--- a/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -75,6 +75,11 @@
 endif()
 add_library(meshlab-common ${TARGET_TYPE} ${SOURCES} ${HEADERS} ${RESOURCES})

+if(NOT WIN32 AND NOT APPLE)
+    target_compile_definitions(
+        meshlab-common PRIVATE MESHLAB_LIB_INSTALL_DIR="${MESHLAB_LIB_INSTALL_DIR}")
+endif()
+
 target_include_directories(meshlab-common PRIVATE ${EXTERNAL_DIR}/easyexif/)
 target_link_libraries(
 	meshlab-common
--- a/common/pluginmanager.cpp
+++ b/common/pluginmanager.cpp
@@ -225,7 +225,21 @@ QMap<QString, RichParameterList> PluginManager::generateFilterParameterMap()
 QString PluginManager::getBaseDirPath()
 {
 	QDir baseDir(qApp->applicationDirPath());
-	
+
+#if defined(Q_OS_LINUX)
+	if (baseDir.dirName() == "bin") {
+		baseDir.cdUp();
+#ifdef MESHLAB_LIB_INSTALL_DIR
+		baseDir.cd(MESHLAB_LIB_INSTALL_DIR);
+#else
+		baseDir.cd("lib");
+		if(baseDir.exists("meshlab")) {
+			baseDir.cd("meshlab");
+		}
+#endif // MESHLAB_LIB_INSTALL_DIR
+	}
+#endif
+
 #if defined(Q_OS_WIN)
 	// Windows:
 	// during development with visual studio binary could be in the debug/release subdir.