diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 9dee76b5..6b2f1c9a 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -196,4 +196,4 @@ libsub_root_a_SOURCES = \
 	thread_worker.h
 
 
-AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir) -I$(top_srcdir)
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(srcdir) -I$(top_srcdir) -DPACKAGE_DATADIR=\"$(pkgdatadir)\"
diff --git a/src/rpc/lua.cc b/src/rpc/lua.cc
index e998eb51..d0ba44b3 100644
--- a/src/rpc/lua.cc
+++ b/src/rpc/lua.cc
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@
 
 namespace rpc {
 
+#ifdef HAVE_LUA
+
 const int         LuaEngine::flag_string;
 const std::string LuaEngine::module_name = "rtorrent";
 const std::string LuaEngine::local_path = LUA_DATADIR "/?.lua;" LUA_DATADIR "/?/init.lua";
 
-#ifdef HAVE_LUA
-
 LuaEngine::LuaEngine() {
   m_luaState = luaL_newstate();
   luaL_openlibs(m_luaState);
diff --git a/src/rpc/lua.h b/src/rpc/lua.h
index 584dc38d..f171f751 100644
--- a/src/rpc/lua.h
+++ b/src/rpc/lua.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #ifdef HAVE_LUA
 #include <lua.hpp>
+#define LUA_DATADIR PACKAGE_DATADIR "/lua"
 #endif
 
 namespace rpc {