diff --git a/make/defs-dev.mk b/make/defs-dev.mk
index ff89cc7e..b6d7ff2e 100644
--- a/make/defs-dev.mk
+++ b/make/defs-dev.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # -- files
 #CONTRIBDIR       ?= $(TOPDIR)/contrib
 PROJECT_DIRNAME  ?= $(PROJECT)
+PROJECTS_DIR     ?= $(CVS_PROJ_DIR)
 PROJECT_DIRPATH  ?= $(shell readlink -f $(TOPDIR))
 PREFIX           ?= $(ENV_PREFIX)$(HOME)/dat/test/$(FLAVOUR_PREFIX)$(PROJECT_DIRNAME)-$(VERSION)
 VAR_PREFIX       ?= $(PREFIX)/var
diff --git a/make/defs-dist.mk b/make/defs-dist.mk
index 32fe7765..e59b6fc3 100644
--- a/make/defs-dist.mk
+++ b/make/defs-dist.mk
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 # -- files
 #CONTRIBDIR       ?= $(TOPDIR)/contrib
 PROJECT_DIRNAME  ?= $(PROJECT)
+PROJECTS_DIR     ?= /opt
 PROJECT_DIRPATH  ?= /opt/$(FLAVOUR_PATH_PREFIX)$(PROJECT_DIRNAME)
 PREFIX           ?= $(ENV_PREFIX)$(PROJECT_DIRPATH)
 VAR_PREFIX       ?= $(ENV_PREFIX)/var/$(FLAVOUR_PATH_PREFIX)lib
diff --git a/make/defs.mk b/make/defs.mk
index 6a3a7d5e..14ed512e 100644
--- a/make/defs.mk
+++ b/make/defs.mk
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ define install_links
 		done;
 endef
 
-proj_query  = $(shell python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py -p $(CVS_PROJ_DIR) $(1))
+proj_query  = $(shell python $(MOD_SCRIPT_DIR)/projects.py -p $(PROJECTS_DIR) $(1))
 proj_dir    = $(call proj_query,proj-dir $(1))
 
 # ----- local.mk