diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 0166553..1aedd4c 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ cgrowth_get_color_flags()
 
 IF ( CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT )
     # set discovered python local folder
-    cmake_path(SET PY_LOCAL_DIR "${PY_LOCAL_DIR}")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "\\\\" "/" PY_LOCAL_DIR ${PY_LOCAL_DIR})
 
     set( Python3_INSTALL_DIR "${PY_LOCAL_DIR}" )
     set( Python3_INSTALL_DIR "${PY_LOCAL_DIR}" CACHE STRING "python install dir" FORCE)
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ IF ( CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT )
 
     # get local user library folder as default install prefix ()
     if (Python3_EXECUTABLE MATCHES "conda")
-      cmake_path(SET CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "$ENV{CONDA_PREFIX}")
+      set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "$ENV{CONDA_PREFIX}")
+    elseif (EXISTS $ENV{VIRTUAL_ENV})
+      set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "$ENV{VIRTUAL_ENV}")
     else ()
       execute_process(COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -m site --user-base OUTPUT_VARIABLE CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
     endif ()
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ IF ( CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX_INITIALIZED_TO_DEFAULT )
       endif ()
     endif ()
 
-    cmake_path(SET CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "\\\\" "/" CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX})
 
     # cache it
     set( CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" CACHE STRING "install prefix" FORCE)
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ ELSEIF ( ("${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" STREQUAL "/usr/local") AND NOT ("$CACHE{CMAK
 ELSE ()
     # make sure we get the absolute path
     get_filename_component(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}" ABSOLUTE)
-    cmake_path(SET CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
+    string(REGEX REPLACE "\\\\" "/" CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX})
 ENDIF ()
 
 # set libraries in binaries installation directories
diff --git a/cmake/ProcessOptions.cmake b/cmake/ProcessOptions.cmake
index 6fb9b9c..594b4d2 100644
--- a/cmake/ProcessOptions.cmake
+++ b/cmake/ProcessOptions.cmake
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ function( CGROWTH_PROCESS_WITH_PYTHON )
   set( HAVE_PYTHON OFF PARENT_SCOPE )
   string(REGEX MATCH "^3([.][0-9]+)?" VALID_PYVERSION "${with-python}" )
 
+  set(Python_FIND_VIRTUALENV FIRST)
+
   if ( ${with-python} STREQUAL "ON" OR VALID_PYVERSION OR EXISTS ${with-python} )
 
     # Localize the Python interpreter
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ print('.'.join(str(v) for v in sys.version_info));
 print(sys.prefix);
 print(s.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True));
 print(s.get_python_lib(plat_specific=True));
-print(s.get_config_var('SO'));
+print(s.get_config_var('EXT_SUFFIX'));
 print(hasattr(sys, 'gettotalrefcount')+0);
 print(struct.calcsize('@P'));
 print(s.get_config_var('LDVERSION') or s.get_config_var('VERSION'));
@@ -217,13 +219,13 @@ print(s.get_config_var('MULTIARCH') or '');
       endif ()
 
       # set local install dir for python packages
-      if (Python3_EXECUTABLE MATCHES "conda")
+      if (Python3_EXECUTABLE MATCHES "conda" OR EXISTS "$ENV{VIRTUAL_ENV}")
         execute_process(COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -c "import site; print([v for v in site.getsitepackages() if v.endswith('site-packages')][0])" OUTPUT_VARIABLE PY_LOCAL_DIR OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
       else ()
         execute_process(COMMAND ${Python3_EXECUTABLE} -m site --user-site OUTPUT_VARIABLE PY_LOCAL_DIR OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE)
       endif ()
 
-      cmake_path(SET PY_LOCAL_DIR "${PY_LOCAL_DIR}")
+      string(REGEX REPLACE "\\\\" "/" PY_LOCAL_DIR ${PY_LOCAL_DIR})
 
       # create the directory if it does not exist
       file(MAKE_DIRECTORY "${PY_LOCAL_DIR}")