diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 60df45a6d7..05395073b6 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -255,26 +255,25 @@ AC_SUBST(GTK_CFLAGS)
 AC_SUBST(HAVE_GTK)
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_GDK_LOADERS, test "x$HAVE_GTK_22" = "xyes")
 
+GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR="\$(libdir)/gtk-2.0/\$(GTK_VERSION)"
 AC_ARG_WITH(gdk-pixbuf-loader-dir, 
    AC_HELP_STRING([--with-gdk-pixbuf-loader-dir],
    	[directory to install the gdk_pixbuf loader]),
    [if test "x${withval}" != x ; then
-   	GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR=${withval}
-    else
-   	GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR="\$(libdir)/gtk-2.0/\$(GTK_VERSION)"
+   	GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR="${withval}"
     fi
 ])
+AC_SUBST(GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR)
 
 GDK_PIXBUF_CONFFILE="\$(sysconfdir)/gtk-2.0/gdk-pixbuf.loaders"
 AC_ARG_WITH(gdk-pixbuf-conffile, 
    AC_HELP_STRING([--with-gdk-pixbuf-conffile],
    	[path to the gdk_pixbuf config file]),
    [if test "x${withval}" != x ; then
-   	GDK_PIXBUF_CONFFILE=${withval}
-    else
-   	GDK_PIXBUF_CONFFILE="\$(sysconfdir)/gtk-2.0/gdk-pixbuf.loaders"
+   	GDK_PIXBUF_CONFFILE="${withval}"
     fi
 ])
+AC_SUBST(GDK_PIXBUF_CONFFILE)
 
 dnl ===========================================================================
 dnl ============================= gst plug-ins ================================
diff --git a/ext/gdk_pixbuf/Makefile.am b/ext/gdk_pixbuf/Makefile.am
index ae023aab28..7b19e3de7d 100644
--- a/ext/gdk_pixbuf/Makefile.am
+++ b/ext/gdk_pixbuf/Makefile.am
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ libgstgdkpixbuf_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS)
 
 
 if HAVE_GDK_LOADERS
-loaderdir = $(GDK_PIXBUF_LIBDIR)/gtk-2.0/$(GTK_VERSION)/loaders
+loaderdir = $(GDK_PIXBUF_LOADER_DIR)/gtk-2.0/$(GTK_VERSION)/loaders
 loader_LTLIBRARIES = gst_loader.la
 
 gst_loader_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS) $(GTK_CFLAGS) -DGDK_PIXBUF_ENABLE_BACKEND