diff --git a/GNUmakefile.in b/GNUmakefile.in
index f1a61c0cb0..5e1c3bf88e 100644
--- a/GNUmakefile.in
+++ b/GNUmakefile.in
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ BUILD_GMP = @BUILD_GMP@
 GMP_CPPFLAGS = @GMP_CPPFLAGS@
 GMP_LDFLAGS = @GMP_LDFLAGS@
 GMP_LIBS = @GMP_LIBS@
+GMP_PREFIX = @GMP_PREFIX@
 
 BUILD_ZLIB = @BUILD_ZLIB@
 ZLIB_CPPFLAGS = @ZLIB_CPPFLAGS@
diff --git a/Makefile.rules b/Makefile.rules
index dc619819f4..b099b0e44d 100644
--- a/Makefile.rules
+++ b/Makefile.rules
@@ -642,6 +642,7 @@ install-sysinfo: SYSINFO_LDFLAGS = $(ABI_CFLAGS)
 install-sysinfo: SYSINFO_LIBS =
 install-sysinfo: SYSINFO_GAP = $(libdir)/gap/gap
 install-sysinfo: SYSINFO_GAC = $(bindir)/gac
+install-sysinfo: GMP_PREFIX =
 install-sysinfo:
 	$(INSTALL) -d -m 0755 $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/gap
 	@echo "$$sysinfo_gap" > $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/gap/sysinfo.gap
@@ -901,6 +902,11 @@ GAP_LIBS="$(SYSINFO_LIBS)"
 # Extra flags for use by `gac`
 GAC_CFLAGS="$(GAC_CFLAGS)"
 GAC_LDFLAGS="$(GAC_LDFLAGS)"
+
+# For packages: the search prefix for GMP used by GAP
+# (this is left empty when none was specified, or when
+# GAP is installed via 'make install')
+GMP_PREFIX="$(GMP_PREFIX)"
 endef
 export sysinfo_gap
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 78e3912b24..705c74431b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -531,6 +531,7 @@ BUILD_GMP=no
 GMP_CPPFLAGS=
 GMP_LDFLAGS=
 GMP_LIBS="-lgmp"
+GMP_PREFIX=
 AS_CASE([$with_gmp],
   [builtin],[
     # user explicitly requested to use builtin GMP
@@ -543,6 +544,7 @@ AS_CASE([$with_gmp],
   [system],[with_gmp=yes],  dnl supported for backwards compatibility with old build system
   [yes],[],
   [*],[
+    GMP_PREFIX="${with_gmp}"
     GMP_CPPFLAGS="-I${with_gmp}/include"
     GMP_LDFLAGS="-L${with_gmp}/lib"
   ]
@@ -565,6 +567,7 @@ AS_IF([test $BUILD_GMP = no],
 # Use bundled GMP if requested
 AS_IF([test x$BUILD_GMP = xyes],[
   BUILD_GMP=yes
+  GMP_PREFIX='${abs_builddir}/extern/install/gmp'
   GMP_CPPFLAGS='-I${abs_builddir}/extern/install/gmp/include'
   GMP_LDFLAGS='${abs_builddir}/extern/install/gmp/lib/libgmp.la'
   GMP_LIBS=
@@ -574,6 +577,7 @@ AC_SUBST([BUILD_GMP])
 AC_SUBST([GMP_CPPFLAGS])
 AC_SUBST([GMP_LDFLAGS])
 AC_SUBST([GMP_LIBS])
+AC_SUBST([GMP_PREFIX])
 
 
 dnl Find zlib