diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 03e24d14..0ac5dcbc 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -633,8 +633,6 @@ BUILD_CFLAGS
 MKINSTALLDIRS
 INCLUDES
 DO_TEST_SUITE
-ET_DIR
-SS_DIR
 LDFLAGS_STATIC
 root_sysconfdir
 root_libdir
@@ -13805,10 +13803,6 @@ $as_echo "#define _INTL_REDIRECT_MACROS 1" >>confdefs.h
 
 	;;
 esac
-SS_DIR=`cd ${srcdir}/lib/ss; pwd`
-ET_DIR=`cd ${srcdir}/lib/et; pwd`
-
-
 if test "$cross_compiling" = yes ; then
   DO_TEST_SUITE=
 else
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a387dfd7..1c733018 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1400,13 +1400,6 @@ darwin*)
 	;;
 esac
 dnl
-dnl Make the ss and et directories work correctly.
-dnl
-SS_DIR=`cd ${srcdir}/lib/ss; pwd`
-ET_DIR=`cd ${srcdir}/lib/et; pwd`
-AC_SUBST(SS_DIR)
-AC_SUBST(ET_DIR)
-dnl
 dnl Only try to run the test suite if we're not cross compiling.
 dnl
 if test "$cross_compiling" = yes ; then
diff --git a/debugfs/Makefile.in b/debugfs/Makefile.in
index c22b8c08..a3fe13e9 100644
--- a/debugfs/Makefile.in
+++ b/debugfs/Makefile.in
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 PROGS=		debugfs
 MANPAGES=	debugfs.8
 
-MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=../lib/ss ../lib/ss/mk_cmds
+MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../lib/ss ../lib/ss/mk_cmds
 
 DEBUG_OBJS= debug_cmds.o debugfs.o util.o ncheck.o icheck.o ls.o \
 	lsdel.o dump.o set_fields.o logdump.o htree.o unused.o e2freefrag.o \
diff --git a/e2fsck/Makefile.in b/e2fsck/Makefile.in
index 06d9f55e..6f626f4d 100644
--- a/e2fsck/Makefile.in
+++ b/e2fsck/Makefile.in
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ PROFILED_DEPLIBS= $(DEPPROFILED_LIBSUPPORT) $(PROFILED_LIBEXT2FS) \
 		  $(DEPPROFILED_LIBCOM_ERR) $(DEPPROFILED_LIBBLKID) \
 		  $(DEPPROFILED_LIBUUID) $(DEPPROFILED_LIBE2P)
 
-COMPILE_ET=$(top_builddir)/lib/et/compile_et --build-tree
+COMPILE_ET=	_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../lib/et/et ../lib/et/compile_et
 
 .c.o:
 	$(E) "	CC $<"
diff --git a/lib/et/Makefile.in b/lib/et/Makefile.in
index cb75ab8c..476f1894 100644
--- a/lib/et/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/et/Makefile.in
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ uninstall::
 check:: compile_et
 	for i in $(srcdir)/test_cases/*.et ; do \
 		t=`basename $$i | sed -e 's/.et//'`; \
-		./compile_et --build-tree $$i ; \
+		_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir) ./compile_et $$i ; \
 		diff -c $(srcdir)/test_cases/$$t.c $$t.c > $$t.failed; \
 		if [ $$? -ne 0 ]; then echo Test case $$t failed; exit 1 ; fi ; \
 		diff -c $(srcdir)/test_cases/$$t.h $$t.h >> $$t.failed; \
diff --git a/lib/et/compile_et.sh.in b/lib/et/compile_et.sh.in
index c2861f46..4c4ba17c 100644
--- a/lib/et/compile_et.sh.in
+++ b/lib/et/compile_et.sh.in
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@
 
 datarootdir=@datarootdir@
 AWK=@AWK@
-DIR="${DIR-@datadir@/et}"
-ET_DIR="${ET_DIR-@ET_DIR@}"
+DIR=@datadir@/et
 
 if test "$1" = "--build-tree" ; then
     shift;
@@ -29,13 +28,13 @@ do
   fi
 done
 
+if test -n "$_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE" ; then
+    DIR="$_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE";
+fi
+
 if test ! -f "$DIR/et_h.awk" || test ! -f "$DIR/et_c.awk" ; then
-    DIR="$ET_DIR"
-#    echo "Falling back to $DIR..."
-    if test ! -f "$DIR/et_h.awk" || test ! -f "$DIR/et_c.awk" ; then
-	echo "compile_et: Couldn't find compile_et's template files."
-	exit 1
-    fi
+    echo "compile_et: Couldn't find compile_et's template files."
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 ROOT=`echo $1 | sed -e s/.et$//`
diff --git a/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in b/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in
index 461920c3..6a3656d0 100644
--- a/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/ext2fs/Makefile.in
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ DEBUGFS_CFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../../e2fsck $(ALL_CFLAGS) -DDEBUGFS
 
 @DEBUGFS_CMT@DEBUGFS_LIB_OBJS = bb_compat.o inode_io.o write_bb_file.o
 
-MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=../ss ../ss/mk_cmds
+MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../ss ../ss/mk_cmds
+COMPILE_ET=	_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../et ../et/compile_et
 
 @RESIZER_CMT@RESIZE_LIB_OBJS = dupfs.o
 @TEST_IO_CMT@TEST_IO_LIB_OBJS = test_io.o
@@ -254,8 +255,6 @@ all:: ext2fs.pc
 @ELF_CMT@	$(Q) $(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS_SHLIB) -fPIC -shared -o elfshared/$*.o -c $<
 @BSDLIB_CMT@	$(Q) $(CC) $(ALL_CFLAGS_SHLIB) $(BSDLIB_PIC_FLAG) -o pic/$*.o -c $<
 
-COMPILE_ET=../et/compile_et --build-tree
-
 DISTFILES= Makefile *.c *.h image
 
 ext2_err.et: $(DEP_SUBSTITUTE) $(srcdir)/ext2_err.et.in
diff --git a/lib/ss/Makefile.in b/lib/ss/Makefile.in
index 255b58b5..f4953f07 100644
--- a/lib/ss/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/ss/Makefile.in
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ BSDLIB_MYDIR = ss
 BSDLIB_INSTALL_DIR = $(root_libdir)
 
 TAGS=etags
-COMPILE_ET=../et/compile_et --build-tree
-MK_CMDS=_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=. ./mk_cmds
+MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir) ./mk_cmds
+COMPILE_ET=	_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../et ../et/compile_et
 
 .c.o:
 	$(E) "	CC $<"
diff --git a/lib/ss/mk_cmds.sh.in b/lib/ss/mk_cmds.sh.in
index a8976a4d..0abc19d7 100644
--- a/lib/ss/mk_cmds.sh.in
+++ b/lib/ss/mk_cmds.sh.in
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
 #
 
 datarootdir=@datarootdir@
-DIR="${DIR-@datadir@/ss}"
-SS_DIR="@SS_DIR@"
+DIR=@datadir@/ss
 AWK=@AWK@
 SED=@SED@
 
@@ -30,12 +29,8 @@ if test -n "$_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE" ; then
 fi
 
 if test ! -f $DIR/ct_c.sed || test ! -f $DIR/ct_c.awk ; then
-    DIR="$SS_DIR"
-#    echo "Falling back to $DIR..."
-    if test ! -f "$DIR/ct_c.sed" || test ! -f "$DIR/ct_c.awk" ; then
-	echo "mk_cmds: Couldn't find mk_cmds's template files."
-	exit 1
-    fi
+    echo "mk_cmds: Couldn't find mk_cmds's template files."
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 FILE="$1"
diff --git a/lib/support/Makefile.in b/lib/support/Makefile.in
index 5beaaac5..112ba24e 100644
--- a/lib/support/Makefile.in
+++ b/lib/support/Makefile.in
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ LIBDIR= support
 @MAKEFILE_LIBRARY@
 @MAKEFILE_PROFILE@
 
-COMPILE_ET=$(top_builddir)/lib/et/compile_et --build-tree
+COMPILE_ET=	_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../et ../et/compile_et
 
 .c.o:
 	$(E) "	CC $<"
diff --git a/misc/Makefile.in b/misc/Makefile.in
index e4876928..d6436c2a 100644
--- a/misc/Makefile.in
+++ b/misc/Makefile.in
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ STATIC_DEPLIBS= $(DEPLIBSUPPORT) $(STATIC_LIBEXT2FS) $(DEPSTATIC_LIBCOM_ERR)
 LIBS_E2P= $(LIBE2P) $(LIBCOM_ERR)
 DEPLIBS_E2P= $(LIBE2P) $(DEPLIBCOM_ERR)
 
-COMPILE_ET=$(top_builddir)/lib/et/compile_et --build-tree
+COMPILE_ET=	_ET_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../lib/et/et ../lib/et/compile_et
 
 # This nastyness is needed because of jfs_user.h hackery; when we finally
 # clean up this mess, we should be able to drop it
diff --git a/tests/progs/Makefile.in b/tests/progs/Makefile.in
index 22d94179..f6a31b91 100644
--- a/tests/progs/Makefile.in
+++ b/tests/progs/Makefile.in
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ INSTALL = @INSTALL@
 
 @MCONFIG@
 
-MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=../../lib/ss ../../lib/ss/mk_cmds
+MK_CMDS=	_SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=$(srcdir)/../../lib/ss ../../lib/ss/mk_cmds
 
 PROGS=		test_icount crcsum
 
diff --git a/util/gen-android-files b/util/gen-android-files
index 994337bb..ebd8778b 100755
--- a/util/gen-android-files
+++ b/util/gen-android-files
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ ANDROID_GENERATED_FILES="lib/ext2fs/ext2_err.c lib/ext2fs/ext2_err.h \
 SS_DIR=$(pwd)/lib/ss
 MK_CMDS=/tmp/mk_cmds$$.sh
 
-sed -e "s;@SS_DIR@;$SS_DIR;" < $SS_DIR/mk_cmds.sh.in \
-    | sed -e "s/@AWK@/awk/" | sed -e "s/@SED@/sed/" > $MK_CMDS
+sed -e "s/@AWK@/awk/" < $SS_DIR/mk_cmds.sh.in \
+    | sed -e "s/@SED@/sed/" > $MK_CMDS
 
 sed -e "s/@E2FSPROGS_VERSION@/$(git describe)/" < lib/ext2fs/ext2_err.et.in > lib/ext2fs/ext2_err.et
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ done
 for i in lib/ss/std_rqs debugfs/debug_cmds debugfs/ro_debug_cmds \
 			debugfs/extent_cmds
 do
-    /bin/sh $MK_CMDS $i.ct
+    _SS_DIR_OVERRIDE=lib/ss /bin/sh $MK_CMDS $i.ct
     mv -f $(basename $i).c $i.c
 done
 
diff --git a/util/subst.conf.in b/util/subst.conf.in
index ada11e79..fbc044dc 100644
--- a/util/subst.conf.in
+++ b/util/subst.conf.in
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 AWK			@AWK@
 SED			@SED@
-ET_DIR			@ET_DIR@
-SS_DIR			@SS_DIR@
 E2FSPROGS_MONTH		@E2FSPROGS_MONTH@
 E2FSPROGS_YEAR		@E2FSPROGS_YEAR@
 E2FSPROGS_VERSION	@E2FSPROGS_VERSION@