diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 00bec14d907..57b0ef0936e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,3 +34,6 @@ data/*
 
 # anything under distribute
 distribute/*
+
+# user's specified config
+Makefile.config
diff --git a/INSTALL.md b/INSTALL.md
index 66aa794916c..86572333dd2 100644
--- a/INSTALL.md
+++ b/INSTALL.md
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@
 
 To build and test Caffe do
 
+    cp Makefile.config.example Makefile.config
     make
     make test
     make runtest
 
-You may need to minimally tinker with paths in `Makefile.config` and maybe the
+You will probably need to adust paths in `Makefile.config` and maybe the
 `Makefile` itself.
+Feel free to issue a pull request for a change that may help other people.
 
 Note that building and running CPU-only works, but GPU tests will naturally
 fail.
diff --git a/Makefile.config b/Makefile.config
index 111bee99280..7ff8d3dec59 100644
--- a/Makefile.config
+++ b/Makefile.config
@@ -1,23 +1,31 @@
-# define third-party library paths
-# CHANGE YOUR CUDA PATH IF IT IS NOT THIS
-CUDA_DIR := /usr/local/cuda
-# CHANGE YOUR CUDA ARCH IF IT IS NOT THIS
+# CUDA directory contains bin/ and lib/ directories that we need.
+CUDA_DIR := /Developer/NVIDIA/CUDA-5.5
+
+# CUDA architecture setting.
 CUDA_ARCH := -gencode arch=compute_20,code=sm_20 \
     -gencode arch=compute_20,code=sm_21 \
     -gencode arch=compute_30,code=sm_30 \
     -gencode arch=compute_35,code=sm_35
-# CHANGE YOUR MKL PATH IF IT IS NOT THIS
+
+# MKL directory contains include/ and lib/ directions that we need.
 MKL_DIR := /opt/intel/mkl
-# CHANGE YOUR MATLAB PATH IF IT IS NOT THIS
-# your mex binary should be located at $(MATLAB_DIR)/bin/mex
+
+# NOTE: this is required only if you will compile the matlab interface.
+# MATLAB directory should contain the mex binary in /bin
 MATLAB_DIR := /usr/local
-# PUT ALL OTHER INCLUDE AND LIB DIRECTORIES HERE
-INCLUDE_DIRS := /usr/local/include /usr/include/python2.7 \
-    /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/numpy/core/include
-LIBRARY_DIRS := /usr/lib /usr/local/lib
 
-# DEFINE THE CXX PATH
-CXX=/usr/bin/g++
+# NOTE: this is required only if you will compile the python interface.
+# We need to be able to find Python.h and numpy/arrayobject.h.
+PYTHON_INCLUDES := /usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.6/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/include/python2.7 /usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/numpy/core/include
+# We need to be able to find libpythonX.X.so or .dylib.
+PYTHON_LIB := /usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.6/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib
+
+# Whatever else you find you need goes here.
+INCLUDE_DIRS := $(PYTHON_INCLUDES) /usr/local/include
+LIBRARY_DIRS := $(PYTHON_LIB) /usr/local/lib /usr/lib
+
+# For OS X, use clang++.
+CXX=/usr/bin/clang++
 
 BUILD_DIR=build
 DISTRIBUTE_DIR=distribute
diff --git a/Makefile.config.example b/Makefile.config.example
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dd5b2360765
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile.config.example
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# CUDA directory contains bin/ and lib/ directories that we need.
+CUDA_DIR := /usr/local/cuda
+
+# CUDA architecture setting.
+CUDA_ARCH := -gencode arch=compute_20,code=sm_20 \
+    -gencode arch=compute_20,code=sm_21 \
+    -gencode arch=compute_30,code=sm_30 \
+    -gencode arch=compute_35,code=sm_35
+
+# MKL directory contains include/ and lib/ directions that we need.
+MKL_DIR := /opt/intel/mkl
+
+# NOTE: this is required only if you will compile the matlab interface.
+# MATLAB directory should contain the mex binary in /bin
+MATLAB_DIR := /usr/local
+
+# NOTE: this is required only if you will compile the python interface.
+# We need to be able to find Python.h and numpy/arrayobject.h.
+PYTHON_INCLUDES := /usr/include/python2.7 \
+    /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/numpy/core/include
+# We need to be able to find libpythonX.X.so or .dylib.
+PYTHON_LIB := /usr/local/lib
+
+# Whatever else you find you need goes here.
+INCLUDE_DIRS := $(PYTHON_INCLUDES) /usr/local/include
+LIBRARY_DIRS := $(PYTHON_LIB) /usr/lib /usr/local/lib
+
+# For OS X, use clang++.
+CXX=/usr/bin/g++
+
+BUILD_DIR=build
+DISTRIBUTE_DIR=distribute