diff --git a/doc/Makefile.in b/doc/Makefile.in
index d611b2de..e43419b0 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/Makefile.in
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 # makefile for Magic documentation
 #
 
-MAGICDIR = ..
+# Provided by configure: the module's source dir + the build top.
+# defs.mak sees `srcdir` already set and skips its own srcdir derivation.
+srcdir    = @srcdir@
+VPATH     = @srcdir@
+MAGICDIR  = @top_builddir@
 PSDIR = psfiles
 
 include ${MAGICDIR}/defs.mak
diff --git a/lisp/Makefile.in b/lisp/Makefile.in
index 3cf97029..9816f644 100644
--- a/lisp/Makefile.in
+++ b/lisp/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = lisp
-MAGICDIR  = ..
+# Provided by configure: the module's source dir + the build top.
+# defs.mak sees `srcdir` already set and skips its own srcdir derivation.
+srcdir    = @srcdir@
+VPATH     = @srcdir@
+MAGICDIR  = @top_builddir@
 SRCS      = lispMain.c lispEval.c lispPrint.c lispParse.c lispA-Z.c \
             lispGC.c lispFrame.c lispTrace.c lispMagic.c lispArith.c \
             lispString.c lispIO.c
diff --git a/magic/Makefile.in b/magic/Makefile.in
index 541e5fbe..88523e3a 100644
--- a/magic/Makefile.in
+++ b/magic/Makefile.in
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE   = magic
-MAGICDIR = ..
-
+# Provided by configure: the module's source dir + the build top.
+# defs.mak sees `srcdir` already set and skips its own srcdir derivation.
+srcdir    = @srcdir@
+VPATH     = @srcdir@
+MAGICDIR  = @top_builddir@
 include ${MAGICDIR}/defs.mak
 
 SRCS     = magicTop.c
diff --git a/scmos/Makefile.in b/scmos/Makefile.in
index e225d1c3..c0564351 100644
--- a/scmos/Makefile.in
+++ b/scmos/Makefile.in
@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@
 #
 #######################################################################
 
-MAGICDIR = ..
-
+# Provided by configure: the module's source dir + the build top.
+# defs.mak sees `srcdir` already set and skips its own srcdir derivation.
+srcdir    = @srcdir@
+VPATH     = @srcdir@
+MAGICDIR  = @top_builddir@
 include ${MAGICDIR}/defs.mak
 
 SC_PP = ${MCPP} -I$(srcdir)/extract_template
diff --git a/tcltk/Makefile.in b/tcltk/Makefile.in
index c457c8f9..ddaa4f99 100644
--- a/tcltk/Makefile.in
+++ b/tcltk/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE   = tcltk
-MAGICDIR = ..
+# Provided by configure: the module's source dir + the build top.
+# defs.mak sees `srcdir` already set and skips its own srcdir derivation.
+srcdir    = @srcdir@
+VPATH     = @srcdir@
+MAGICDIR  = @top_builddir@
 SRCS = tclmagic.c
 OBJS = $(subst .c,.o,${SRCS})