diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 969fb04523d0a..47f908997fba3 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -414,6 +414,8 @@ ifeq ($(JULIA_BUILD_MODE),release)
 else ifeq ($(JULIA_BUILD_MODE),debug)
 	$(INSTALL_M) $(build_private_libdir)/sys-debug.$(SHLIB_EXT) $(DESTDIR)$(private_libdir)
 endif
+	# Copy depot
+	cp -R -L $(build_private_libdir)/compiled/ $(DESTDIR)$(private_libdir)
 
 	# Copy in all .jl sources as well
 	mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/julia/base $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/julia/test
diff --git a/base/initdefs.jl b/base/initdefs.jl
index d17c7e9e1e02b..852598d04cabd 100644
--- a/base/initdefs.jl
+++ b/base/initdefs.jl
@@ -50,12 +50,20 @@ environments, repo clones, cached compiled package images, and configuration
 files. By default it includes:
 
 1. `~/.julia` where `~` is the user home as appropriate on the system;
-2. an architecture-specific shared system directory, e.g. `/usr/local/share/julia`;
-3. an architecture-independent shared system directory, e.g. `/usr/share/julia`.
-
-So `DEPOT_PATH` might be:
+2. an architecture-specific shared system directory specific to the local host,
+   e.g. `/usr/local/lib/julia`;
+3. an architecture-independent shared system directory specific to the local host,
+   e.g. `/usr/local/share/julia`;
+4. an architecture-specific shared system directory,
+   e.g. `/usr/lib/julia`;
+5. an architecture-independent shared system directory,
+   e.g. `/usr/share/julia`
+
+All directories except the first are relative to the path of the `julia` executable.
+So if Julia is installed to `/usr/bin/julia`, `DEPOT_PATH` might be:
 ```julia
-[joinpath(homedir(), ".julia"), "/usr/local/share/julia", "/usr/share/julia"]
+[joinpath(homedir(), ".julia"), "/usr/local/lib/julia", "/usr/local/share/julia",
+ "/usr/lib/julia", "/usr/share/julia"]
 ```
 The first entry is the "user depot" and should be writable by and owned by the
 current user. The user depot is where: registries are cloned, new package versions
@@ -76,7 +84,7 @@ Here is an overview of some of the subdirectories that may exist in a depot:
 * `artifacts`: Contains content that packages use for which Pkg manages the installation of.
 * `clones`: Contains full clones of package repos. Maintained by `Pkg.jl` and used as a cache.
 * `config`: Contains julia-level configuration such as a `startup.jl`.
-* `compiled`: Contains precompiled `*.ji` files for packages. Maintained by Julia.
+* `compiled`: Contains precompiled `*.ji` and `*.so` files for packages. Maintained by Julia.
 * `dev`: Default directory for `Pkg.develop`. Maintained by `Pkg.jl` and the user.
 * `environments`: Default package environments. For instance the global environment for a specific julia version. Maintained by `Pkg.jl`.
 * `logs`: Contains logs of `Pkg` and `REPL` operations. Maintained by `Pkg.jl` and Julia.
@@ -95,9 +103,13 @@ See also [`JULIA_DEPOT_PATH`](@ref JULIA_DEPOT_PATH), and
 const DEPOT_PATH = String[]
 
 function append_bundled_depot_path!(DEPOT_PATH)
-    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, "..", "local", "share", "julia")
+    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, "..", "local", "foo", LIBDIR, "julia")
+    path in DEPOT_PATH || push!(DEPOT_PATH, path)
+    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, "..", "local", "foo", DATAROOTDIR, "julia")
+    path in DEPOT_PATH || push!(DEPOT_PATH, path)
+    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, LIBDIR, "julia")
     path in DEPOT_PATH || push!(DEPOT_PATH, path)
-    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR, "julia")
+    path = abspath(Sys.BINDIR, DATAROOTDIR, "julia")
     path in DEPOT_PATH || push!(DEPOT_PATH, path)
     return DEPOT_PATH
 end
diff --git a/pkgimage.mk b/pkgimage.mk
index ed5e1095c0229..63a4db9722046 100644
--- a/pkgimage.mk
+++ b/pkgimage.mk
@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ JULIAHOME := $(SRCDIR)
 include $(JULIAHOME)/Make.inc
 include $(JULIAHOME)/stdlib/stdlib.mk
 
-DEPOTDIR := $(build_prefix)/share/julia
-
 # set some influential environment variables
-export JULIA_DEPOT_PATH := $(shell echo $(call cygpath_w,$(DEPOTDIR)))
+export JULIA_DEPOT_PATH := $(shell echo $(call cygpath_w,$(build_private_libdir)))$(PATHSEP)$(shell echo $(call cygpath_w,$(build_datarootdir)/julia))
 export JULIA_LOAD_PATH := @stdlib$(PATHSEP)$(shell echo $(call cygpath_w,$(JULIAHOME)/stdlib))
 unexport JULIA_PROJECT :=
 unexport JULIA_BINDIR :=
@@ -19,13 +17,13 @@ release: $(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/release.image
 debug: $(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/debug.image
 all: release debug
 
-$(DEPOTDIR)/compiled:
+$(build_private_libdir)/compiled:
 	mkdir -p $@
 
 print-depot-path:
 	@$(call PRINT_JULIA, $(call spawn,$(JULIA_EXECUTABLE)) --startup-file=no -e '@show Base.DEPOT_PATH')
 
-$(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/%.image: $(JULIAHOME)/stdlib/Project.toml $(JULIAHOME)/stdlib/Manifest.toml $(INDEPENDENT_STDLIBS_SRCS) $(DEPOTDIR)/compiled
+$(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/%.image: $(JULIAHOME)/stdlib/Project.toml $(JULIAHOME)/stdlib/Manifest.toml $(INDEPENDENT_STDLIBS_SRCS) $(build_private_libdir)/compiled
 	@$(call PRINT_JULIA, JULIA_CPU_TARGET="sysimage" $(call spawn,$(JULIA_EXECUTABLE)) --startup-file=no -e \
 		'Base.Precompilation.precompilepkgs(configs=[``=>Base.CacheFlags(debug_level=2, opt_level=3), ``=>Base.CacheFlags(check_bounds=1, debug_level=2, opt_level=3)])')
 	touch $@
@@ -34,5 +32,5 @@ $(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/release.image: $(build_private_libdir)/sys.$(SHLIB_EXT)
 $(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/debug.image: $(build_private_libdir)/sys-debug.$(SHLIB_EXT)
 
 clean:
-	rm -rf $(DEPOTDIR)/compiled
+	rm -rf $(build_private_libdir)/compiled
 	rm -f $(BUILDDIR)/stdlib/*.image
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 61946e650dee5..8b241255c36e7 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ VERSDIR := v$(shell cut -d. -f1-2 < $(JULIAHOME)/VERSION)
 STDLIBDIR := $(build_datarootdir)/julia/stdlib/$(VERSDIR)
 # TODO: this Makefile ignores BUILDDIR, except for computing JULIA_EXECUTABLE
 
-export JULIA_DEPOT_PATH := $(build_prefix)/share/julia
+export JULIA_DEPOT_PATH := $(shell echo $(call cygpath_w,$(build_private_libdir)))
 export JULIA_LOAD_PATH := @$(PATHSEP)@stdlib
 unexport JULIA_PROJECT :=
 unexport JULIA_BINDIR :=
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ relocatedepot:
 	@cd $(SRCDIR) && \
 	$(call PRINT_JULIA, $(call spawn,$(JULIA_EXECUTABLE)) $(TEST_JULIA_OPTIONS) ./runtests.jl $(TEST_SCRIPT_OPTIONS) $@)
 	@mkdir $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
-	@cp -R $(build_datarootdir)/julia $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
+	@cp -R $(build_datarootdir)/julia/* $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
+	@cp -R $(build_private_libdir)/compiled $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg1 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg2 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg3 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ revise-relocatedepot: revise-% :
 	@cd $(SRCDIR) && \
 	$(call PRINT_JULIA, $(call spawn,$(JULIA_EXECUTABLE)) $(TEST_JULIA_OPTIONS) ./runtests.jl $(TEST_SCRIPT_OPTIONS) --revise $*)
 	@mkdir $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
-	@cp -R $(build_datarootdir)/julia $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
+	@cp -R $(build_datarootdir)/julia/* $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
+	@cp -R $(build_private_libdir)/compiled $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg1 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg2 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
 	@cp -R $(SRCDIR)/RelocationTestPkg3 $(SRCDIR)/relocatedepot
diff --git a/test/embedding/Makefile b/test/embedding/Makefile
index 4be4974e864cd..9e613c1468764 100644
--- a/test/embedding/Makefile
+++ b/test/embedding/Makefile
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ EXE := $(suffix $(abspath $(JULIA)))
 
 # get compiler and linker flags. (see: `contrib/julia-config.jl`)
 JULIA_CONFIG := $(JULIA) -e 'include(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR, "julia", "julia-config.jl"))' --
-JULIA_LIBDIR := $(shell $(JULIA) -e 'println(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, "..", "lib"))' --)
+JULIA_LIBDIR := $(shell $(JULIA) -e 'println(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.LIBDIR))' --)
 CPPFLAGS_ADD :=
 CFLAGS_ADD = $(shell $(JULIA_CONFIG) --cflags)
 LDFLAGS_ADD = -lm $(shell $(JULIA_CONFIG) --ldflags --ldlibs)
diff --git a/test/relocatedepot.jl b/test/relocatedepot.jl
index e8758365e3ff4..4ef9833d08549 100644
--- a/test/relocatedepot.jl
+++ b/test/relocatedepot.jl
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ else
     @testset "load stdlib from test/relocatedepot" begin
         test_harness() do
             push!(LOAD_PATH, "@stdlib")
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot", "julia"))
+            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
             # stdlib should be already precompiled
             pkg = Base.identify_package("DelimitedFiles")
             @test Base.isprecompiled(pkg) == true
@@ -264,8 +264,7 @@ else
         pkgname = "RelocationTestPkg1"
         test_harness() do
             push!(LOAD_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot")) # required to find src files
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot", "julia")) # contains cache file
+            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
             pkg = Base.identify_package(pkgname)
             @test Base.isprecompiled(pkg) == true
             @test Base.isrelocatable(pkg) == true
@@ -276,8 +275,7 @@ else
         pkgname = "RelocationTestPkg2"
         test_harness() do
             push!(LOAD_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot")) # required to find src files
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot", "julia")) # contains cache file
+            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
             pkg = Base.identify_package(pkgname)
             @test Base.isprecompiled(pkg) == false # moving depot changes mtime of include_dependency
             @test Base.isrelocatable(pkg) == false # because not precompiled
@@ -294,8 +292,7 @@ else
         pkgname = "RelocationTestPkg3"
         test_harness() do
             push!(LOAD_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot")) # required to find src files
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot", "julia")) # contains cache file
+            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
             pkg = Base.identify_package(pkgname)
             @test Base.isprecompiled(pkg) == true
             @test Base.isrelocatable(pkg) == true
@@ -309,8 +306,7 @@ else
         pkgname = "RelocationTestPkg4"
         test_harness() do
             push!(LOAD_PATH, @__DIR__, "relocatedepot")
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot")) # required to find src files
-            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot", "julia")) # contains cache file
+            push!(DEPOT_PATH, joinpath(@__DIR__, "relocatedepot"))
             pkg = Base.identify_package(pkgname)
             # precompiled but not relocatable
             @test Base.isprecompiled(pkg) == true
diff --git a/test/trimming/Makefile b/test/trimming/Makefile
index 3c1de9555e439..66d98adf89092 100644
--- a/test/trimming/Makefile
+++ b/test/trimming/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ EXE := $(suffix $(abspath $(JULIA)))
 
 # get compiler and linker flags. (see: `contrib/julia-config.jl`)
 JULIA_CONFIG := $(JULIA) -e 'include(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.DATAROOTDIR, "julia", "julia-config.jl"))' --
-JULIA_LIBDIR := $(shell $(JULIA)  --startup-file=no -e 'println(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, "..", "lib"))' --)
+JULIA_LIBDIR := $(shell $(JULIA)  --startup-file=no -e 'println(joinpath(Sys.BINDIR, Base.LIBDIR))' --)
 CPPFLAGS_ADD :=
 CFLAGS_ADD = $(shell $(JULIA_CONFIG) --cflags)
 LDFLAGS_ADD = -lm $(shell $(JULIA_CONFIG) --ldflags --ldlibs) -ljulia-internal