diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6221097a..9e4a6fe9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # other stuff
 /doc/build
 /build*
+/dist
 
 # Created by http://www.gitignore.io
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 26b5df2d..f4dce4fd 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,10 +10,15 @@ include(ExternalProject)
 # Set default ExternalProject root directory
 set_directory_properties(PROPERTIES EP_PREFIX ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/3rdparty)
 
-option(pfasst_DISABLE_LIBCXX "Disable use of LLVM's libstdc++ when compiling with Clang." ON)
+option(pfasst_DISABLE_LIBCXX "Disable use of LLVM's libc++ when compiling with Clang." ON)
 option(pfasst_BUILD_EXAMPLES "Build example programs." ON)
 option(pfasst_BUILD_TESTS "Build test suite for PFASST." ON)
 
+# output directories
+set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${pfasst_SOURCE_DIR}/dist/bin")
+set(CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${pfasst_SOURCE_DIR}/dist/lib")
+set(CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY "${pfasst_SOURCE_DIR}/dist/lib")
+
 # check for C++11 support
 if(${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID} MATCHES GNU)
     check_cxx_compiler_flag(-std=c++11 HAVE_STD11)
diff --git a/examples/advection_diffusion/CMakeLists.txt b/examples/advection_diffusion/CMakeLists.txt
index e6f16eeb..ffa92cbc 100644
--- a/examples/advection_diffusion/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/examples/advection_diffusion/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,39 +5,19 @@ include_directories(
     ${pfasst_INCLUDES}
 )
 
-set(ex1_SOURCES
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ex1.cpp
+set(advec_examples
+    vanilla_sdc
+    serial_mlsdc
+    serial_mlsdc_autobuild
 )
 
-add_executable(ex1 ${ex1_SOURCES})
-add_dependencies(ex1 fftw3)
-target_link_libraries(ex1
-    ${fftw3_LIBS}
-)
-set_target_properties(ex1
-    PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${pfasst_BINARY_DIR}/examples
-)
-
-set(ex2_SOURCES
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ex2.cpp
-)
-add_executable(ex2 ${ex2_SOURCES})
-add_dependencies(ex2 fftw3)
-target_link_libraries(ex2
-    ${fftw3_LIBS}
-)
-set_target_properties(ex2
-    PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${pfasst_BINARY_DIR}/examples
-)
-
-set(ex3_SOURCES
-    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ex3.cpp
-)
-add_executable(ex3 ${ex3_SOURCES})
-add_dependencies(ex3 fftw3)
-target_link_libraries(ex3
-    ${fftw3_LIBS}
-)
-set_target_properties(ex3
-    PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${pfasst_BINARY_DIR}/examples
-)
+foreach(example ${advec_examples})
+    add_executable(${example} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${example}.cpp)
+    add_dependencies(${example} fftw3)
+    target_link_libraries(${example}
+        ${fftw3_LIBS}
+    )
+    set_target_properties(${example}
+        PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/examples/advection_diffusion
+    )
+endforeach(example)
diff --git a/examples/advection_diffusion/ex2.cpp b/examples/advection_diffusion/serial_mlsdc.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/advection_diffusion/ex2.cpp
rename to examples/advection_diffusion/serial_mlsdc.cpp
diff --git a/examples/advection_diffusion/ex3.cpp b/examples/advection_diffusion/serial_mlsdc_autobuild.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/advection_diffusion/ex3.cpp
rename to examples/advection_diffusion/serial_mlsdc_autobuild.cpp
diff --git a/examples/advection_diffusion/ex1.cpp b/examples/advection_diffusion/vanilla_sdc.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from examples/advection_diffusion/ex1.cpp
rename to examples/advection_diffusion/vanilla_sdc.cpp
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 493c01ff..b1b250f1 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ foreach(test ${TESTS})
         ${3rdparty_DEPENDEND_LIBS}
         ${pfasst_DEPENDED_LIBS}
     )
-    set_target_properties(${test} PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${pfasst_BINARY_DIR}/tests)
+    set_target_properties(${test}
+        PROPERTIES RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/tests
+    )
     add_test(NAME ${test}
-        COMMAND ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/tests/${test} --gtest_output=xml:${test}_out.xml
+        COMMAND ${CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY}/tests/${test} --gtest_output=xml:${test}_out.xml
     )
 endforeach(test)