diff --git a/applets/Makefile b/applets/Makefile
index 03491d2..1552799 100644
--- a/applets/Makefile
+++ b/applets/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/applets
 APPLETS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/archival/Makefile b/archival/Makefile
index d5d950e..2cb5ebc 100644
--- a/archival/Makefile
+++ b/archival/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 ARCHIVAL_DIR:=./
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/archival
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/archival/libunarchive/Makefile b/archival/libunarchive/Makefile
index e985fa4..3f0ebce 100644
--- a/archival/libunarchive/Makefile
+++ b/archival/libunarchive/Makefile
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=../..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=../..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/archival/libunarchive
 LIBUNARCHIVE_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/console-tools/Makefile b/console-tools/Makefile
index 5250e76..202b534 100644
--- a/console-tools/Makefile
+++ b/console-tools/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/console/tools
 CONSOLETOOLS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/coreutils/Makefile b/coreutils/Makefile
index d3f745a..f7fdc4b 100644
--- a/coreutils/Makefile
+++ b/coreutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/coreutils
 SHELLUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/coreutils/libcoreutils/Makefile b/coreutils/libcoreutils/Makefile
index 0a1c80a..e8bc65d 100644
--- a/coreutils/libcoreutils/Makefile
+++ b/coreutils/libcoreutils/Makefile
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=../..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=../..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/coreutils/libcoreutils
 LIBCOREUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/debianutils/Makefile b/debianutils/Makefile
index 41da6c4..614bfbe 100644
--- a/debianutils/Makefile
+++ b/debianutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/debianutils
 DEBIANUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/e2fsprogs/Makefile b/e2fsprogs/Makefile
index e6299e6..a42290e 100644
--- a/e2fsprogs/Makefile
+++ b/e2fsprogs/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/e2fsprogs
 E2FSPROGS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/.config
diff --git a/editors/Makefile b/editors/Makefile
index 7c2e4ef..941c4c7 100644
--- a/editors/Makefile
+++ b/editors/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/editors
 EDITOR_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/findutils/Makefile b/findutils/Makefile
index ffafd38..b02d69c 100644
--- a/findutils/Makefile
+++ b/findutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/findutils
 FINDUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/init/Makefile b/init/Makefile
index d31aad1..828971a 100644
--- a/init/Makefile
+++ b/init/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/init
 INIT_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/libbb/Makefile b/libbb/Makefile
index 6e6a398..1d4f547 100644
--- a/libbb/Makefile
+++ b/libbb/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/libbb
 LIBBB_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/libpwdgrp/Makefile b/libpwdgrp/Makefile
index 2af51d7..270cf53 100644
--- a/libpwdgrp/Makefile
+++ b/libpwdgrp/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/libpwgrp
 LIBPWDGRP_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/loginutils/Makefile b/loginutils/Makefile
index ebaa828..bbf2813 100644
--- a/loginutils/Makefile
+++ b/loginutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/loginutils
 LOGINUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/miscutils/Makefile b/miscutils/Makefile
index 8640dec..64cd56e 100644
--- a/miscutils/Makefile
+++ b/miscutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/miscutils
 MISCUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/modutils/Makefile b/modutils/Makefile
index 2e0585f..fa7a2a3 100644
--- a/modutils/Makefile
+++ b/modutils/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/modutils
 MODUTILS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/networking/Makefile b/networking/Makefile
index d0427d4..98bd7f8 100644
--- a/networking/Makefile
+++ b/networking/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/networking
 NETWORKING_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/networking/libiproute/Makefile b/networking/libiproute/Makefile
index d3aefaa..96b1449 100644
--- a/networking/libiproute/Makefile
+++ b/networking/libiproute/Makefile
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=../..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=../..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/networking/libiproute
 LIBIPROUTE_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/networking/udhcp/Makefile b/networking/udhcp/Makefile
index 3d32db5..7c027ed 100644
--- a/networking/udhcp/Makefile
+++ b/networking/udhcp/Makefile
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 #
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=../..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=../..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/networking/udhcp
 UDHCP_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/procps/Makefile b/procps/Makefile
index 3be6247..179371a 100644
--- a/procps/Makefile
+++ b/procps/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/procps
 PROCPS_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/scripts/config/Makefile b/scripts/config/Makefile
index 8983ee5..716e130 100644
--- a/scripts/config/Makefile
+++ b/scripts/config/Makefile
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@
 #
 # Copyright (C) 2002 Erik Andersen <andersen@codepoet.org>
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=../..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=../..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/scripts/config
 include $(top_srcdir)/Rules.mak
 
diff --git a/shell/Makefile b/shell/Makefile
index 5c56a27..c29ec34 100644
--- a/shell/Makefile
+++ b/shell/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/shell
 SHELL_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/sysklogd/Makefile b/sysklogd/Makefile
index 788958a..e6594f0 100644
--- a/sysklogd/Makefile
+++ b/sysklogd/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/sysklogd
 SYSKLOGD_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak
diff --git a/util-linux/Makefile b/util-linux/Makefile
index 33e5ffe..de51b75 100644
--- a/util-linux/Makefile
+++ b/util-linux/Makefile
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@
 #
 # Licensed under the GPL v2, see the file LICENSE in this tarball.
 
+ifndef top_srcdir
 top_srcdir=..
+endif
+ifndef top_builddir
 top_builddir=..
+endif
 srcdir=$(top_srcdir)/util-linux
 UTILLINUX_DIR:=./
 include $(top_builddir)/Rules.mak