diff --git a/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index e54f5146..2724a11a 100644
--- a/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,25 @@
 set(MDBX_TOOLS mdbx_chk mdbx_copy mdbx_dump mdbx_load mdbx_stat)
 
+# use, i.e. don't skip the full RPATH for the build tree
+set(CMAKE_SKIP_BUILD_RPATH FALSE)
+
+# when building, don't use the install RPATH already (but later on when installing)
+set(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH FALSE)
+
+# add the automatically determined parts of the RPATH
+# which point to directories outside the build tree to the install RPATH
+set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
+
+# the RPATH to be used when installing, but only if it's not a system directory
+list(FIND CMAKE_PLATFORM_IMPLICIT_LINK_DIRECTORIES "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib" isSystemDir)
+if(isSystemDir EQUAL -1)
+  if(APPLE)
+    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "@executable_path/../lib")
+  else()
+    set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH "\$ORIGIN/../lib")
+  endif()
+endif()
+
 foreach(TOOL ${MDBX_TOOLS})
   if(${CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME} STREQUAL "Windows")
     add_executable(${TOOL} ${TOOL}.c wingetopt.c wingetopt.h)