diff --git a/lib/com_err/compile_et.in b/lib/com_err/compile_et.in
index df1d12cb6..8d10636da 100755
--- a/lib/com_err/compile_et.in
+++ b/lib/com_err/compile_et.in
@@ -1,15 +1,26 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-file=@srcdir@/compile_et.awk
+# $Id$ 
+
+case "@srcdir@" in
+    /*)
+    srcdir="@srcdir@"
+    ;;
+    *)
+    srcdir="`dirname $0`/@srcdir@"
+    ;;
+esac
+
+file="$srcdir/compile_et.awk"
 
 if [ $# != 1 ]; then
     echo "Usage: compile_et file.et"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -f $file ]; then
-	echo "compile_et: File not found: $file"
-	exit 1
+if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
+    echo "compile_et: File not found: $file"
+    exit 1
 fi
 
-@AWK@ -f $file $1
+@AWK@ -f "$file" "$1"
diff --git a/lib/error/compile_et.in b/lib/error/compile_et.in
index df1d12cb6..8d10636da 100755
--- a/lib/error/compile_et.in
+++ b/lib/error/compile_et.in
@@ -1,15 +1,26 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-file=@srcdir@/compile_et.awk
+# $Id$ 
+
+case "@srcdir@" in
+    /*)
+    srcdir="@srcdir@"
+    ;;
+    *)
+    srcdir="`dirname $0`/@srcdir@"
+    ;;
+esac
+
+file="$srcdir/compile_et.awk"
 
 if [ $# != 1 ]; then
     echo "Usage: compile_et file.et"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-if [ ! -f $file ]; then
-	echo "compile_et: File not found: $file"
-	exit 1
+if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
+    echo "compile_et: File not found: $file"
+    exit 1
 fi
 
-@AWK@ -f $file $1
+@AWK@ -f "$file" "$1"