diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index ddbb0b2b039..1f642bd7926 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -172,6 +172,11 @@ Unreleased
 - Fix generation of merlin configuration when using `(include_subdirs
   unqualified)` on Windows (#4745, @nojb)
 
+- Allow users to specify install target directories for `doc` and
+  `etc` sections. We add new options `--docdir` and `--etcdir` to both
+  Dune's configure and `dune install` command. (#4744, fixes #4723,
+  @ejgallego, thanks to @JasonGross for reporting this issue)
+
 2.8.5 (28/03/2021)
 ------------------
 
diff --git a/bin/install_uninstall.ml b/bin/install_uninstall.ml
index ae066df64db..1fe87871b18 100644
--- a/bin/install_uninstall.ml
+++ b/bin/install_uninstall.ml
@@ -384,6 +384,17 @@ let install_uninstall ~what =
         "When passed, manually override the directory to install man pages"
       in
       Arg.(value & opt (some string) None & info [ "mandir" ] ~docv:"PATH" ~doc)
+    and+ docdir =
+      let doc =
+        "When passed, manually override the directory to install documentation"
+      in
+      Arg.(value & opt (some string) None & info [ "docdir" ] ~docv:"PATH" ~doc)
+    and+ etcdir =
+      let doc =
+        "When passed, manually override the directory to install configuration \
+         files"
+      in
+      Arg.(value & opt (some string) None & info [ "etcdir" ] ~docv:"PATH" ~doc)
     and+ dry_run =
       Arg.(
         value & flag
@@ -507,6 +518,18 @@ let install_uninstall ~what =
               | Some _ -> mandir
               | None -> Dune_rules.Setup.mandir)
           in
+          let docdir =
+            Option.map ~f:Path.of_string
+              (match docdir with
+              | Some _ -> docdir
+              | None -> Dune_rules.Setup.docdir)
+          in
+          let etcdir =
+            Option.map ~f:Path.of_string
+              (match etcdir with
+              | Some _ -> etcdir
+              | None -> Dune_rules.Setup.etcdir)
+          in
           Fiber.sequential_iter install_files_by_context
             ~f:(fun (context, entries_per_package) ->
               let* prefix, libdir =
@@ -516,13 +539,14 @@ let install_uninstall ~what =
               let conf =
                 Dune_rules.Artifact_substitution.conf_for_install ~relocatable
                   ~default_ocamlpath:context.default_ocamlpath
-                  ~stdlib_dir:context.stdlib_dir ~prefix ~libdir ~mandir
+                  ~stdlib_dir:context.stdlib_dir ~prefix ~libdir ~mandir ~docdir
+                  ~etcdir
               in
               Fiber.sequential_iter entries_per_package
                 ~f:(fun (package, entries) ->
                   let paths =
                     Install.Section.Paths.make ~package ~destdir:prefix ?libdir
-                      ?mandir ()
+                      ?mandir ?docdir ?etcdir ()
                   in
                   Fiber.sequential_iter entries ~f:(fun entry ->
                       let special_file = Special_file.of_entry entry in
diff --git a/configure.ml b/configure.ml
index c4b13aff176..45676923830 100644
--- a/configure.ml
+++ b/configure.ml
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ let () =
   let library_path = ref None in
   let library_destdir = ref None in
   let mandir = ref None in
+  let docdir = ref None in
+  let etcdir = ref None in
   let cwd = lazy (Sys.getcwd ()) in
   let dir_of_string s =
     if Filename.is_relative s then
@@ -28,17 +30,24 @@ let () =
     library_path := Some [ dir ];
     library_destdir := Some dir
   in
-  let set_mandir s =
+  let set_dir v s =
     let dir = dir_of_string s in
-    mandir := Some dir
+    v := Some dir
   in
   let args =
     [ ( "--libdir"
       , Arg.String set_libdir
       , "DIR where installed libraries are for the default build context" )
     ; ( "--mandir"
-      , Arg.String set_mandir
-      , "DIR where man pages are installed are for the default build context" )
+      , Arg.String (set_dir mandir)
+      , "DIR where man pages are installed for the default build context" )
+    ; ( "--docdir"
+      , Arg.String (set_dir docdir)
+      , "DIR where documentation is installed for the default build context" )
+    ; ( "--etcdir"
+      , Arg.String (set_dir etcdir)
+      , "DIR where configuration files are installed for the default build \
+         context" )
     ]
   in
   let anon s = bad "Don't know what to do with %s" s in
@@ -49,4 +58,6 @@ let () =
   pr "let library_path    = %s" (option (list string) !library_path);
   pr "let library_destdir = %s" (option string !library_destdir);
   pr "let mandir = %s" (option string !mandir);
+  pr "let docdir = %s" (option string !docdir);
+  pr "let etcdir = %s" (option string !etcdir);
   close_out oc
diff --git a/doc/usage.rst b/doc/usage.rst
index 517f8203be7..291308b3aa1 100644
--- a/doc/usage.rst
+++ b/doc/usage.rst
@@ -537,6 +537,11 @@ no difference.
 Note that ``--prefix`` and ``--libdir`` are only supported if a single build
 context is in use.
 
+Note that ``dune install`` (and Dune's ``configure``) support
+additional parameters to override install directories in addition to
+``--prefix``, in particular, ``--mandir``, ``--docdir``, and
+``--etcdir`` are supported
+
 Relocation Mode
 ---------------
 
diff --git a/src/dune_engine/install.ml b/src/dune_engine/install.ml
index dd037e17d07..90df3d9779d 100644
--- a/src/dune_engine/install.ml
+++ b/src/dune_engine/install.ml
@@ -143,14 +143,19 @@ module Section = struct
       ; man : Path.t
       }
 
+    (* FIXME: we should handle all directories uniformly, instead of
+       special-casing etcdir, mandir, and docdir as of today [which was done for
+       convenience of backporting] *)
     let make ~package ~destdir ?(libdir = Path.relative destdir "lib")
-        ?(mandir = Path.relative destdir "man") () =
+        ?(mandir = Path.relative destdir "man")
+        ?(docdir = Path.relative destdir "doc")
+        ?(etcdir = Path.relative destdir "etc") () =
       let package = Package.Name.to_string package in
       let lib_root = libdir in
       let libexec_root = libdir in
       let share_root = Path.relative destdir "share" in
-      let etc_root = Path.relative destdir "etc" in
-      let doc_root = Path.relative destdir "doc" in
+      let etc_root = etcdir in
+      let doc_root = docdir in
       { lib_root
       ; libexec_root
       ; share_root
diff --git a/src/dune_engine/install.mli b/src/dune_engine/install.mli
index 15344d1c91b..80311e38e1f 100644
--- a/src/dune_engine/install.mli
+++ b/src/dune_engine/install.mli
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ module Section : sig
       -> destdir:Path.t
       -> ?libdir:Path.t
       -> ?mandir:Path.t
+      -> ?docdir:Path.t
+      -> ?etcdir:Path.t
       -> unit
       -> t
 
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.ml b/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.ml
index e24755d32d1..dbee3634943 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.ml
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ let conf_of_context (context : Context.t option) =
     }
 
 let conf_for_install ~relocatable ~default_ocamlpath ~stdlib_dir ~prefix ~libdir
-    ~mandir =
+    ~mandir ~docdir ~etcdir =
   let get_vcs = Source_tree.nearest_vcs in
   let hardcoded_ocaml_path =
     if relocatable then
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ let conf_for_install ~relocatable ~default_ocamlpath ~stdlib_dir ~prefix ~libdir
   in
   let get_location section package =
     let paths =
-      Install.Section.Paths.make ~package ~destdir:prefix ?libdir ?mandir ()
+      Install.Section.Paths.make ~package ~destdir:prefix ?libdir ?mandir
+        ?docdir ?etcdir ()
     in
     Install.Section.Paths.get paths section
   in
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.mli b/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.mli
index ae6ef0f7e02..4b94a27c801 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.mli
+++ b/src/dune_rules/artifact_substitution.mli
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ val conf_for_install :
   -> prefix:Path.t
   -> libdir:Path.t option
   -> mandir:Path.t option
+  -> docdir:Path.t option
+  -> etcdir:Path.t option
   -> conf
 
 val conf_dummy : conf
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/setup.defaults.ml b/src/dune_rules/setup.defaults.ml
index 2e803586423..43e4042f52a 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/setup.defaults.ml
+++ b/src/dune_rules/setup.defaults.ml
@@ -5,3 +5,7 @@ let library_path = None
 let library_destdir = None
 
 let mandir = None
+
+let docdir = None
+
+let etcdir = None
diff --git a/src/dune_rules/setup.mli b/src/dune_rules/setup.mli
index aac558e7923..41b0e4af0b1 100644
--- a/src/dune_rules/setup.mli
+++ b/src/dune_rules/setup.mli
@@ -13,3 +13,9 @@ val library_destdir : string option
 
 (** Where to install manpages for the default context. *)
 val mandir : string option
+
+(** Where to install docs for the default context. *)
+val docdir : string option
+
+(** Where to install configuration files for the default context. *)
+val etcdir : string option
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-docdir.t/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-docdir.t/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..38390da8463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-docdir.t/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+  $ echo "(lang dune 2.0)" > dune-project
+  $ touch foo.opam docfile
+  $ cat >dune <<EOF
+  > (install
+  >  (section doc)
+  >  (files docfile))
+  > EOF
+  $ dune build @install
+  $ mkdir install docdir
+  $ dune install --dry-run --prefix ./install --docdir ./docdir 2>&1 | grep docdir
+  Removing (if it exists) docdir/foo/docfile
+  Installing docdir/foo/docfile
+  Creating directory docdir/foo
+  Copying _build/install/default/doc/foo/docfile to docdir/foo/docfile (executable: false)
diff --git a/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-etcdir.t/run.t b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-etcdir.t/run.t
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b41ba800233
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/blackbox-tests/test-cases/install-etcdir.t/run.t
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+  $ echo "(lang dune 2.0)" > dune-project
+  $ touch foo.opam configfile
+  $ cat >dune <<EOF
+  > (install
+  >  (section etc)
+  >  (files configfile))
+  > EOF
+  $ dune build @install
+  $ mkdir install etcdir
+  $ dune install --dry-run --prefix ./install --etcdir ./etcdir 2>&1 | grep etcdir
+  Removing (if it exists) etcdir/foo/configfile
+  Installing etcdir/foo/configfile
+  Creating directory etcdir/foo
+  Copying _build/install/default/etc/foo/configfile to etcdir/foo/configfile (executable: false)