diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f16da3acca..24a5951ec1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ DATA_FILES := $(wildcard $(SRC_PATH)/ffpresets/*.ffpreset)
 
 SKIPHEADERS = cmdutils_common_opts.h
 
-include common.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/common.mak
 
 FF_LDFLAGS   := $(FFLDFLAGS)
 FF_EXTRALIBS := $(FFEXTRALIBS)
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ endef
 define DOSUBDIR
 $(foreach V,$(SUBDIR_VARS),$(eval $(call RESET,$(V))))
 SUBDIR := $(1)/
-include $(1)/Makefile
+include $(SRC_PATH)/$(1)/Makefile
 endef
 
 $(foreach D,$(FFLIBS),$(eval $(call DOSUBDIR,lib$(D))))
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ config:
 
 check: test checkheaders
 
-include doc/Makefile
-include tests/Makefile
+include $(SRC_PATH)/doc/Makefile
+include $(SRC_PATH)/tests/Makefile
 
 # Dummy rule to stop make trying to rebuild removed or renamed headers
 %.h:
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index c2975d3f61..0857d6f3b2 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3214,23 +3214,10 @@ if enabled source_path_used; then
     "
     FILES="
         Makefile
-        common.mak
-        subdir.mak
-        doc/Makefile
         doc/texi2pod.pl
-        libavcodec/Makefile
-        libavcodec/${arch}/Makefile
-        libavdevice/Makefile
-        libavfilter/Makefile
-        libavfilter/${arch}/Makefile
-        libavformat/Makefile
-        libavutil/Makefile
-        libpostproc/Makefile
-        libswscale/Makefile
-        tests/Makefile
     "
     map 'mkdir -p $v' $DIRS;
-    map 'test -f "$source_path/$v" && $ln_s "$source_path/$v" $v' $FILES
+    map '$ln_s "$source_path/$v" $v' $FILES
 fi
 
 config_files="$TMPH config.mak"
diff --git a/libavcodec/Makefile b/libavcodec/Makefile
index 64a286289d..b781ed7ef3 100644
--- a/libavcodec/Makefile
+++ b/libavcodec/Makefile
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ OBJS-$(CONFIG_MLIB)                    += mlib/dsputil_mlib.o           \
 # well.
 OBJS-$(!CONFIG_SMALL)                  += inverse.o
 
--include $(SUBDIR)$(ARCH)/Makefile
+-include $(SRC_PATH)/$(SUBDIR)$(ARCH)/Makefile
 
 SKIPHEADERS                            += %_tablegen.h                  \
                                           %_tables.h                    \
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ DIRS = alpha arm bfin mlib ppc ps2 sh4 sparc x86
 
 CLEANFILES = *_tables.c *_tables.h *_tablegen$(HOSTEXESUF)
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
 
 $(SUBDIR)dct-test$(EXESUF): $(SUBDIR)dctref.o
 
diff --git a/libavdevice/Makefile b/libavdevice/Makefile
index cbe20d6d57..eaf27ddc42 100644
--- a/libavdevice/Makefile
+++ b/libavdevice/Makefile
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ OBJS-$(CONFIG_LIBDC1394_INDEV)           += libdc1394.o
 SKIPHEADERS-$(HAVE_ALSA_ASOUNDLIB_H)     += alsa-audio.h
 SKIPHEADERS-$(HAVE_SNDIO_H)              += sndio_common.h
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
diff --git a/libavfilter/Makefile b/libavfilter/Makefile
index e22527ae49..02016076bf 100644
--- a/libavfilter/Makefile
+++ b/libavfilter/Makefile
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ OBJS-$(CONFIG_NULLSRC_FILTER)                += vsrc_nullsrc.o
 
 OBJS-$(CONFIG_NULLSINK_FILTER)               += vsink_nullsink.o
 
--include $(SUBDIR)$(ARCH)/Makefile
+-include $(SRC_PATH)/$(SUBDIR)$(ARCH)/Makefile
 
 DIRS = x86
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
diff --git a/libavformat/Makefile b/libavformat/Makefile
index 5041fe0dc9..3d22c6f265 100644
--- a/libavformat/Makefile
+++ b/libavformat/Makefile
@@ -336,6 +336,6 @@ OBJS-$(CONFIG_JACK_INDEV)                += timefilter.o
 EXAMPLES  = output
 TESTPROGS = timefilter
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
 
 $(SUBDIR)output-example$(EXESUF): ELIBS = -lswscale
diff --git a/libavutil/Makefile b/libavutil/Makefile
index 304b288851..01344df2a3 100644
--- a/libavutil/Makefile
+++ b/libavutil/Makefile
@@ -82,6 +82,6 @@ DIRS = arm bfin sh4 x86
 
 ARCH_HEADERS = bswap.h intmath.h intreadwrite.h timer.h
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
 
 $(SUBDIR)lzo-test$(EXESUF): ELIBS = -llzo2
diff --git a/libpostproc/Makefile b/libpostproc/Makefile
index 7b359709dc..11de3d3235 100644
--- a/libpostproc/Makefile
+++ b/libpostproc/Makefile
@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ HEADERS = postprocess.h
 
 OBJS = postprocess.o
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
diff --git a/libswscale/Makefile b/libswscale/Makefile
index b2914113c0..57e867a1b2 100644
--- a/libswscale/Makefile
+++ b/libswscale/Makefile
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ TESTPROGS = colorspace swscale
 
 DIRS = bfin mlib ppc sparc x86
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../subdir.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/subdir.mak
diff --git a/subdir.mak b/subdir.mak
index f544796022..e7c9eaafca 100644
--- a/subdir.mak
+++ b/subdir.mak
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 SRC_DIR := $(SRC_PATH)/lib$(NAME)
 
-include $(SUBDIR)../common.mak
+include $(SRC_PATH)/common.mak
 
 LIBVERSION := $(lib$(NAME)_VERSION)
 LIBMAJOR   := $(lib$(NAME)_VERSION_MAJOR)