diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index cf6c596919..dd3a1f6f33 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+MAIN_MAKEFILE=1
 include config.mak
 
 vpath %.c    $(SRC_PATH)
@@ -39,7 +40,6 @@ DATA_FILES := $(wildcard $(SRC_PATH)/ffpresets/*.ffpreset)
 
 SKIPHEADERS = cmdutils_common_opts.h
 
-MAIN_MAKEFILE=1
 include $(SRC_PATH)/common.mak
 
 FF_LDFLAGS   := $(FFLDFLAGS)
diff --git a/common.mak b/common.mak
index ddaf45c370..9525dd44b6 100644
--- a/common.mak
+++ b/common.mak
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@ all: all-yes
 
 ifndef SUBDIR
 
-ifndef MAIN_MAKEFILE
-ifeq ($(SRC_PATH),.)
-SRC_PATH = ..
-endif
-endif
-
 ifndef V
 Q      = @
 ECHO   = printf "$(1)\t%s\n" $(2)
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9ca6193dbd..3092248f71 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3297,6 +3297,9 @@ BINDIR=\$(DESTDIR)$bindir
 DATADIR=\$(DESTDIR)$datadir
 MANDIR=\$(DESTDIR)$mandir
 SRC_PATH=$source_path
+ifndef MAIN_MAKEFILE
+SRC_PATH:=\$(SRC_PATH:.%=..%)
+endif
 CC_IDENT=$cc_ident
 ARCH=$arch
 CC=$cc