diff --git a/utils/fgviewer/Makefile.am b/utils/fgviewer/Makefile.am
index c0384d803..9d9b18534 100644
--- a/utils/fgviewer/Makefile.am
+++ b/utils/fgviewer/Makefile.am
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+
+AM_CXXFLAGS = -DPKGDATADIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\"
+
 bin_PROGRAMS = fgviewer
 
 fgviewer_SOURCES = fgviewer.cxx
diff --git a/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx b/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
index 6851dbd5f..42f2104ca 100644
--- a/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
+++ b/utils/fgviewer/fgviewer.cxx
@@ -81,7 +81,11 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
     if (fg_root_env)
         fg_root = fg_root_env;
     else
+#if defined(PKGDATADIR)
+        fg_root = PKGDATADIR;
+#else
         fg_root = ".";
+#endif
 
     osgDB::FilePathList filePathList;
     filePathList.push_back(fg_root);