diff --git a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
index 344b2ef9b6..b6100f74b5 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/plugin_manager.cc
@@ -116,12 +116,17 @@ PluginManager::PluginManager ()
 	string lrdf_path;
 
 #if defined WINDOWS_VST_SUPPORT || defined LXVST_SUPPORT
+	// source-tree (ardev, etc)
 	PBD::Searchpath vstsp(Glib::build_filename(ARDOUR::ardour_dll_directory(), "fst"));
+
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+	// on windows the .exe needs to be in the same folder with libardour.dll
 	vstsp += Glib::build_filename(g_win32_get_package_installation_directory_of_module (0), "bin");
 #else
-	vstsp += Glib::getenv("PATH");
+	// on Unices additional internal-use binaries are deployed to $libdir
+	vstsp += ARDOUR::ardour_dll_directory();
 #endif
+
 	if (!PBD::find_file (vstsp,
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
     #ifdef DEBUGGABLE_SCANNER_APP
diff --git a/libs/ardour/system_exec.cc b/libs/ardour/system_exec.cc
index 75b20e4500..d83165252a 100644
--- a/libs/ardour/system_exec.cc
+++ b/libs/ardour/system_exec.cc
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ static char *vfork_exec_wrapper_path() {
 #else
 	std::string vfork_exec_wrapper;
 	if (!PBD::find_file (
-				PBD::Searchpath(Glib::build_filename(ARDOUR::ardour_dll_directory(), "vfork")),
+				PBD::Searchpath(
+					ARDOUR::ardour_dll_directory() // deployed
+					+ G_SEARCHPATH_SEPARATOR_S + Glib::build_filename(ARDOUR::ardour_dll_directory(), "vfork") // src, build (ardev, etc)
+					),
 				"ardour-exec-wrapper", vfork_exec_wrapper)) {
 		PBD::fatal << "vfork exec wrapper 'ardour-exec-wrapper' was not found in $PATH." << endmsg;
 		/* not reached */
diff --git a/libs/fst/wscript b/libs/fst/wscript
index 91273f3d79..5eb1d512df 100644
--- a/libs/fst/wscript
+++ b/libs/fst/wscript
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ def build(bld):
         obj.source = 'scanner.wine'
         obj.target = 'ardour-vst-scanner'
         obj.chmod  = Utils.O755
-        obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'], 'fst')
+        obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'])
         obj.dict   = {
             'VERSION' : bld.env['VERSION'],
                 }
@@ -83,4 +83,4 @@ def build(bld):
         'VST_SCANNER_APP',
         'PACKAGE="' + I18N_PACKAGE + '"',
         ]
-    obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'], 'fst')
+    obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'])
diff --git a/libs/vfork/wscript b/libs/vfork/wscript
index 10f11149d8..8f4efbe0c7 100644
--- a/libs/vfork/wscript
+++ b/libs/vfork/wscript
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def build(bld):
     obj = bld (features = 'c cprogram')
     obj.source = 'exec_wrapper.c'
     obj.target = 'ardour-exec-wrapper'
-    obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'], 'vfork')
+    obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'])
     obj.defines = [
             '_POSIX_SOURCE',
             '_XOPEN_SOURCE=500',
diff --git a/tools/linux_packaging/build b/tools/linux_packaging/build
index 72b7bf3893..2225b2064f 100755
--- a/tools/linux_packaging/build
+++ b/tools/linux_packaging/build
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ fi
 
 # vfork wrapper
 if test -f $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper ; then
-    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper $VFork
+    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper $APPLIB
 fi
 
 # ALSA device reservation tool (if available)
diff --git a/tools/osx_packaging/osx_build b/tools/osx_packaging/osx_build
index ba503d14c7..3e9f2945a9 100755
--- a/tools/osx_packaging/osx_build
+++ b/tools/osx_packaging/osx_build
@@ -110,7 +110,6 @@ ExportFormats=$Shared/export
 Templates=$Shared/templates
 PatchFiles=$Shared/patchfiles
 MackieControl=$Shared/mcp
-VFork=$Frameworks/vfork
 
 if [ x$PRINT_SYSDEPS != x ] ; then
 #
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@ mkdir -p $Frameworks/modules
 mkdir -p $Etc
 mkdir -p $MackieControl
 mkdir -p $PatchFiles
-mkdir -p $VFork
 
 # maybe set variables
 env=""
@@ -393,13 +391,13 @@ fi
 
 # VST scanner app and wrapper script, if they exist
 if test -d $BUILD_ROOT/libs/fst ; then
-    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/fst/ardour-vst-scanner* $Frameworks/ || true
+    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/fst/ardour-vst-scanner* $Frameworks/
 fi
 
 # vfork wrapper
 if test -f $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper ; then
     mkdir -p $Frameworks/vfork
-    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper $VFork
+    cp $BUILD_ROOT/libs/vfork/ardour-exec-wrapper $Frameworks/
 fi