diff --git a/Makefile.in b/Makefile.in
index 7cc7bc29e..668e601ce 100644
--- a/Makefile.in
+++ b/Makefile.in
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ else
 	$(ENV_VVP) vvp/vvp -M- -M./vpi ./check.vvp | grep 'Hello, World'
 endif
 
-check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py:
+check-full check-vpi check-vvp check-vvp-py check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py:
 	$(MAKE) -C ivtest $@
 
 clean:
@@ -411,4 +411,4 @@ uninstall:
 
 -include $(patsubst %.o, dep/%.d, $O)
 
-.PHONY: check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py
+.PHONY: check-full check-vpi check-vvp check-vvp-py check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py
diff --git a/aclocal.m4 b/aclocal.m4
index 5f2a09eb8..628e0c380 100644
--- a/aclocal.m4
+++ b/aclocal.m4
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ m4_include([m4/ax_c99_strtod.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_c_picflag.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_c_underscores_leading.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_c_underscores_trailing.m4])
+m4_include([m4/ax_configure_args_no_prefix.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_cxx_compile_stdcxx.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_enable_suffix.m4])
 m4_include([m4/ax_ld_extralibs.m4])
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c8524f106..8342dfa55 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([tgt-vvp/vvp_config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([tgt-vhdl/vhdl_config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADERS([tgt-pcb/pcb_config.h])
 
+dnl used by ivtest
+AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX
+
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
 dnl Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_CC
diff --git a/ivtest/Makefile.in b/ivtest/Makefile.in
index a68469b04..a7cac35d0 100644
--- a/ivtest/Makefile.in
+++ b/ivtest/Makefile.in
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #
 SHELL = /bin/sh
 
+abs_builddir=@abs_builddir@
+abs_top_srcdir=@abs_top_srcdir@
 abs_srcdir=@abs_srcdir@
 srcdir=@srcdir@
 suffix = @install_suffix@
@@ -26,15 +28,34 @@ else
 opts = --suffix=$(suffix)
 endif
 
+AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX=@AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX@
+
 all:
 
 check:
 
+build/Makefile:
+	mkdir -p build
+	cd build && $(abs_top_srcdir)/configure $(AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX) --prefix=$(abs_builddir)/install
+	$(MAKE) -C build install
+
+check-full: build/Makefile
+	make -C build/ivtest check-installed
+
+check-vpi: build/Makefile
+	make -C build/ivtest check-installed-vpi
+
+check-vvp: build/Makefile
+	make -C build/ivtest check-installed-vvp
+
+check-vvp-py: build/Makefile
+	make -C build/ivtest check-installed-vvp-py
+
 check-installed:
 	@status=0; \
+	$(MAKE) check-installed-vpi || status=1; \
 	$(MAKE) check-installed-vvp || status=1; \
 	$(MAKE) check-installed-vvp-py || status=1; \
-	$(MAKE) check-installed-vpi || status=1; \
 	exit $$status
 
 check-installed-vpi:
@@ -56,6 +77,7 @@ check-installed-vvp-py:
 clean:
 	rm -f $(srcdir)/*.vpi
 	rm -rf $(srcdir)/log $(srcdir)/vpi_log $(srcdir)/work
+	rm -rf build install
 
 distclean: clean
 	rm -f Makefile
@@ -67,4 +89,4 @@ uninstall:
 Makefile: $(srcdir)/Makefile.in ../config.status
 	cd ..; ./config.status --file=ivtest/$@
 
-.PHONY: check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py
+.PHONY: check-full check-vpi check-vvp check-vvp-py check-installed check-installed-vpi check-installed-vvp check-installed-vvp-py
diff --git a/m4/ax_configure_args_no_prefix.m4 b/m4/ax_configure_args_no_prefix.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e2c644bb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/ax_configure_args_no_prefix.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+AC_DEFUN([AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX],[
+  ax_configure_args_no_prefix=
+  ax_skip_next=no
+
+  for ac_arg in $(echo "$ac_configure_args" | sed "s,',,g"); do
+    if test "x$ax_skip_next" = "xyes"; then
+      ax_skip_next=no
+      continue
+    fi
+
+    case $ac_arg in
+      --prefix)
+        ax_skip_next=yes
+        ;;
+      --prefix=*)
+        ;;
+      *)
+        ax_configure_args_no_prefix="$ax_configure_args_no_prefix '$ac_arg'"
+        ;;
+    esac
+  done
+
+  AC_SUBST([AX_CONFIGURE_ARGS_NO_PREFIX], [$ax_configure_args_no_prefix])
+])