diff --git a/Allwmake b/Allwmake
index 6136570be0..097099bd4f 100755
--- a/Allwmake
+++ b/Allwmake
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ echo
 applications/Allwmake $targetType $*
 
 # Additional components/modules
-if [ "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" = false ]
+if [ "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" = false ] || [ "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" = none ]
 then
     echo "========================================"
-    echo "OpenFOAM modules disabled (prefix=false)"
+    echo "OpenFOAM modules disabled (prefix=${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX})"
     echo
 elif [ -d "$WM_PROJECT_DIR/modules" ]
 then
diff --git a/modules/Allwmake b/modules/Allwmake
index b6bf9301a5..a5a481bffd 100755
--- a/modules/Allwmake
+++ b/modules/Allwmake
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ targetType=libso
 export FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX
 
 echo "========================================"
-echo "Compile OpenFOAM modules"
+if [ "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" = false ] || [ "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" = none ]
+then
+    echo "OpenFOAM modules disabled (prefix=${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX})"
+    echo
+    exit 0
+fi
+
 echo "prefix = $FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX"
 echo
 echo "    ignoring possible compilation errors"
diff --git a/wmake/scripts/AllwmakeParseArguments b/wmake/scripts/AllwmakeParseArguments
index 9eeeba595b..f679cf0c04 100644
--- a/wmake/scripts/AllwmakeParseArguments
+++ b/wmake/scripts/AllwmakeParseArguments
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ do
         # Prefix: openfoam (other)
         (o | openfoam)  FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="${FOAM_LIBBIN%/*}" ;;
 
-        # Prefix: false (ie, 'disabled')
-        (false) FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX=false ;;
+        # Prefix: false | none (ie, 'disabled')
+        (false | none)  FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX=false ;;
 
         # Prefix: directory (absolute or relative)
         (*)
diff --git a/wmake/scripts/wmakeFunctions b/wmake/scripts/wmakeFunctions
index 89134c835a..e84f1da118 100644
--- a/wmake/scripts/wmakeFunctions
+++ b/wmake/scripts/wmakeFunctions
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #    \\/     M anipulation  |
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 #     Copyright (C) 2015-2016 OpenFOAM Foundation
-#     Copyright (C) 2018-2020 OpenCFD Ltd.
+#     Copyright (C) 2018-2021 OpenCFD Ltd.
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # License
 #     This file is part of OpenFOAM, distributed under GPL-3.0-or-later.
@@ -55,6 +55,43 @@ checkEnv()
 }
 
 
+# Set FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX according to
+# - absolute/relative path
+# - predefined type (u,user | g,group | o,openfoam)
+setModulePrefix()
+{
+    export FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="$1"
+    case "$FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX" in
+    # Prefix: user
+    (u | user)      FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="${FOAM_USER_LIBBIN%/*}" ;;
+
+    # Prefix: group
+    (g | group)     FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="${FOAM_SITE_LIBBIN%/*}" ;;
+
+    # Prefix: openfoam (other)
+    (o | openfoam)  FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="${FOAM_LIBBIN%/*}" ;;
+
+    # Prefix: false | none (ie, 'disabled')
+    (false | none)  FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX=false ;;
+
+    # Prefix: directory (absolute or relative)
+    (*)
+        : "${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX:=/usr/local}"  # Fallback (autoconf-like)
+
+        # Require absolute path
+        [ "${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX#/}" != "${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX}" ] || \
+            FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX="${PWD}/${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX}"
+        ;;
+    esac
+
+    # Avoid potential conflicts
+    unset FOAM_MODULE_APPBIN FOAM_MODULE_LIBBIN
+    echo "Module prefix = ${FOAM_MODULE_PREFIX:-[]}" 1>&2
+}
+
+
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 # Return the absolute (physical) path for a directory or
 # for a file's parent directory
 # expandPath dirName