diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d25d0f1c..a15343d2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -541,7 +541,8 @@ $ brew install ronn
 
 - Clone the [vcpkg](https://vcpkg.io/),
   [lipo-dir-merge](https://github.com/faaxm/lipo-dir-merge) and
-  DwarFS repositories:
+  DwarFS repositories. If you want the files to go to a different
+  location, you'll need set `VCPKG_BASEDIR` later.
 
 ```
 $ cd ~
@@ -565,6 +566,7 @@ $ cd dwarfs
 $ git checkout experimental/osx-build
 $ mkdir build
 $ cd build
+$ export VCPKG_BASEDIR=$HOME/git    # optional
 $ sh ../cmake/osx.sh rebuild-vcpkg
 $ sh ../cmake/osx.sh
 $ ninja
diff --git a/cmake/osx.sh b/cmake/osx.sh
index 0eb771cc..cd76dabc 100755
--- a/cmake/osx.sh
+++ b/cmake/osx.sh
@@ -2,16 +2,20 @@
 
 set -e
 
+if [[ -z "${VCPKG_BASEDIR}" ]]; then
+  VCPKG_BASEDIR=$HOME/git
+fi
+
 if [[ -z "${VCPKG_ROOT}" ]]; then
-  VCPKG_ROOT=$HOME/git/vcpkg
+  VCPKG_ROOT=$VCPKG_BASEDIR/vcpkg
 fi
 
 if [[ -z "${VCPKG_INSTALL_ROOT}" ]]; then
-  VCPKG_INSTALL_ROOT=$HOME/git/@vcpkg-install
+  VCPKG_INSTALL_ROOT=$VCPKG_BASEDIR/@vcpkg-install
 fi
 
 if [[ -z "${LIPO_DIR_MERGE}" ]]; then
-  LIPO_DIR_MERGE=$HOME/git/lipo-dir-merge/lipo-dir-merge.py
+  LIPO_DIR_MERGE=$VCPKG_BASEDIR/lipo-dir-merge/lipo-dir-merge.py
 fi
 
 build_mode=$1