@ end
 
 <H2><A NAME="sgi">6.5 Silicon Graphics / IRIX</A></H2>
 
-<P>Reported working. You'll probably have to use the <I>SGI</I> ao driver.
-  Anyone has closer info?</P>
+<P>You can either try to install the GNU install program, and (if you did not
+  put it in your global path) then point to the location with:</P>
+<PRE>
+  ./configure --install-path=PATH
+</PRE>
+<P>Or you can use the default install delivered with IRIX 6.5 in which case you
+  will have to edit the Makefile a littlebit by hand. Change the following two
+  lines:</P>
+<PRE>
+  $(INSTALL) -c -m 644 DOCS/mplayer.1 $(MANDIR)/man1/mplayer.1
+
+  $(INSTALL) -c -m 644 etc/codecs.conf $(CONFDIR)/codecs.conf
+</PRE>
+<P>to:</P>
+<PRE>
+  $(INSTALL) -m 644 mplayer.1 $(MANDIR)/man1/
+
+  $(INSTALL) -m 644 codecs.conf $(CONFDIR)/
+</PRE>
+<P>And then do (from within the MPlayer source dir):</P>
+<PRE>
+  cp DOCS/mplayer.1 . ; cp etc/codecs.conf .
+</PRE>
+<P>and then go on with building and installing.</P>
 
 
 <H2><A NAME="qnx">6.6 QNX</A></H2>
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8273720be0..10ce849545 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,16 +16,12 @@ ifeq ($(STRIPBINARIES),yes)
 INSTALLSTRIP = -s
 endif
 
-
 # These subdirectories require installation due to binaries within them.
 ifeq ($(VIDIX),yes)
 SUBDIRS += libdha vidix
 DO_MAKE = @ for i in $(SUBDIRS); do $(MAKE) -C $$i $@; done
 endif
 
-# a BSD compatible 'install' program
-INSTALL = install
-
 SRCS_COMMON = cpudetect.c codec-cfg.c cfgparser.c my_profile.c spudec.c playtree.c playtreeparser.c asxparser.c vobsub.c subreader.c sub_cc.c find_sub.c m_config.c m_option.c parser-cfg.c m_struct.c
 SRCS_MENCODER = mencoder.c mp_msg-mencoder.c $(SRCS_COMMON) libao2/afmt.c divx4_vbr.c libvo/aclib.c libvo/osd.c libvo/sub.c libvo/font_load.c libvo/font_load_ft.c xvid_vbr.c parser-mecmd.c
 SRCS_MPLAYER = mplayer.c mp_msg.c $(SRCS_COMMON) mixer.c parser-mpcmd.c
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 81a572d30d..e2efdc2435 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -222,6 +222,9 @@ Miscellaneous options:
   --language=xx          select a language (for translated messages/gui) [en]
                          (Available: $LANGUAGES)
   --enable-shared-pp     install & use shared postprocessing lib
+  --install-path=PATH    the path to a custom install program (useful if
+                         your OS uses a GNU-incompatible install utility by
+                         default and you want to point to the GNU version)
 
 Advanced options:
   --enable-mmx           build with mmx support [autodetect]
@@ -272,6 +275,8 @@ done # for parm in ...
 
 
 # 1st pass checking for vital options
+_install=install
+_ranlib=ranlib
 _cc=gcc
 test "$CC" && _cc="$CC"
 _as=auto
@@ -315,6 +320,9 @@ for ac_option do
   --disable-runtime-cpudetection)
     _runtime_cpudetection=no
     ;;
+  --install-path=*)
+    _install=`echo $ac_option | cut -d '=' -f 2 | sed 's/\/$//'`"/install"
+    ;;
   esac
 done
 
@@ -1036,6 +1044,7 @@ for ac_option do
   --with-extralibdir=*) ;;
   --enable-runtime-cpudetection) ;;
   --disable-runtime-cpudetection) ;;
+  --install-path=*) ;;
 
   # Real 2nd pass
   --enable-mencoder)	_mencoder=yes	;;
@@ -1474,6 +1483,10 @@ die "no awk"
 fi
 fi
 
+# If IRIX we must use ar instead of ranlib (not present on IRIX systems)
+if irix ; then
+  _ranlib='ar -r'
+fi
 
 ######################
 # MAIN TESTS GO HERE #
@@ -4570,7 +4583,8 @@ LIBDIR = \$(DESTDIR)$_libdir
 #AR = ar
 CC = $_cc
 AWK = $_awk
-RANLIB = ranlib
+RANLIB = $_ranlib
+INSTALL = $_install
 # OPTFLAGS = -O4 $_profile $_debug $_march $_mcpu -pipe -fomit-frame-pointer -ffast-math
 OPTFLAGS = $CFLAGS
 EXTRA_INC = $_inc_extra $_inc_gtk