diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index d0469292e..64ecd2a89 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -66,3 +66,7 @@ tests/shredding/config
 
 # Merlin
 *.merlin
+
+# Autogenerated files
+config
+install.inc
diff --git a/dune b/dune
index f5bcb970c..ebfd20965 100644
--- a/dune
+++ b/dune
@@ -18,3 +18,10 @@
   (ocamlopt_flags (:standard
                    -O3 ;; Applies (aggressive) optimisations to the resulting executable.
                   ))))
+
+(install
+ (package links)
+ (section doc)
+ (files (INSTALL as README)))
+
+(include install.inc)
diff --git a/install.inc b/install.inc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d1e46e06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/install.inc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+; this file is empty on purpose
diff --git a/links.opam b/links.opam
index 5abf2c823..2e7100e30 100644
--- a/links.opam
+++ b/links.opam
@@ -10,47 +10,10 @@ license: "GPL-2"
 
 build: [
   [ "dune" "subst" ] {pinned}
+  [ "dune" "exec" "preinstall/preinstall.exe" "--" "-libdir" links:lib ]
   [ "dune" "build" "-p" name "-j" jobs ]
 ]
 
-install: [
-# Install documentation
-  [ "mkdir" "-p" "%{doc}%"                                      ] {with-doc}
-  [ "cp" "INSTALL" "%{doc}%/README"                             ] {with-doc}
-# Copy examples
-  [ "mkdir" "-p" "%{share}%/examples"                           ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/dbsetup %{share}%/examples/dbsetup/" ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.links %{share}%/examples"          ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.jpg %{share}%/examples"            ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.sql %{share}%/examples"            ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.html %{share}%/examples"           ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.css %{share}%/examples"            ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp examples/*.js %{share}%/examples"             ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/dictionary %{share}%/examples/"   ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/games %{share}%/examples/"        ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/sessions %{share}%/examples/"     ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/webserver %{share}%/examples/"    ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "cp -r examples/css %{share}%/examples/"          ]
-# Generate and install a config file
-  [ "touch" "config"                                                  ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "echo jsliburl=/lib/js > config"                          ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "echo jslibdir=%{lib}%/js >> config"               ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "echo #database_driver=postgresql >> config"             ]
-  [ "sh" "-c" "echo #database_args=localhost:5432:user:pass >> config" ]
-  [ "mkdir" "-p" "%{etc}%"                                      ]
-  [ "cp" "config" "%{etc}%"                                     ]
-]
-
-remove: [
-  [ "rm" "-f"  "%{bin}%/linx" ]
-  [ "rm" "-f"  "%{lib}%/prelude.links" ]
-  [ "rm" "-rf" "%{lib}%/stdlib" ]
-  [ "rm" "-rf" "%{lib}%/js" ]
-  [ "rm" "-rf" "%{share}%/examples" ]
-  [ "rm" "-f"  "%{etc}%/config" ]
-  [ "rm" "-f"  "%{doc}%/README" ] {with-doc}
-]
-
 depends: [
   "ocaml" {>= "4.06.0"}
   "dune" {build}
diff --git a/preinstall/dune b/preinstall/dune
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8db21781b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preinstall/dune
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+(executable
+ (name preinstall)
+ (libraries dune.configurator))
diff --git a/preinstall/preinstall.ml b/preinstall/preinstall.ml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8700a9cbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/preinstall/preinstall.ml
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+module C = Configurator.V1
+
+let rec get_content path =
+  let join prefix file = if prefix="" then file else Printf.sprintf "%s/%s" prefix file in
+  if Sys.is_directory path then
+    Array.map (join path) (Sys.readdir path)
+    |> Array.fold_left (fun acc path ->
+        let content = get_content path in
+        Array.append acc content) [||]
+  else
+    [|path|]
+
+let make_stanza section files =
+  Printf.sprintf
+    "(install\n\
+    \  (package links)\n\
+    \  (section %s)\n\
+    \  (files %s))\n"
+    section files
+
+let install_examples contents =
+  contents
+  |> Array.to_list
+  |> List.map (fun file -> Printf.sprintf {|(%s as %s)|} file file)
+  |> String.concat "\n         "
+  |> make_stanza "share"
+
+let install_config =
+  make_stanza "etc" "config"
+
+let write_content filename =
+  let examples =
+    get_content "examples"
+    |> install_examples
+    |> String.split_on_char '\n'
+  in
+  let config =
+    install_config
+    |> String.split_on_char '\n'
+  in
+  C.Flags.write_lines filename (List.concat [examples; config])
+
+
+let config libdir = [
+  "jsliburl=/lib/js";
+  Printf.sprintf "jslibdir=%s/js" libdir;
+  "#database_driver=postgresql";
+  "#database_args=localhost:5432:user:pass" ]
+
+let write_config libdir =
+  config libdir
+  |> C.Flags.write_lines "config"
+
+let _ =
+  let libdir = ref None in
+  let incfile = ref "install.inc" in
+  C.main ~name:"preinstall"
+    ~args:[
+      "-libdir", Arg.String (fun s -> libdir := Some s),
+      "Path to the opam package libdir"
+    ; "-output", Arg.String (fun s -> incfile := s),
+      "Name for the install sexp output (default install.inc)"]
+    (fun _ ->
+       begin match !libdir with
+         | Some libdir -> write_config libdir
+         | _ -> failwith "-libdir is needed"
+       end;
+       write_content !incfile;
+    )
+