diff --git a/readline/Makefile b/readline/Makefile
index 1d517c7a..360f8469 100644
--- a/readline/Makefile
+++ b/readline/Makefile
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ build-readline: readline-create-symlinks
 	echo --- building GNU readline ; \
 	$(MKDIR) -p build-readline ; \
 	(cd build-readline && CC="${CC}" CFLAGS="${CFLAGS}" LOCAL_DEFS="${READLINE_DEFS}" \
-	    "../readline/configure" --disable-shared) || exit 1 ; \
+	    "${MAGICSRC}/readline/readline/configure" --disable-shared) || exit 1 ; \
 	fi
 	@(cd build-readline && ${MAKE}) || exit 1
 
diff --git a/scripts/defs.mak.in b/scripts/defs.mak.in
index d64b1627..7c34faf3 100755
--- a/scripts/defs.mak.in
+++ b/scripts/defs.mak.in
@@ -146,6 +146,12 @@ CXX		       = @CXX@
 # -I${srcdir}:   this module's source dir, for same-directory headers
 CPPFLAGS               = -I${MAGICDIR} -I${MAGICSRC} -I${srcdir} @CPPFLAGS@
 CXXFLAGS               = @CXXFLAGS@
+# Bundled GNU readline: its headers use <readline/*.h> includes, so the readline
+# source's parent directory must be on the include path.  Only for the bundled
+# build (@MAKE_READLINE@ = 1); a no-op with a system or disabled readline.
+ifeq (@MAKE_READLINE@,1)
+CPPFLAGS              += -I${MAGICSRC}/readline
+endif
 DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION    = -DMAGIC_VERSION=\"${MAGIC_VERSION}\" -DMAGIC_REVISION=\"${MAGIC_REVISION}\" -DMAGIC_COMMIT=\"${MAGIC_COMMIT}\" "-DMAGIC_BUILDDATE=\"${MAGIC_BUILDDATE}\""
 DFLAGS                 = @extra_defs@ @stub_defs@ @DEFS@ ${DFLAGS_MAGICVERSION} -DGCORE=\"@GCORE@\"
 DFLAGS		      += -DSHDLIB_EXT=\"@SHDLIB_EXT@\" @NDEBUG_defs@ @DEBUG_defs@ ${FEATURE_FLAGS}