diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index a0fcc96dcc39e6af733d1d5a3d1e25ae72e6abc9..6ecf73b038f200afc419bd0210b34664ded7e908 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -59,15 +59,6 @@ option(ARB_WITH_NEUROML "build NeuroML support library" OFF)
 
 option(ARB_WITH_PYTHON "enable Python front end" OFF)
 
-if (ARB_WITH_PYTHON)
-    # Find path in which to install the Python module.
-    find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
-    # Ask the above found Python where it keeps its system (platform) packages.
-    execute_process (COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))" OUTPUT_VARIABLE ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH_DEFAULT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
-    # Default to installing in that path
-    set(ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH ${ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH_DEFAULT} CACHE PATH "path for installing Python module for Arbor.")
-endif()
-
 #----------------------------------------------------------
 # Global CMake configuration
 #----------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/python/CMakeLists.txt b/python/CMakeLists.txt
index dd31c7a91671c3dfe8b9c84b381fda79950a4765..f20ffe2dc0eca971060a13a3c39f9648c6f97b36 100644
--- a/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -75,4 +75,9 @@ file(COPY "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/VERSION" DESTINATION "${python_mod_path}")
 
 # Set the installation path
 
+# Ask Python where it keeps its system (platform) packages.
+execute_process (COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE} -c "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('platlib'))" OUTPUT_VARIABLE ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH_DEFAULT OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+# Default to installing in that path, override with user specified ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH
+set(ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH ${ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH_DEFAULT} CACHE PATH "path for installing Python module for Arbor.")
+
 install(DIRECTORY ${python_mod_path} DESTINATION ${ARB_PYTHON_LIB_PATH})