diff --git a/maintainer/CI/build_cmake.sh b/maintainer/CI/build_cmake.sh
index bca941ec7e3..3939d422eb1 100755
--- a/maintainer/CI/build_cmake.sh
+++ b/maintainer/CI/build_cmake.sh
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ fi
 
 cmake_params="-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$build_type -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=$(which python$python_version) -DWARNINGS_ARE_ERRORS=ON -DTEST_NP:INT=$check_procs $cmake_params"
 cmake_params="$cmake_params -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS=$cxx_flags"
+cmake_params="$cmake_params -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/tmp/espresso-unit-tests"
 if $with_ccache; then
   cmake_params="$cmake_params -DWITH_CCACHE=ON"
 fi
@@ -244,6 +245,7 @@ if $make_check; then
         done
     fi
     cmd "make -j${build_procs} check_unit_tests $make_params" || exit 1
+    cmd "make -j${build_procs} check_cmake $make_params" || exit 1
 
     end "TEST"
 else
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/BashUnitTests.sh b/testsuite/cmake/BashUnitTests.sh
index e42109ccd10..c2b0045906b 100755
--- a/testsuite/cmake/BashUnitTests.sh
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/BashUnitTests.sh
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ function assert_zero() {
 function assert_return_code() {
   try_catch_silent "$@"
   local retcode=$?
-  local message="non-zero return code (${retcode}) for command \`$@\`"
+  local message="non-zero return code (${retcode}) for command \`$*\`"
   if [ "${retcode}" -eq "0" ]
   then
     log_success
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/testsuite/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 9872faa0f11..c147c174240 100644
--- a/testsuite/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -49,18 +49,38 @@ function(CMAKE_TEST)
   set(cmake_tests ${cmake_tests} ${TEST_FILE} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction(CMAKE_TEST)
 
-find_package(PythonInterp REQUIRED)
 find_package(Doxygen)
 find_package(Sphinx 1.6.6)
+if(WITH_PYTHON AND PYTHONINTERP_FOUND)
+  set(TESTING_PYTHON TRUE)
+  # obtain Python*_SITEARCH without find_package(Python*)
+  execute_process(
+    COMMAND "${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}" -c "from distutils import sysconfig as sc;print(sc.get_python_lib(prefix='', plat_specific=True, standard_lib=False))"
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE Python_SITEARCH
+    OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
+  find_program(IPYTHON_EXECUTABLE NAMES ipython)
+else()
+  set(TESTING_PYTHON FALSE)
+endif()
 set(DESTDIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/install")
 
-cmake_test(FILE test_install.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh)
-add_custom_target(setup_install COMMAND make install DESTDIR="${DESTDIR}" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
-cmake_test(FILE test_python_bindings.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh)
+add_custom_target(setup_install)
+add_custom_target(setup_install_destdir COMMAND make install DESTDIR="${DESTDIR}" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
+add_dependencies(setup_install setup_install_destdir)
+cmake_test(FILE test_install_destdir.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh test_install.sh)
+if(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX STREQUAL "/tmp/espresso-unit-tests")
+  add_custom_target(setup_install_cmake_install_prefix COMMAND make install WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
+  add_dependencies(setup_install setup_install_cmake_install_prefix)
+  cmake_test(FILE test_install_prefix.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh)
+endif()
+
+if(TESTING_PYTHON)
+  cmake_test(FILE test_python_bindings.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh)
+endif(TESTING_PYTHON)
 
 if(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
 cmake_test(FILE test_doxygen.sh MAX_NUM_PROC 1 RUN_WITH_MPI FALSE DEPENDENCIES BashUnitTests.sh)
-add_custom_target(setup_doxygen COMMAND make doc WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
+add_custom_target(setup_doxygen COMMAND make doxygen WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR})
 endif(DOXYGEN_FOUND)
 
 if(SPHINX_FOUND)
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/test_install.sh b/testsuite/cmake/test_install.sh
old mode 100755
new mode 100644
index 0fd4f4eb22f..e8d6201da13
--- a/testsuite/cmake/test_install.sh
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/test_install.sh
@@ -1,20 +1,15 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-# load bash unit testing library
-source BashUnitTests.sh
-
-# test binaries and libraries are correclty installed
-function test_install() {
-  local filepaths=("@DESTDIR@/usr/local/bin/ipypresso" \
-                   "@DESTDIR@/usr/local/bin/pypresso" \
-                   "@DESTDIR@/usr/local/lib/libEspressoCore.so" \
-                   "@DESTDIR@/usr/local/lib/libEspressoCore.so"
+# test espresso installation
+function helper_test_install_common() {
+  local root=$1
+  local filepaths=("${root}/bin/pypresso" \
+                   "${root}/lib/libEspressoCore.so" \
                   )
-  if [ ! -z "@PYTHON_VERSION_STRING@" ]
+  if [ "@TESTING_PYTHON@" = "TRUE" ]
   then
-    local python_dir="@DESTDIR@/usr/local/lib/python@PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR@.@PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR@"
-    filepaths+=("${python_dir}/site-packages/espressomd/_init.so" \
-                "${python_dir}/site-packages/espressomd/__init__.py"
+    filepaths+=("${root}/@Python_SITEARCH@/espressomd/_init.so" \
+                "${root}/@Python_SITEARCH@/espressomd/__init__.py"
                )
   fi
   for filepath in ${filepaths[@]}
@@ -23,6 +18,3 @@ function test_install() {
   done
 }
 
-# run tests
-run_test_suite
-
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/test_install_destdir.sh b/testsuite/cmake/test_install_destdir.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..1e0d6eb2c5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/test_install_destdir.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# load bash unit testing library
+source BashUnitTests.sh
+source test_install.sh
+
+# test espresso installation via `make install DESTDIR=/some/dir`
+function test_install_DESTDIR() {
+  helper_test_install_common "@DESTDIR@/@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@"
+}
+
+# run tests
+run_test_suite
+
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/test_install_prefix.sh b/testsuite/cmake/test_install_prefix.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..be7d90adbf6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/test_install_prefix.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# load bash unit testing library
+source BashUnitTests.sh
+source test_install.sh
+
+# test espresso installation via `cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/some/dir ..`
+function test_install_CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX() {
+  helper_test_install_common "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@"
+}
+
+# run tests
+run_test_suite
+
diff --git a/testsuite/cmake/test_python_bindings.sh b/testsuite/cmake/test_python_bindings.sh
index 91faeb9ac65..3ed9a9e6977 100755
--- a/testsuite/cmake/test_python_bindings.sh
+++ b/testsuite/cmake/test_python_bindings.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ source BashUnitTests.sh
 
 # test if Python module can be imported
 function test_Python() {
-  assert_return_code "@PYTHON_EXECUTABLE@" -c "import sys;sys.path.insert(0, '@DESTDIR@/usr/local/lib/python@PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR@.@PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR@/site-packages');import espressomd"
+  # test espresso installation via `make install DESTDIR=/some/dir`
+  assert_return_code "@PYTHON_EXECUTABLE@" -c "import sys;sys.path.insert(0, '@DESTDIR@/@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@Python_SITEARCH@');import espressomd"
+  # test espresso installation via `cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/some/dir ..`
+  if [ "@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@" = "/tmp/espresso-unit-tests" ]
+  then
+    assert_return_code "@PYTHON_EXECUTABLE@" -c "import sys;sys.path.insert(0, '@CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX@/@Python_SITEARCH@');import espressomd"
+  fi
 }
 
 # run tests