diff --git a/build/autoconf/config.status.m4 b/build/autoconf/config.status.m4
index 99c90f43018a..e1f3a433777a 100644
--- a/build/autoconf/config.status.m4
+++ b/build/autoconf/config.status.m4
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@ define([AC_SUBST_FFLAGS], )
 define([AC_SUBST_DEFS], )
 define([AC_SUBST_LDFLAGS], )
 define([AC_SUBST_LIBS], )
+define([AC_SUBST_exec_prefix], )
+define([AC_SUBST_prefix], )
+define([AC_SUBST_datadir], )
+define([AC_SUBST_libdir], )
+define([AC_SUBST_includedir], )
 
 dnl Wrap AC_DEFINE to store values in a format suitable for python.
 dnl autoconf's AC_DEFINE still needs to be used to fill confdefs.h,
diff --git a/build/moz.configure/init.configure b/build/moz.configure/init.configure
index dc4bec104ca8..360f76368458 100644
--- a/build/moz.configure/init.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/init.configure
@@ -1338,3 +1338,37 @@ def valid_mozillabuild_version(mozillabuild_version):
         die(
             f"Please upgrade MozillaBuild. You can find a recent version at: https://wiki.mozilla.org/MozillaBuild"
         )
+
+
+# old-school options for controlling install step
+# ==============================================================
+option(
+    "--prefix",
+    nargs=1,
+    metavar="PREFIX",
+    default="/usr/local",
+    help="install files using PREFIX as root directory",
+)
+set_config("prefix", depends("--prefix")(lambda prefix: prefix[0]))
+
+# Unlike autoconf, we don't offer these as a customisation point.
+set_config("exec_prefix", depends("--prefix")(lambda prefix: prefix[0]))
+set_config("datadir", depends("--prefix")(lambda prefix: f"{prefix[0]}/share"))
+
+option(
+    "--includedir",
+    nargs=1,
+    metavar="DIR",
+    default=depends("--prefix")(lambda prefix: f"{prefix[0]}/include"),
+    help="C header files in DIR",
+)
+set_config("includedir", depends("--includedir")(lambda idir: idir[0]))
+
+option(
+    "--libdir",
+    nargs=1,
+    metavar="DIR",
+    default=depends("--prefix")(lambda prefix: f"{prefix[0]}/lib"),
+    help="object code libraries in DIR",
+)
+set_config("libdir", depends("--libdir")(lambda ldir: ldir[0]))
diff --git a/build/moz.configure/old.configure b/build/moz.configure/old.configure
index b6f784d41f3e..579dc0d8d123 100644
--- a/build/moz.configure/old.configure
+++ b/build/moz.configure/old.configure
@@ -96,11 +96,7 @@ def old_configure_options(*options):
 
 @old_configure_options(
     "--cache-file",
-    "--datadir",
     "--enable-official-branding",
-    "--includedir",
-    "--libdir",
-    "--prefix",
     "--with-branding",
     "--x-includes",
     "--x-libraries",
@@ -126,6 +122,9 @@ def old_configure_for(old_configure_path, extra_env=None):
     @depends(
         prepare_configure,
         prepare_configure_options,
+        "--prefix",
+        "--includedir",
+        "--libdir",
         prefer_mozillabuild_path,
         altered_path,
         extra_env,
@@ -154,6 +153,9 @@ def old_configure_for(old_configure_path, extra_env=None):
     def old_configure(
         prepare_configure,
         prepare_configure_options,
+        prefix,
+        includedir,
+        libdir,
         prefer_mozillabuild_path,
         altered_path,
         extra_env,
@@ -270,7 +272,16 @@ def old_configure_for(old_configure_path, extra_env=None):
                 except OSError as e:
                     die("Failed re-creating old-configure: %s" % e.message)
 
-        cmd = [shell, old_configure] + prepare_configure_options.options
+        old_configure_options = {
+            "prefix": prefix[0],
+            "includedir": includedir[0],
+            "libdir": libdir[0],
+        }
+        cmd = (
+            [shell, old_configure]
+            + prepare_configure_options.options
+            + [f"--{k}={v}" for k, v in old_configure_options.items()]
+        )
 
         env = dict(os.environ)