diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c018ef2d..9c9aa85f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,5 +14,6 @@ install(
     FILES
     "cmake/xo_cxx.cmake"
     "cmake/code-coverage.cmake"
+    PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ GROUP_READ WORLD_READ
     DESTINATION share/cmake/${XO_PROJECT_NAME}
 )
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a06e0291..c5c6353d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,10 +12,17 @@ Collects cmake macros to be shared across XO projects (e.g. indentlog, reflect,
 In some XO project `foo`:
 ```
 $ cd build
-$ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=/usr/local/share/cmake ..
+$ PREFIX=/usr/local # or wherever you prefer
+$ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PREFIX}/share/cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${PREFIX} ..
+$ make install
 ```
 
 then in `foo/CMakeLists.txt`:
 ```
 include(xo_macros/xo_cxx)
 ```
+
+when configuring `foo`:
+```
+$ cmake -DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH=${PREFIX}/share/cmake path/to/foo
+```
diff --git a/cmake/xo_cxx.cmake b/cmake/xo_cxx.cmake
index f55a851e..6a402cca 100644
--- a/cmake/xo_cxx.cmake
+++ b/cmake/xo_cxx.cmake
@@ -191,7 +191,10 @@ endmacro()
 # use this to install typical include file subtree
 #
 macro(xo_install_include_tree)
-    install(DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/ DESTINATION include)
+    install(
+        DIRECTORY ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/
+        FILE_PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ GROUP_READ WORLD_READ
+        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/include)
 endmacro()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -248,13 +251,14 @@ macro(xo_export_cmake_config projectname projectversion projecttargets)
     )
     install(
         EXPORT ${projecttargets}
-        DESTINATION lib/cmake/${projectname}
-    )
+        PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ GROUP_READ WORLD_READ
+        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib/cmake/${projectname})
     install(
         FILES
         "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/${projectname}ConfigVersion.cmake"
         "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/${projectname}Config.cmake"
-        DESTINATION lib/cmake/${projectname}
+        PERMISSIONS OWNER_READ GROUP_READ WORLD_READ
+        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib/cmake/${projectname}
     )
 endmacro()