Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/IssmConfig/IssmConfig.cpp
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/IssmConfig/IssmConfig.cpp	(revision 16127)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/IssmConfig/IssmConfig.cpp	(revision 16128)
@@ -78,4 +78,9 @@
 		#endif
 	}
+	else if(strcmp(name,"ISSM_PREFIX")==0){
+		isstring = true;
+		svalue =xNew<char>(strlen(ISSM_PREFIX)+1);
+		xMemCpy<char>(svalue,ISSM_PREFIX,(strlen(ISSM_PREFIX)+1));
+	}
 	else{
 		_error_("variable " << name << " not supported yet");
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/matlab/Makefile.am
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/matlab/Makefile.am	(revision 16127)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/matlab/Makefile.am	(revision 16128)
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@
 
 EXEEXT=$(MATLABWRAPPEREXT)
+
+#define prefix (from http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.67/html_node/Defining-Directories.html)
+AM_CPPFLAGS+=  -DISSM_PREFIX='"$(prefix)"'
 
 #matlab io{{{
@@ -19,4 +22,5 @@
 
 ALLCXXFLAGS= -fPIC -D_GNU_SOURCE -fno-omit-frame-pointer -pthread -D_CPP_ -D_WRAPPERS_ $(CXXFLAGS) $(CXXOPTFLAGS) 
+
 libISSMMatlab_a_SOURCES = $(io_sources)
 libISSMMatlab_a_CXXFLAGS= $(ALLCXXFLAGS)
Index: /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/python/Makefile.am
===================================================================
--- /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/python/Makefile.am	(revision 16127)
+++ /issm/trunk-jpl/src/wrappers/python/Makefile.am	(revision 16128)
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 AM_CPPFLAGS = @DAKOTAINCL@ @PETSCINCL@ @MPIINCL@ @SPOOLESINCL@ @METISINCL@ @TRIANGLEINCL@ @CHACOINCL@ @SCOTCHINCL@ @SHAPELIBINCL@ @PYTHONINCL@ @PYTHON_NUMPYINCL@ @AMPIINCL@
-
 #AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = subdir-objects
 
 EXEEXT=$(PYTHONWRAPPEREXT)
+
+#define prefix (from http://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/manual/autoconf-2.67/html_node/Defining-Directories.html)
+AM_CPPFLAGS+=  -DISSM_PREFIX='"$(prefix)"'
 
 #python io{{{