diff --git a/python/CMakeLists.txt b/python/CMakeLists.txt
index ce71d204..9223cc1c 100644
--- a/python/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/python/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ configure_file(version_template.py ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/version.py @ONLY)
 install(FILES
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/config.py
         ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/version.py
-        __main__.py __init__.py
+        __main__.py __init__.py config_cli.py
         meshing.py csg.py geom2d.py stl.py gui.py NgOCC.py occ.py
         read_gmsh.py read_meshio.py
         webgui.py
diff --git a/python/config_cli.py b/python/config_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..572f9750
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/config_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+import netgen.config
+
+if __name__=="__main__":
+    import argparse
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--cmake-dir", help="print path to CMake config files", action='store_true')
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if(args.cmake_dir):
+        print(netgen.config.get_cmake_dir())
+
diff --git a/python/config_template.py b/python/config_template.py
index c4232dff..ba1dd6e1 100644
--- a/python/config_template.py
+++ b/python/config_template.py
@@ -57,3 +57,12 @@ PYTHON_VERSION_MAJOR = "@Python3_VERSION_MAJOR@"
 PYTHON_VERSION_MINOR = "@Python3_VERSION_MINOR@"
 
 version = NETGEN_VERSION_GIT
+
+def get_cmake_dir():
+    import os.path as p
+    d_python = p.dirname(p.dirname(__file__))
+    py_to_cmake = p.relpath(
+            NG_INSTALL_DIR_CMAKE,
+            NG_INSTALL_DIR_PYTHON
+            )
+    return p.normpath(p.join(d_python,py_to_cmake))