diff --git a/modules/matlab/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
index fc397e4658..1dee04b7c4 100644
--- a/modules/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/matlab/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -276,22 +276,26 @@ endif()
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # NOTE: Trailing slashes on the DIRECTORY paths are important!
 # TODO: What needs to be done with rpath????
-file(GLOB MATLAB_FUNCTIONS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/src/*.${MATLAB_MEXEXT}")
-file(GLOB MATLAB_CLASSES   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/+cv/*.m")
-file(GLOB MATLAB_PRIVATE   "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/src/private/*.${MATLAB_MEXEXT}")
-install(DIRECTORY   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/+cv/
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/matlab/+cv
-        FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.${MATLAB_MEXEXT}"
-)
-install(DIRECTORY   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/+cv/
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/matlab/+cv
-        FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.m"
-)
-install(DIRECTORY   ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/+cv/private/
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/matlab/+cv/private
-        FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "*.${MATLAB_MEXEXT}"
-)
-install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/
-        DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/matlab
-        FILES_MATCHING PATTERN "cv.m"
+
+# install the +cv directory verbatim
+install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/include/ DESTINATION ${OPENCV_INCLUDE_INSTALL_PATH})
+install(DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/+cv/     DESTINATION matlab/+cv)
+install(FILES ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/cv.m         DESTINATION matlab)
+
+# update the custom mex compiler to point to the install locations
+string(REPLACE ";" "\\ " MEX_OPTS "${MEX_OPTS}")
+string(REPLACE ";" "\\ " MEX_LIBS "${MEX_LIBS}")
+string(REPLACE " " "\\ " MEX_CXXFLAGS ${MEX_CXXFLAGS})
+string(REPLACE ";" "\\ " MEX_INCLUDE_DIRS "${MEX_INCLUDE_DIRS}")
+install(CODE
+    "execute_process(
+    COMMAND ${PYTHON_EXECUTABLE}
+            ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/generator/cvmex.py
+            --opts=${MEX_OPTS}
+            --include_dirs=-I${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${OPENCV_INCLUDE_INSTALL_PATH}
+            --lib_dir=-L${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/${OPENCV_LIB_INSTALL_PATH}
+            --libs=${MEX_LIBS}
+            --flags=${MEX_CXXFLAGS}
+            --outdir ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/matlab
+    )"
 )
diff --git a/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_class_base.cpp b/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_class_base.cpp
index f353f75bb9..e59b7b1d03 100644
--- a/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_class_base.cpp
+++ b/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_class_base.cpp
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
  * See LICENCE for full modification and redistribution details.
  * Copyright {{time.strftime("%Y", time.localtime())}} The OpenCV Foundation
  */
-#include "mex.h"
-#include "map.hpp"
-#include "bridge.hpp"
+#include <mex.h>
 #include <vector>
 #include <string>
+#include <opencv2/matlab/map.hpp>
+#include <opencv2/matlab/bridge.hpp>
 #include <opencv2/core.hpp>
 using namespace cv;
 
diff --git a/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_function_base.cpp b/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_function_base.cpp
index 7a6ad4b07f..56f71ce386 100644
--- a/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_function_base.cpp
+++ b/modules/matlab/generator/templates/template_function_base.cpp
@@ -8,12 +8,11 @@
  * See LICENCE for full modification and redistribution details.
  * Copyright {{time.strftime("%Y", time.localtime())}} The OpenCV Foundation
  */
-#include "mex.h"
-#include "bridge.hpp"
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
 #include <cassert>
 #include <exception>
+#include <opencv2/matlab/bridge.hpp>
 #include <opencv2/{{includes}}.hpp>
 using namespace cv;
 
diff --git a/modules/matlab/include/bridge.hpp b/modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/bridge.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/matlab/include/bridge.hpp
rename to modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/bridge.hpp
diff --git a/modules/matlab/include/map.hpp b/modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/map.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/matlab/include/map.hpp
rename to modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/map.hpp
diff --git a/modules/matlab/include/mxarray.hpp b/modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/mxarray.hpp
similarity index 98%
rename from modules/matlab/include/mxarray.hpp
rename to modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/mxarray.hpp
index 1c34255f99..26a480a7e9 100644
--- a/modules/matlab/include/mxarray.hpp
+++ b/modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/mxarray.hpp
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ typedef std::unordered_set<std::string> StringSet;
 #include <set>
 typedef std::set<std::string> StringSet;
 #endif
-#include "mex.h"
+#include <mex.h>
 #include "transpose.hpp"
 
 /*
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ private:
   struct Variant;
   typedef std::string String;
   typedef std::vector<std::string> StringVector;
+  typedef std::vector<size_t> IndexVector;
   typedef std::vector<MxArray> MxArrayVector;
   typedef std::vector<Variant> VariantVector;
   /* @class Variant
@@ -506,6 +507,7 @@ private:
     size_t nreq;
     size_t nopt;
     StringVector keys;
+    IndexVector order;
     bool using_named;
     /*! @brief return true if the named-argument is in the Variant */
     bool count(const String& key) { return std::find(keys.begin(), keys.end(), key) != keys.end(); }
@@ -529,6 +531,14 @@ private:
       return s.str();
     }
   };
+  void sortArguments(Variant& v, MxArrayVector& in, MxArrayVector& out) {
+    // allocate the output array with ALL arguments
+    out.resize(v.nreq + v.nopt);
+    // reorder the inputs based on the variant ordering
+    for (size_t n = 0; n < v.order.size(); ++n) {
+      swap(in[n], out[v.order[n]]);
+    }
+  }
   MxArrayVector filled_;
   VariantVector variants_;
   String valid_;
diff --git a/modules/matlab/include/transpose.hpp b/modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/transpose.hpp
similarity index 100%
rename from modules/matlab/include/transpose.hpp
rename to modules/matlab/include/opencv2/matlab/transpose.hpp