diff --git a/Source/cmCommands.cxx b/Source/cmCommands.cxx
index 8ad4f0e77..59cd09936 100644
--- a/Source/cmCommands.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmCommands.cxx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include "cmGetTestPropertyCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmIncludeExternalMSProjectCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmInstallCommand.cxx"
+#include "cmInstallCommandArguments.cxx"
 #include "cmInstallProgramsCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmLinkLibrariesCommand.cxx"
 #include "cmListCommand.cxx"
diff --git a/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.cxx b/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.cxx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91a00ce7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.cxx
@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+/*=========================================================================
+
+  Program:   CMake - Cross-Platform Makefile Generator
+  Module:    $RCSfile$
+  Language:  C++
+  Date:      $Date$
+  Version:   $Revision$
+
+  Copyright (c) 2002 Kitware, Inc., Insight Consortium.  All rights reserved.
+  See Copyright.txt or http://www.cmake.org/HTML/Copyright.html for details.
+
+     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notices for more information.
+
+=========================================================================*/
+#include "cmInstallCommandArguments.h"
+#include "cmSystemTools.h"
+
+// Table of valid permissions.
+const char* cmInstallCommandArguments::PermissionsTable[] =
+{
+  "OWNER_READ", "OWNER_WRITE", "OWNER_EXECUTE",
+  "GROUP_READ", "GROUP_WRITE", "GROUP_EXECUTE",
+  "WORLD_READ", "WORLD_WRITE", "WORLD_EXECUTE",
+  "SETUID", "SETGID", 0
+};
+
+const std::string cmInstallCommandArguments::EmptyString;
+
+cmInstallCommandArguments::cmInstallCommandArguments()
+:cmCommandArgumentsHelper()
+,ArgumentGroup()
+,Destination   (this, "DESTINATION"   , &ArgumentGroup)
+,Component     (this, "COMPONENT"     , &ArgumentGroup)
+,Rename        (this, "RENAME"        , &ArgumentGroup)
+,Permissions   (this, "PERMISSIONS"   , &ArgumentGroup)
+,Configurations(this, "CONFIGURATIONS", &ArgumentGroup)
+,Optional      (this, "OPTIONAL"      , &ArgumentGroup)
+,GenericArguments(0)
+{
+  this->Component.SetDefaultString("Unspecified");
+}
+
+const std::string& cmInstallCommandArguments::GetDestination() const
+{
+  if (!this->AbsDestination.empty())
+    {
+    return this->AbsDestination;
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetDestination();
+    }
+  return this->EmptyString;
+}
+
+const std::string& cmInstallCommandArguments::GetComponent() const
+{
+  if (!this->Component.GetString().empty())
+    {
+    return this->Component.GetString();
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetComponent();
+    }
+  return this->EmptyString;
+}
+
+const std::string& cmInstallCommandArguments::GetRename() const
+{
+  if (!this->Rename.GetString().empty())
+    {
+    return this->Rename.GetString();
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetRename();
+    }
+  return this->EmptyString;
+}
+
+const std::string& cmInstallCommandArguments::GetPermissions() const
+{
+  if (!this->PermissionsString.empty())
+    {
+    return this->PermissionsString;
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetPermissions();
+    }
+  return this->EmptyString;
+}
+
+bool cmInstallCommandArguments::GetOptional() const
+{
+  if (this->Optional.IsEnabled())
+    {
+    return true;
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetOptional();
+    }
+  return false;
+}
+
+const std::vector<std::string>& 
+    cmInstallCommandArguments::GetConfigurations() const
+{
+  if (!this->Configurations.GetVector().empty())
+    {
+    return this->Configurations.GetVector();
+    }
+  if (this->GenericArguments!=0)
+    {
+    return this->GenericArguments->GetConfigurations();
+    }
+  return this->Configurations.GetVector();
+}
+
+
+bool cmInstallCommandArguments::Finalize()
+{
+  if (!this->CheckPermissions())
+    {
+    return false;
+    }
+  this->ComputeDestination(this->Destination.GetString(),this->AbsDestination);
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+bool cmInstallCommandArguments::CheckPermissions()
+{
+  this->PermissionsString = "";
+  for(std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator 
+      permIt = this->Permissions.GetVector().begin(); 
+      permIt != this->Permissions.GetVector().end(); 
+      ++permIt)
+    {
+    if (!this->CheckPermissions(*permIt, this->PermissionsString))
+      {
+      return false;
+      }
+    }
+  return true;
+}
+
+bool cmInstallCommandArguments::CheckPermissions(
+                    const std::string& onePermission, std::string& permissions)
+{
+  // Check the permission against the table.
+  for(const char** valid = cmInstallCommandArguments::PermissionsTable; 
+      *valid; ++valid)
+    {
+    if(onePermission == *valid)
+      {
+      // This is a valid permission.
+      permissions += " ";
+      permissions += onePermission;
+      return true;
+      }
+    }
+  // This is not a valid permission.
+  return false;
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+void cmInstallCommandArguments::ComputeDestination(const std::string& inDest, 
+                                                   std::string& absDest)
+{
+  if((inDest.size()>0) && !(cmSystemTools::FileIsFullPath(inDest.c_str())))
+    {
+    // Relative paths are treated with respect to the installation prefix.
+    absDest = "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/";
+    absDest += inDest;
+    }
+  else
+    {
+    // Full paths are absolute.
+    absDest = inDest;
+    }
+  // Format the path nicely.  Note this also removes trailing slashes.
+  cmSystemTools::ConvertToUnixSlashes(absDest);
+}
+
diff --git a/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.h b/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..936aa460a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/cmInstallCommandArguments.h
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+/*=========================================================================
+
+  Program:   CMake - Cross-Platform Makefile Generator
+  Module:    $RCSfile$
+  Language:  C++
+  Date:      $Date$
+  Version:   $Revision$
+
+  Copyright (c) 2002 Kitware, Inc., Insight Consortium.  All rights reserved.
+  See Copyright.txt or http://www.cmake.org/HTML/Copyright.html for details.
+
+     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
+     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
+     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notices for more information.
+
+=========================================================================*/
+
+#ifndef cmInstallCommandArguments_h
+#define cmInstallCommandArguments_h
+
+#include "cmStandardIncludes.h"
+#include "cmCommandArgumentsHelper.h"
+
+class cmInstallCommandArguments : public cmCommandArgumentsHelper
+{
+  public:
+    cmInstallCommandArguments();
+    void SetGenericArguments(cmInstallCommandArguments* args) 
+                                               {this->GenericArguments = args;}
+    // Compute destination path.
+    bool Finalize();
+    cmCommandArgumentGroup ArgumentGroup;
+
+    const std::string& GetDestination() const;
+    const std::string& GetComponent() const;
+    const std::string& GetRename() const;
+    const std::string& GetPermissions() const;
+    const std::vector<std::string>& GetConfigurations() const;
+    bool GetOptional() const;
+
+    // once HandleDirectoryMode() is also switched to using cmInstallCommandArguments
+    // then these two functions can become non-static private member functions
+    // without arguments
+    static void ComputeDestination(const std::string& inDest, 
+                                   std::string& absDest);
+    static bool CheckPermissions(const std::string& onePerm, 
+                                 std::string& perm);
+  private:
+    cmCAString Destination;
+    cmCAString Component;
+    cmCAString Rename;
+    cmCAStringVector Permissions;
+    cmCAStringVector Configurations;
+    cmCAEnabler Optional;
+
+    std::string AbsDestination;
+    std::string PermissionsString;
+
+    cmInstallCommandArguments* GenericArguments;
+    static const char* PermissionsTable[];
+    static const std::string EmptyString;
+    bool CheckPermissions();
+};
+
+#endif