diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8191165ac8..1a300c9d7e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 #
 include config.mak
 
-VPATH=$(SRC_PATH_BARE)
+vpath %.c    $(SRC_PATH_BARE)
+vpath %.h    $(SRC_PATH_BARE)
+vpath %.texi $(SRC_PATH_BARE)
 
 CFLAGS=$(OPTFLAGS) -I$(BUILD_ROOT) -I$(SRC_PATH) -I$(SRC_PATH)/libavutil \
        -I$(SRC_PATH)/libavcodec -I$(SRC_PATH)/libavformat -I$(SRC_PATH)/libswscale \
diff --git a/common.mak b/common.mak
index 2ba85157be..ac317d99d9 100644
--- a/common.mak
+++ b/common.mak
@@ -2,8 +2,13 @@
 # common bits used by all libraries
 #
 
-VPATH = $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/lib$(NAME)
-SRC_DIR = "$(VPATH)"
+LIBSRC = $(SRC_PATH_BARE)/lib$(NAME)
+
+vpath %.c $(LIBSRC)
+vpath %.h $(LIBSRC)
+vpath %.S $(LIBSRC)
+
+SRC_DIR = "$(LIBSRC)"
 
 CFLAGS   += $(CFLAGS-yes)
 OBJS     += $(OBJS-yes)
@@ -44,7 +49,7 @@ $(SLIBNAME_WITH_MAJOR): $(OBJS)
 %.ho: %.h
 	$(CC) $(CFLAGS) $(LIBOBJFLAGS) -Wno-unused -c -o $@ -x c $<
 
-ALLHEADERS = $(subst $(VPATH)/,,$(wildcard $(VPATH)/*.h))
+ALLHEADERS = $(subst $(LIBSRC)/,,$(wildcard $(LIBSRC)/*.h))
 checkheaders: $(filter-out %_template.ho,$(ALLHEADERS:.h=.ho))
 
 depend dep: $(SRCS)