diff --git a/lib/Install.py b/lib/Install.py
index e1e6fc9a0a..e0ceacb220 100644
--- a/lib/Install.py
+++ b/lib/Install.py
@@ -7,33 +7,46 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 import sys,os,subprocess
 sys.path.append('..')
-from install_helpers import error,get_cpus
+from install_helpers import get_cpus,fullpath
+from argparse import ArgumentParser
 
-# parse args
+parser = ArgumentParser(prog='Install.py',
+                        description="LAMMPS library build wrapper script")
 
-args = sys.argv[1:]
-nargs = len(args)
-if nargs == 0: error()
+help = """
+Syntax from src dir: make lib-libname args="-m machine -e suffix"
+Syntax from lib dir: python Install.py -m machine -e suffix
 
-machine = None
-extraflag = 0
+libname = name of lib dir (e.g. atc, h5md, meam, poems, etc)
+specify -m and optionally -e, order does not matter
 
-iarg = 0
-while iarg < nargs:
-  if args[iarg] == "-m":
-    if iarg+2 > nargs: error()
-    machine = args[iarg+1]
-    iarg += 2
-  elif args[iarg] == "-e":
-    if iarg+2 > nargs: error()
-    extraflag = 1
-    suffix = args[iarg+1]
-    iarg += 2
-  else: error()
+Examples:
+
+make lib-poems args="-m serial" # build POEMS lib with same settings as in the serial Makefile in src
+make lib-colvars args="-m mpi"  # build USER-COLVARS lib with same settings as in the mpi Makefile in src
+make lib-meam args="-m ifort"   # build MEAM lib with custom Makefile.ifort (using Intel Fortran)
+"""
+
+# parse and process arguments
+
+parser.add_argument("-m", "--machine",
+                    help="suffix of a <libname>/Makefile.* file used for compiling this library")
+parser.add_argument("-e", "--extramake",
+                    help="set EXTRAMAKE variable in <libname>/Makefile.<machine> to Makefile.lammps.<extramake>")
+
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+# print help message and exit, if neither build nor path options are given
+if not args.machine and not args.extramake:
+  parser.print_help()
+  sys.exit(help)
+
+machine = args.machine
+extraflag = args.extramake
 
 # set lib from working dir
 
-cwd = os.getcwd()
+cwd = fullpath('.')
 lib = os.path.basename(cwd)
 
 # create Makefile.auto as copy of Makefile.machine
@@ -65,10 +78,11 @@ try:
   txt = subprocess.check_output(cmd,shell=True,stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
   print(txt.decode('UTF-8'))
 except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-    print("Make failed with:\n %s" % e.output.decode('UTF-8'))
-    sys.exit(1)
+  print("Make failed with:\n %s" % e.output.decode('UTF-8'))
+  sys.exit(1)
 
 if os.path.exists("lib%s.a" % lib): print("Build was successful")
 else: error("Build of lib/%s/lib%s.a was NOT successful" % (lib,lib))
+
 if has_extramake and not os.path.exists("Makefile.lammps"):
-  print("lib/%s/Makefile.lammps was NOT created" % lib)
+  print("WARNING: lib/%s/Makefile.lammps was NOT created" % lib)
diff --git a/lib/install_helpers.py b/lib/install_helpers.py
index 428b801502..7990463736 100644
--- a/lib/install_helpers.py
+++ b/lib/install_helpers.py
@@ -1,36 +1,5 @@
 import hashlib,os,subprocess,sys
 
-# default help message
-
-defhelp = """
-Syntax from src dir: make lib-libname args="-m machine -e suffix"
-Syntax from lib dir: python Install.py -m machine -e suffix
-
-libname = name of lib dir (e.g. atc, h5md, meam, poems, etc)
-specify -m and optionally -e, order does not matter
-
-  -m = peform a clean followed by "make -f Makefile.machine"
-       machine = suffix of a lib/Makefile.* file
-  -e = set EXTRAMAKE variable in Makefile.machine to Makefile.lammps.suffix
-       does not alter existing Makefile.machine
-
-Examples:
-
-make lib-poems args="-m serial" # build POEMS lib with same settings as in the serial Makefile in src
-make lib-colvars args="-m mpi"  # build USER-COLVARS lib with same settings as in the mpi Makefile in src
-make lib-meam args="-m ifort"   # build MEAM lib with custom Makefile.ifort (using Intel Fortran)
-"""
-
-# print error message or help
-def error(str=None,help=None):
-  if not str:
-    if not help:
-        print(defhelp)
-    else:
-        print(help)
-  else: print("ERROR",str)
-  sys.exit()
-
 # try to auto-detect the maximum number of available CPUs
 def get_cpus():
   try:
diff --git a/lib/voronoi/Install.py b/lib/voronoi/Install.py
index 1199c25f71..4f906cf6f2 100644
--- a/lib/voronoi/Install.py
+++ b/lib/voronoi/Install.py
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 from __future__ import print_function
 import sys,os,re,subprocess,shutil
 sys.path.append('..')
-from install_helpers import error,get_cpus,fullpath,which,geturl
-
+from install_helpers import get_cpus,fullpath,geturl
 from argparse import ArgumentParser
 
 parser = ArgumentParser(prog='Install.py',