diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6b83cd47..4d19ce98 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -25,14 +25,10 @@ EXENAME := spreed-webrtc-server
 
 CONFIG_FILE ?= spreed-webrtc-server.conf
 CONFIG_PATH ?= /etc
-VENDOR_GOPATH ?= $(CURDIR)/vendor
 GOBUILDFLAGS ?=
 GOTESTFLAGS ?=
 DESTDIR ?= /
 
-export GOPATH = $(VENDOR_GOPATH):$(CURDIR)
-
-SYSTEM_GOPATH := /usr/share/gocode/src/
 OUTPUT := $(CURDIR)/bin
 OUTPUT_JS := $(CURDIR)/build/out
 
@@ -53,7 +49,14 @@ build: binary assets
 gopath:
 	@echo GOPATH=$(GOPATH)
 
+if READONLY_VENDOR_GOPATH
+export GOPATH = $(DIST):$(CURDIR)
+get: $(DIST)
+	ln -sf $(VENDOR_GOPATH)/src -t $(DIST)
+else
+export GOPATH = $(VENDOR_GOPATH):$(CURDIR)
 get:
+endif
 	$(GO) get app/...
 
 getupdate: vendorclean get
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@ test: get
 assets: javascript fonts
 
 releaseassets: RJSFLAGS = generateSourceMaps=false preserveLicenseComments=true
-releaseassets: dist_gopath assets
+releaseassets: assets
 
 fonts:
 	$(MKDIR_P) $(CURDIR)/static/fonts
@@ -111,13 +114,9 @@ extract-i18n:
 update-i18n:
 	cd $(CURDIR)/src/i18n && $(MAKE) update
 
-release: GOPATH = $(DIST):$(VENDOR_GOPATH):$(CURDIR)
 release: LDFLAGS = -X main.version $(PACKAGE_VERSION) -X main.defaultConfig $(CONFIG_PATH)/$(CONFIG_FILE)
 release: OUTPUT = $(DIST_BIN)
-release: dist_gopath $(DIST_BIN) binary releaseassets
-
-releasetest: GOPATH = $(DIST):$(VENDOR_GOPATH):$(CURDIR)
-releasetest: dist_gopath test
+release: $(DIST_BIN) binary releaseassets
 
 install:
 	echo $(BIN)
@@ -159,16 +158,12 @@ vendorclean:
 pristine: distclean vendorclean
 	rm -f server.conf
 
-$(DIST_SRC):
+$(DIST):
 	$(MKDIR_P) $@
 
 $(DIST_BIN):
 	$(MKDIR_P) $@
 
-dist_gopath: $(DIST_SRC)
-	$(FIND) $(SYSTEM_GOPATH) -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type d \
-			-exec ln -sf {} $(DIST_SRC) \;
-
 tarball: TARPATH = $(DIST)/$(PACKAGE_NAME)-$(PACKAGE_VERSION)
 tarball: BIN = $(TARPATH)/loader
 tarball: CONFIG_DIR = $(TARPATH)/loader
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d64b67ff..19116fbc 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -89,6 +89,13 @@ AX_COMPARE_VERSION([$GO_VERSION], [lt], [$GO_VERSION_MIN],
     [AC_MSG_ERROR([Please install Go $GO_VERSION_MIN or newer before trying to build spreed-webrtc (found Go $GO_VERSION).])])
 AC_SUBST(GO)
 
+AC_ARG_VAR(VENDOR_GOPATH, [Path used to locate third-party Go code, defaults to $PWD/vendor])
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([third-party Go source code path])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([DEFAULT_VENDOR_GOPATH], [test x"${VENDOR_GOPATH}" == x""])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([READONLY_VENDOR_GOPATH], [test -n "${VENDOR_GOPATH}" -a ! -w "${VENDOR_GOPATH}"])
+AM_COND_IF(DEFAULT_VENDOR_GOPATH, [AC_SUBST(VENDOR_GOPATH, $PWD/vendor)])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([$VENDOR_GOPATH])
+
 AC_PATH_PROGS([NODEJS],[nodejs node])
 if test x"${NODEJS}" == x"" ; then
     AC_MSG_ERROR([Please install node.js before trying to build spreed-webrtc.])