diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 58fe74f..ad723f8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -30,6 +30,34 @@ m4_ifdef([AM_SILENT_RULES],[AM_SILENT_RULES([no])])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(1.11.1 foreign TESTS_OPTION)
 AM_PROG_CC_C_O
 
+# expand_path_option $path_variable_name $default
+expand_path_option() {
+    # The first argument is the variable *name* (not value)
+    ac_path_varname="$1"
+
+    # Get the original value of the variable
+    ac_path_value=$(eval echo "\${${ac_path_varname}}")
+
+    # Expand any literal variable expressions in the value so that we don't
+    # end up with something like '${prefix}' in #defines etc.
+    #
+    # Autoconf deliberately leaves values unexpanded to allow overriding
+    # the configure script choices in make commands (for example,
+    # "make exec_prefix=/foo install"). No longer being able to do this seems
+    # like no great loss.
+    eval ac_path_value=$(eval echo "${ac_path_value}")
+
+    # Use (expanded) default if necessary
+    AS_IF([test x"${ac_path_value}" = x""],
+	  [eval ac_path_value=$(eval echo "$2")])
+
+    # Require a full path
+    AS_CASE(["$ac_path_value"],
+            [/*], [eval ${ac_path_varname}="$ac_path_value"],
+            [*], [AC_MSG_ERROR([$ac_path_varname value "$ac_path_value" is not a full path])]
+    )
+}
+
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(glib, [glib-2.0])
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(libxml, [libxml-2.0])
 
@@ -164,6 +192,15 @@ AC_ARG_WITH(configdir,
     [ CONFIGDIR="$withval" ]
 )
 
+dnl --runstatedir is available as of autoconf 2.70 (2020-12-08). When users
+dnl have an older version, they can use our --with-runstatedir.
+sbd_runstatedir=""
+AC_ARG_WITH([runstatedir],
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--with-runstatedir=DIR],
+        [modifiable per-process data @<:@LOCALSTATEDIR/run@:>@ (ignored if --runstatedir is available)])],
+    [ sbd_runstatedir="$withval" ]
+)
+
 SBD_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT=""
 AC_ARG_WITH(watchdog-timeout-default,
     [  --with-watchdog-timeout-default=SECONDS
@@ -289,32 +326,29 @@ case $exec_prefix in
   prefix) exec_prefix=$prefix;;
 esac
 
-dnl Expand autoconf variables so that we dont end up with '${prefix}'
-dnl in #defines and python scripts
-dnl NOTE: Autoconf deliberately leaves them unexpanded to allow
-dnl    make exec_prefix=/foo install
-dnl No longer being able to do this seems like no great loss to me...
-
-eval prefix="`eval echo ${prefix}`"
-eval exec_prefix="`eval echo ${exec_prefix}`"
-eval bindir="`eval echo ${bindir}`"
-eval sbindir="`eval echo ${sbindir}`"
-eval libexecdir="`eval echo ${libexecdir}`"
-eval datadir="`eval echo ${datadir}`"
-eval sysconfdir="`eval echo ${sysconfdir}`"
-eval sharedstatedir="`eval echo ${sharedstatedir}`"
-eval localstatedir="`eval echo ${localstatedir}`"
-eval libdir="`eval echo ${libdir}`"
-eval includedir="`eval echo ${includedir}`"
-eval oldincludedir="`eval echo ${oldincludedir}`"
-eval infodir="`eval echo ${infodir}`"
-eval mandir="`eval echo ${mandir}`"
+dnl Expand values of autoconf-provided directory options
+expand_path_option prefix
+expand_path_option exec_prefix
+expand_path_option bindir
+expand_path_option sbindir
+expand_path_option libexecdir
+expand_path_option datadir
+expand_path_option sysconfdir
+expand_path_option sharedstatedir
+expand_path_option localstatedir
+expand_path_option libdir
+expand_path_option includedir
+expand_path_option oldincludedir
+expand_path_option infodir
+expand_path_option mandir
+
+AS_IF([test x"${runstatedir}" = x""], [runstatedir="${sbd_runstatedir}"])
+expand_path_option runstatedir "${localstatedir}/run"
+AC_SUBST(runstatedir)
 
 AC_SUBST(LIBADD_DL)        dnl extra flags for dynamic linking libraries
 
-if test x"${CONFIGDIR}" = x""; then
-    CONFIGDIR="${sysconfdir}/sysconfig"
-fi
+expand_path_option CONFIGDIR "${sysconfdir}/sysconfig"
 AC_SUBST(CONFIGDIR)
 
 if test x"${SBD_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_DEFAULT}" = x""; then
diff --git a/man/Makefile.am b/man/Makefile.am
index 995712d..ae4c14a 100644
--- a/man/Makefile.am
+++ b/man/Makefile.am
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ sbd.sysconfig.pod: ../src/sbd.sysconfig
 	sed -r -n -e "s/^## Type: (.*)/Allows C<\1>/;t type;s/^## Default: (.*)/ defaulting to C<\1>/;t default;s/^#*(.*)=.*/=item B<\1>\n/;t variable;s/^#*//;s/^ *//;H;d;:type;h;d;:default;H;x;s/\n//;x;d;:variable;G;p" $< > $@
 
 sbd.8.pod: sbd.8.pod.in sbd.sysconfig.pod
-	sed -e "s/@environment_section@//;t insert;p;d;:insert;rsbd.sysconfig.pod" $< > $@
+	sed -e "s,\@runstatedir\@,$(runstatedir)," $< |sed -e "s/@environment_section@//;t insert;p;d;:insert;rsbd.sysconfig.pod" > $@
 
 sbd.8:	sbd.8.pod
 	@POD2MAN@ -s 8 -c "STONITH Block Device" -r "SBD" -n "SBD" $< $@
diff --git a/man/sbd.8.pod.in b/man/sbd.8.pod.in
index e4ad5f8..21b3834 100644
--- a/man/sbd.8.pod.in
+++ b/man/sbd.8.pod.in
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ Defaults to I<enabled>.
 This can be used to override the default watchdog device used and should not
 usually be necessary.
 
-=item B<-p> F</var/run/sbd.pid>
+=item B<-p> F<@runstatedir@/sbd.pid>
 
 This option can be used to specify a pidfile for the main sbd process.
 
diff --git a/sbd.spec b/sbd.spec
index 0498db1..7a0d1fb 100644
--- a/sbd.spec
+++ b/sbd.spec
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ regression-testing sbd.
 export CFLAGS="$RPM_OPT_FLAGS -Wall -Werror"
 %configure --with-watchdog-timeout-default=%{watchdog_timeout_default} \
            --with-sync-resource-startup-default=%{?with_sync_resource_startup_default:yes}%{!?with_sync_resource_startup_default:no}  \
-           --with-sync-resource-startup-sysconfig=%{sync_resource_startup_sysconfig}
+           --with-sync-resource-startup-sysconfig=%{sync_resource_startup_sysconfig} \
+           --with-runstatedir=%{_rundir}
 make %{?_smp_mflags}
 ###########################################################
 
diff --git a/src/sbd.service.in b/src/sbd.service.in
index 94b0f99..a558a67 100644
--- a/src/sbd.service.in
+++ b/src/sbd.service.in
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ RefuseManualStart=true
 
 [Service]
 Type=forking
-PIDFile=@localstatedir@/run/sbd.pid
+PIDFile=@runstatedir@/sbd.pid
 EnvironmentFile=-@CONFIGDIR@/sbd
-ExecStart=@sbindir@/sbd $SBD_OPTS -p @localstatedir@/run/sbd.pid watch
+ExecStart=@sbindir@/sbd $SBD_OPTS -p @runstatedir@/sbd.pid watch
 ExecStop=@bindir@/kill -TERM $MAINPID
 
 # Could this benefit from exit codes for restart?
diff --git a/src/sbd.sh.in b/src/sbd.sh.in
index cb867f1..f6ed9a8 100644
--- a/src/sbd.sh.in
+++ b/src/sbd.sh.in
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ fi
 SBD_DEVS=${SBD_DEVICE%;}
 SBD_DEVICE_ARGS="-d ${SBD_DEVS//;/ -d }"
 
-: ${SBD_PIDFILE:=/var/run/sbd.pid}
+: ${SBD_PIDFILE:=@runstatedir@/sbd.pid}
 SBD_OPTS+=" -p $SBD_PIDFILE"
 : ${SBD_PACEMAKER:="true"}
 if ocf_is_true "$SBD_PACEMAKER" ; then
diff --git a/src/sbd_remote.service.in b/src/sbd_remote.service.in
index cfcafb5..56675b1 100644
--- a/src/sbd_remote.service.in
+++ b/src/sbd_remote.service.in
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ RefuseManualStart=true
 
 [Service]
 Type=forking
-PIDFile=@localstatedir@/run/sbd.pid
+PIDFile=@runstatedir@/sbd.pid
 EnvironmentFile=-@CONFIGDIR@/sbd
-ExecStart=@sbindir@/sbd $SBD_OPTS -p @localstatedir@/run/sbd.pid watch
+ExecStart=@sbindir@/sbd $SBD_OPTS -p @runstatedir@/sbd.pid watch
 ExecStop=@bindir@/kill -TERM $MAINPID
 
 # Could this benefit from exit codes for restart?