diff --git a/tools/rpm/lammps.csh b/tools/rpm/lammps.csh
index d387c44556..d12288ba78 100644
--- a/tools/rpm/lammps.csh
+++ b/tools/rpm/lammps.csh
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # set environment for LAMMPS executables to find potential files
-if ( "$?LAMMPS_POTENTIALS" == 0 ) setenv LAMMPS_POTENTIALS /usr/share/lammps/potentials
-if ( "$?BIOSYM_LIBRARY" == 0 ) setenv BIOSYM_LIBRARY /usr/share/lammps/biosym_frc_files
+if ( "$?LAMMPS_POTENTIALS" == 0 ) setenv LAMMPS_POTENTIALS @DATADIR@/potentials
+if ( "$?BIOSYM_LIBRARY" == 0 ) setenv BIOSYM_LIBRARY @DATADIR@/biosym_frc_files
diff --git a/tools/rpm/lammps.sh b/tools/rpm/lammps.sh
index 7c4e980b24..3562ccf206 100644
--- a/tools/rpm/lammps.sh
+++ b/tools/rpm/lammps.sh
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # set environment for LAMMPS executables to find potential files
-export LAMMPS_POTENTIALS=${LAMMPS_POTENTIALS-/usr/share/lammps/potentials}
-export BIOSYM_LIBRARY=${BIOSYM_LIBRARY-/usr/share/lammps/biosym_frc_files}
+export LAMMPS_POTENTIALS=${LAMMPS_POTENTIALS-@DATADIR@/potentials}
+export BIOSYM_LIBRARY=${BIOSYM_LIBRARY-@DATADIR@/biosym_frc_files}