diff --git a/c/Makefile b/c/Makefile
index fd0c367..e3a60ad 100644
--- a/c/Makefile
+++ b/c/Makefile
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@
 # - CFLAGS: Any extra user-specified compiler flags (can be blank).
 
 # Recommended compiler flags:
-CFLAGS += -std=c99 -O
+CFLAGS += -std=c99
 
 # Extra flags for diagnostics:
 # CFLAGS += -g -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Wconversion -Wsign-conversion -fsanitize=undefined,address
 
+# Version information
+VERSION = 1.6.0
 
 # ---- Controlling make ----
 
@@ -51,10 +53,18 @@ CFLAGS += -std=c99 -O
 # ---- Targets to build ----
 
 LIB = qrcodegen
-LIBFILE = lib$(LIB).a
+LIBFILE = lib$(LIB).so
+# Bump the soname number when the ABI changes and gets incompatible
+SO_NAME = $(LIBFILE).1
+REAL_NAME = $(LIBFILE).$(VERSION)
+HEADERS = qrcodegen.h
 LIBOBJ = qrcodegen.o
 MAINS = qrcodegen-demo qrcodegen-test qrcodegen-worker
 
+# define paths to install
+INCLUDEDIR ?= $(DESTDIR)/usr/include/qrcodegen
+LIBDIR ?= $(DESTDIR)/usr/lib
+
 # Build all binaries
 all: $(LIBFILE) $(MAINS)
 
@@ -63,6 +73,18 @@ clean:
 	rm -f -- $(LIBOBJ) $(LIBFILE) $(MAINS:=.o) $(MAINS)
 	rm -rf .deps
 
+install-shared: $(LIBFILE)
+	install -d $(LIBDIR) || true
+	install -m 0755 $(LIBFILE) $(LIBDIR)/$(REAL_NAME)
+	ln -s $(REAL_NAME) $(LIBDIR)/$(SO_NAME)
+	ln -s $(SO_NAME) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIBFILE)
+
+install-header: $(HEADERS)
+	install -d $(INCLUDEDIR) || true
+	install -m 0644 $(HEADERS) $(INCLUDEDIR)/
+
+install: install-shared install-header
+
 # Executable files
 %: %.o $(LIBFILE)
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -o $@ $< -L . -l $(LIB)
@@ -73,11 +95,11 @@ qrcodegen-test: qrcodegen-test.c $(LIBOBJ:%.o=%.c)
 
 # The library
 $(LIBFILE): $(LIBOBJ)
-	$(AR) -crs $@ -- $^
+	$(CC) $(CXXFLAGS) -shared -Wl,-soname,$(SO_NAME) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^
 
 # Object files
 %.o: %.c .deps/timestamp
-	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -c -o $@ -MMD -MF .deps/$*.d $<
+	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) -fPIC -c -o $@ -MMD -MF .deps/$*.d $<
 
 # Have a place to store header dependencies automatically generated by compiler
 .deps/timestamp:
diff --git a/cpp/Makefile b/cpp/Makefile
index f83c512..d48ed74 100644
--- a/cpp/Makefile
+++ b/cpp/Makefile
@@ -29,11 +29,13 @@
 # - CXXFLAGS: Any extra user-specified compiler flags (can be blank).
 
 # Recommended compiler flags:
-CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11 -O
+CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11
 
 # Extra flags for diagnostics:
 # CXXFLAGS += -g -Wall -Wextra -Wpedantic -Wconversion -Wsign-conversion -fsanitize=undefined,address
 
+# Version information
+VERSION = 1.6.0
 
 # ---- Controlling make ----
 
@@ -50,11 +52,20 @@ CXXFLAGS += -std=c++11 -O
 
 # ---- Targets to build ----
 
-LIB = qrcodegen
-LIBFILE = lib$(LIB).a
+LIB = qrcodegencpp
+LIBFILE = lib$(LIB).so
+# Bump the soname number when the ABI changes and gets incompatible
+SO_NAME = $(LIBFILE).1
+REAL_NAME = $(LIBFILE).$(VERSION)
+HEADERS = QrCode.hpp
 LIBOBJ = QrCode.o
 MAINS = QrCodeGeneratorDemo QrCodeGeneratorWorker
 
+# define paths to install
+INCLUDEDIR ?= $(DESTDIR)/usr/include/qrcodegen
+LIBDIR ?= $(DESTDIR)/usr/lib
+
+
 # Build all binaries
 all: $(LIBFILE) $(MAINS)
 
@@ -63,17 +74,29 @@ clean:
 	rm -f -- $(LIBOBJ) $(LIBFILE) $(MAINS:=.o) $(MAINS)
 	rm -rf .deps
 
+install-shared: $(LIBFILE)
+	install -d $(LIBDIR) || true
+	install -m 0755 $(LIBFILE) $(LIBDIR)/$(REAL_NAME)
+	ln -s $(REAL_NAME) $(LIBDIR)/$(SO_NAME)
+	ln -s $(SO_NAME) $(LIBDIR)/$(LIBFILE)
+
+install-header: $(HEADERS)
+	install -d $(INCLUDEDIR) || true
+	install -m 0644 $(HEADERS) $(INCLUDEDIR)/
+
+install: install-shared install-header
+
 # Executable files
 %: %.o $(LIBFILE)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -o $@ $< -L . -l $(LIB)
 
 # The library
 $(LIBFILE): $(LIBOBJ)
-	$(AR) -crs $@ -- $^
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -shared -Wl,-soname,$(SO_NAME) $(LDFLAGS) -o $@ $^
 
 # Object files
 %.o: %.cpp .deps/timestamp
-	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c -o $@ -MMD -MF .deps/$*.d $<
+	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -fPIC -c -o $@ -MMD -MF .deps/$*.d $<
 
 # Have a place to store header dependencies automatically generated by compiler
 .deps/timestamp: