diff --git a/lofarinit.csh.in b/lofarinit.csh.in
index 602a12ecd8af40cb8a84bcbb58e56a39492e17b2..c9c6294da70047fa9cbc092e6c0de26398fccf9e 100644
--- a/lofarinit.csh.in
+++ b/lofarinit.csh.in
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ endif
 set lfr_libdir=`basename $lfr_libdir`
 
 # Get directory for Python extensions
-set lfr_pylibdir=`python -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib; print get_python_lib(plat_specific=True, prefix='')"`
+set lfr_pylibdir=`python -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib; from os.path import join; print join(get_python_lib(plat_specific=True, standard_lib=True, prefix=''), 'site-packages')"`
 
 # Only modify path variables if $lfr_root is an existing directory.
 if (! (-d $lfr_root) ) then
diff --git a/lofarinit.sh.in b/lofarinit.sh.in
index cadb08941e514499971f8fbf9b279e14739eff3e..9f3b8f7c48fd74ddf0eb309b29501a81915e3bbc 100644
--- a/lofarinit.sh.in
+++ b/lofarinit.sh.in
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ fi
 lfr_libdir=`basename $lfr_libdir`
 
 # Get directory for Python extensions
-lfr_pylibdir=`python -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib; print get_python_lib(plat_specific=True, prefix='')"`
+lfr_pylibdir=`python -c "from distutils.sysconfig import get_python_lib; from os.path import join; print join(get_python_lib(plat_specific=True, standard_lib=True, prefix=''), 'site-packages')"`
+
 
 # First strip the current LOFARROOT from PATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH, and PYTHONPATH.
 # Take care that a possible . is preceeded by a backslash (for the later sed).