diff --git a/tests/bin/Makefile.am b/tests/bin/Makefile.am
index c4e45eed8..4dc46b940 100644
--- a/tests/bin/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/bin/Makefile.am
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ TESTS = check-test-lib
 intr_LDADD = $(LIB_roken)
 
 do_subst = $(heim_verbose)sed \
-	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(top_srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(top_builddir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(abs_top_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(abs_top_builddir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]EGREP[@],$(EGREP),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]NO_AFS[@],$(NO_AFS),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]MITKRB5[@],$(MITKRB5),g'
diff --git a/tests/can/Makefile.am b/tests/can/Makefile.am
index 8caf29315..29805872e 100644
--- a/tests/can/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/can/Makefile.am
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@ TESTS = $(SCRIPT_TESTS)
 
 port = 49188
 
-do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
+do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/can,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/can,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]EGREP[@],$(EGREP),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g'
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g'
 
 test_can: test_can.in Makefile
 	$(do_subst) < $(srcdir)/test_can.in > test_can.tmp
diff --git a/tests/db/Makefile.am b/tests/db/Makefile.am
index 5e9fe0039..40d3e5e20 100644
--- a/tests/db/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/db/Makefile.am
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ check_SCRIPTS = loaddump-db add-modify-delete check-dbinfo check-aliases
 
 TESTS = $(check_SCRIPTS) 
 
-do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(top_builddir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/db,g' \
+do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(abs_top_builddir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/db,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]default_db_type[@],$(db_type),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]db_type_preference[@],$(db_type_preference),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]EGREP[@],$(EGREP),g' 
diff --git a/tests/gss/Makefile.am b/tests/gss/Makefile.am
index 35a75e0c2..94f16b8de 100644
--- a/tests/gss/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/gss/Makefile.am
@@ -14,14 +14,14 @@ check_SCRIPTS = $(SCRIPT_TESTS)
 
 port = 49188
 
-do_subst = srcdirabs=`cd "$(srcdir)"; pwd`; objdirabs=`pwd`; sed \
-	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
-	-e "s,[@]srcdirabs[@],$${srcdirabs},g" \
-	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(top_srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
+do_subst = sed \
+	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]srcdirabs[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(abs_top_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/gss,g' \
-	-e "s,[@]objdirabs[@],$${objdirabs},g"
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/gss,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdirabs[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/gss,g'
 
 check-gss: check-gss.in Makefile
 	$(do_subst) < $(srcdir)/check-gss.in > check-gss.tmp && \
diff --git a/tests/java/Makefile.am b/tests/java/Makefile.am
index acbe874a0..fbee2541c 100644
--- a/tests/java/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/java/Makefile.am
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ TESTS = $(SCRIPT_TESTS)
 
 port = 49188
 
-do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
+do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/java,g'
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/java,g'
 
 LDADD = ../../lib/krb5/libkrb5.la $(LIB_roken)
 
diff --git a/tests/kdc/Makefile.am b/tests/kdc/Makefile.am
index 4f03e2208..98c12a9dd 100644
--- a/tests/kdc/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/kdc/Makefile.am
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ do_dlopen = -e 's,[@]DLOPEN[@],false,g'
 endif
 
 do_subst = $(heim_verbose)sed $(do_dlopen) \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
-	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(top_srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_srcdir[@],$(abs_top_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]admport[@],$(admport),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]admport2[@],$(admport2),g' \
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ do_subst = $(heim_verbose)sed $(do_dlopen) \
 	-e 's,[@]pwport[@],$(pwport),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]ipropport[@],$(ipropport),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]ipropport2[@],$(ipropport2),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/kdc,g' \
-	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(top_builddir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/kdc,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]top_builddir[@],$(abs_top_builddir),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]db_type[@],$(db_type),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]max_life_from_cert[@],$(pkinit_ticket_max_life_from_cert),g' \
         -e 's,[@]ENABLE_AFS_STRING_TO_KEY[@],$(ENABLE_AFS_STRING_TO_KEY),' \
diff --git a/tests/ldap/Makefile.am b/tests/ldap/Makefile.am
index cbc0b7d8d..740c1ac0a 100644
--- a/tests/ldap/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/ldap/Makefile.am
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ TESTS = check-ldap
 port = 49188
 
 do_subst = sed \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
-	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/ldap,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/ldap,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]EGREP[@],$(EGREP),g' 
 
 check-ldap: check-ldap.in Makefile
diff --git a/tests/plugin/Makefile.am b/tests/plugin/Makefile.am
index 5dd43ccb0..77c4c8e6b 100644
--- a/tests/plugin/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/plugin/Makefile.am
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ TESTS = $(SCRIPT_TESTS)
 
 port = 49188
 
-do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(srcdir),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
+do_subst = sed -e 's,[@]srcdir[@],$(abs_srcdir),g' \
+	-e 's,[@]env_setup[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/bin/setup-env,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]port[@],$(port),g' \
-	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(top_builddir)/tests/plugin,g' \
+	-e 's,[@]objdir[@],$(abs_top_builddir)/tests/plugin,g' \
 	-e 's,[@]EGREP[@],$(EGREP),g' 
 
 LDADD = ../../lib/krb5/libkrb5.la $(LIB_roken)