diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 49b5e3c623..42c37b9048 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -656,6 +656,7 @@ dnl plugin scanner locations
 AS_AC_EXPAND(GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED,${libexecdir}/gstreamer-$GST_MAJORMINOR/gst-plugin-scanner)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED,
     "$GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED", [location of the installed gst-plugin-scanner])
+AC_SUBST(GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED)
 
 dnl things for our internal libcheck (must be called even if building
 dnl libcheck is disabled because it defines conditionals)
diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index b48ac37d4b..2e053feb27 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -283,3 +283,15 @@ typelibs_DATA = $(BUILT_GIRSOURCES:.gir=.typelib)
 
 CLEANFILES += $(BUILT_GIRSOURCES) $(typelibs_DATA)
 endif
+
+# try to prevent packaging errors
+check-libexecdir-consistency:
+	if test "${GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED}" != "${libexecdir}/gstreamer-$(GST_MAJORMINOR)/gst-plugin-scanner"; then \
+	  echo "*** Inconsistent libexecdir! Please use ./configure --libexecdir=/foo/bar"; \
+	  echo "*** to set the libexecdir and not make libexecdir=/foo/bar or the like."; \
+	  echo "*** The same goes for prefix, libdir etc."; \
+	  echo "*** ${GST_PLUGIN_SCANNER_INSTALLED} != ${libexecdir}/gstreamer-$(GST_MAJORMINOR)/gst-plugin-scanner"; \
+	  exit 1; \
+	fi
+
+all-local: check-libexecdir-consistency