diff --git a/ggml/CMakeLists.txt b/ggml/CMakeLists.txt
index 0176ca1ce9..c8d6ff0af2 100644
--- a/ggml/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ggml/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -79,9 +79,12 @@ if (WIN32)
     set(CMAKE_SHARED_MODULE_PREFIX  "")
 endif()
 
-option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS           "ggml: build shared libraries" ${BUILD_SHARED_LIBS_DEFAULT})
-option(GGML_BACKEND_DL             "ggml: build backends as dynamic libraries (requires BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)" OFF)
-set(GGML_BACKEND_DIR "" CACHE PATH "ggml: directory to load dynamic backends from (requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS                                  "ggml: build shared libraries" ${BUILD_SHARED_LIBS_DEFAULT})
+option(GGML_BACKEND_DL                                    "ggml: build backends as dynamic libraries (requires BUILD_SHARED_LIBS)" OFF)
+set(GGML_BACKEND_DIR                        "" CACHE PATH "ggml: DEPRECATED: directory to load dynamic backends from (requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+set(GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR                "" CACHE PATH "ggml: directory to install dynamic backends into (requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+set(GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR        "" CACHE PATH "ggml: directory to load dynamic backends from (requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+set(GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR "" CACHE PATH "ggml: directory relative to the executable to load dynamic backends from (requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
 
 #
 # option list
diff --git a/ggml/src/CMakeLists.txt b/ggml/src/CMakeLists.txt
index 6192a87046..ae6727f76e 100644
--- a/ggml/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/ggml/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -231,11 +231,32 @@ set_target_properties(ggml PROPERTIES
 )
 
 if (GGML_BACKEND_DIR)
+    message(WARNING "GGML_BACKEND_DIR is deprecated: use GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR along with GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR or GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR instead")
     if (NOT GGML_BACKEND_DL)
         message(FATAL_ERROR "GGML_BACKEND_DIR requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
     endif()
+    if (GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR OR GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR OR GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Cannot use GGML_BACKEND_DIR with GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR, GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR, or GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR")
+    endif()
     target_compile_definitions(ggml PUBLIC GGML_BACKEND_DIR="${GGML_BACKEND_DIR}")
 endif()
+if (GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR)
+    if (NOT GGML_BACKEND_DL)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+    endif()
+endif()
+if (GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR)
+    if (NOT GGML_BACKEND_DL)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+    endif()
+    target_compile_definitions(ggml PUBLIC GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR="${GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR}")
+endif()
+if (GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR)
+    if (NOT GGML_BACKEND_DL)
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR requires GGML_BACKEND_DL")
+    endif()
+    target_compile_definitions(ggml PUBLIC GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR="${GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR}")
+endif()
 
 target_link_libraries(ggml PUBLIC ggml-base)
 
@@ -251,7 +272,11 @@ function(ggml_add_backend_library backend)
         target_compile_definitions(${backend} PRIVATE GGML_BACKEND_DL)
         add_dependencies(ggml ${backend})
         if (GGML_BACKEND_DIR)
+            # NOTE: GGML_BACKEND_DIR is deprecated, use GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR along with
+            # GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR or GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR instead.
             install(TARGETS ${backend} LIBRARY DESTINATION ${GGML_BACKEND_DIR})
+        elseif (GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR)
+            install(TARGETS ${backend} LIBRARY DESTINATION ${GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR})
         else()
             install(TARGETS ${backend} LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR})
         endif()
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
index 4181a714ad..6081f4c18e 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-backend-reg.cpp
@@ -527,11 +527,20 @@ static ggml_backend_reg_t ggml_backend_load_best(const char * name, bool silent,
 
     std::vector<fs::path> search_paths;
     if (user_search_path == nullptr) {
+        const fs::path executable_path = get_executable_path();
+#ifdef GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR
+        search_paths.push_back(executable_path / fs::u8path(GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR));
+#endif
 #ifdef GGML_BACKEND_DIR
+        // NOTE: GGML_BACKEND_DIR is deprecated, use GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR or
+        // GGML_BACKEND_RELATIVE_TO_EXE_SEARCH_DIR along with GGML_BACKEND_INSTALL_DIR instead.
         search_paths.push_back(fs::u8path(GGML_BACKEND_DIR));
+#endif
+#ifdef GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR
+        search_paths.push_back(fs::u8path(GGML_BACKEND_ABSOLUTE_SEARCH_DIR));
 #endif
         // default search paths: executable directory, current directory
-        search_paths.push_back(get_executable_path());
+        search_paths.push_back(executable_path);
         search_paths.push_back(fs::current_path());
     } else {
         search_paths.push_back(fs::u8path(user_search_path));