diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2233366d97..25d4062d1f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -179,6 +179,21 @@ install: $(TARGET)
 	install -m644 docs/retroarch.6 $(DESTDIR)$(MAN_DIR)/man6
 	install -m644 docs/retroarch-cg2glsl.6 $(DESTDIR)$(MAN_DIR)/man6
 	install -m644 media/retroarch.svg $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/pixmaps
+	@if test -d media/assets; then \
+		echo "Installing media assets..."; \
+		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch; \
+		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets; \
+		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/xmb; \
+		mkdir -p $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/glui; \
+		cp -r media/assets/xmb/  $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets; \
+		cp -r media/assets/glui/ $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets; \
+		echo "Removing unneeded source image files.."; \
+		rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/xmb/flatui/src; \
+		rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/xmb/monochrome/src; \
+		rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/xmb/retroactive/src; \
+		rm -rf $(DESTDIR)$(PREFIX)/share/applications/retroarch/assets/xmb/retroactive_marked/src; \
+		echo "Asset copying done."; \
+	fi
 
 uninstall:
 	rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(BIN_DIR)/retroarch
diff --git a/frontend/drivers/platform_linux.c b/frontend/drivers/platform_linux.c
index 680974e090..8e3e4f6303 100644
--- a/frontend/drivers/platform_linux.c
+++ b/frontend/drivers/platform_linux.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 #include <retro_inline.h>
 #include <compat/strl.h>
 #include <rhash.h>
+#include <retro_stat.h>
 #include <file/file_path.h>
 #include <streams/file_stream.h>
 #include <string/stdstring.h>
@@ -1709,8 +1710,17 @@ static void frontend_linux_get_env(int *argc,
          "cores", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.core_info));
    fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.autoconfig, base_path,
          "autoconfig", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.autoconfig));
-   fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.assets, base_path,
-         "assets", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.assets));
+
+   if (path_is_directory("/usr/local/share/applications/retroarch/assets"))
+      fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.assets, "/usr/local/share/applications/retroarch",
+            "assets", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.assets));
+   else if (path_is_directory("/usr/share/applications/retroarch/assets"))
+      fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.assets, "/usr/share/applications/retroarch",
+            "assets", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.assets));
+   else
+      fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.assets, base_path,
+            "assets", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.assets));
+
    fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.menu_config, base_path,
          "config", sizeof(g_defaults.dir.menu_config));
    fill_pathname_join(g_defaults.dir.remap, g_defaults.dir.menu_config,