diff --git a/commands/Makefile.in b/commands/Makefile.in
index 8f1b884f..fbb250fe 100644
--- a/commands/Makefile.in
+++ b/commands/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = commands
-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      = CmdSubrs.c CmdAB.c CmdCD.c CmdE.c CmdFI.c \
             CmdLQ.c CmdRS.c CmdTZ.c CmdWizard.c CmdAuto.c
 
diff --git a/database/Makefile.in b/database/Makefile.in
index d9115015..5093954e 100644
--- a/database/Makefile.in
+++ b/database/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
  
 MODULE   =  database
-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@
 LIB_SRCS =
 SRCS     =  DBbound.c DBcell.c DBcellbox.c DBcellcopy.c \
             DBcellname.c DBcellsrch.c DBcellsel.c DBcellsubr.c \
diff --git a/ext2sim/Makefile.in b/ext2sim/Makefile.in
index 96eac16a..ee926b7d 100644
--- a/ext2sim/Makefile.in
+++ b/ext2sim/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE   = ext2sim
-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     = ext2sim.c
 
 EXTRA_LIBS  = ${MAGICDIR}/extflat/libextflat.o ${MAGICDIR}/utils/libutils.a
diff --git a/ext2spice/Makefile.in b/ext2spice/Makefile.in
index 79bf5699..ff83f86f 100644
--- a/ext2spice/Makefile.in
+++ b/ext2spice/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE   = ext2spice
-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     = ext2spice.c ext2hier.c
 
 EXTRA_LIBS = ${MAGICDIR}/extflat/libextflat.o ${MAGICDIR}/utils/libutils.a
diff --git a/extcheck/Makefile.in b/extcheck/Makefile.in
index 64d8888d..5dd3a758 100644
--- a/extcheck/Makefile.in
+++ b/extcheck/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
  
 MODULE   = extcheck
-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     = extcheck.c
 
 EXTRA_LIBS = ${MAGICDIR}/extflat/libextflat.o ${MAGICDIR}/utils/libutils.a
diff --git a/graphics/Makefile.in b/graphics/Makefile.in
index 3a1f9b36..a104b518 100644
--- a/graphics/Makefile.in
+++ b/graphics/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = graphics
-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@
 BASE_SRCS       = grMain.c grLock.c grDStyle.c grText.c grCMap.c grClip.c \
                   grGlyphs.c grNull.c
 X11_SRCS        = grX11su1.c grX11su2.c grX11su3.c grX11su4.c grX11su5.c
diff --git a/lef/Makefile.in b/lef/Makefile.in
index b2694158..e409b23c 100644
--- a/lef/Makefile.in
+++ b/lef/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = lef
-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      = lefCmd.c lefTech.c lefWrite.c defWrite.c lefRead.c defRead.c
 
 include ${MAGICDIR}/defs.mak
diff --git a/net2ir/Makefile.in b/net2ir/Makefile.in
index 3b2b3131..76599bae 100644
--- a/net2ir/Makefile.in
+++ b/net2ir/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE   = net2ir
-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     = net2ir.c
 
 EXTRA_LIBS  = ${MAGICDIR}/utils/libutils.a
diff --git a/oa/Makefile.in b/oa/Makefile.in
index 8631e3f0..6df9a615 100644
--- a/oa/Makefile.in
+++ b/oa/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = oa
-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      = oa.c
 CXXSRCS	  = magicInit.cpp magicOA.cpp
 
diff --git a/plot/Makefile.in b/plot/Makefile.in
index 6338b68c..a12cc92f 100644
--- a/plot/Makefile.in
+++ b/plot/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = plot
-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      = plotCmd.c plotGremln.c plotHP.c plotPS.c plotMain.c plotRutils.c \
 	    plotVers.c plotPixels.c plotPNM.c
 
diff --git a/router/Makefile.in b/router/Makefile.in
index 37918ee7..2c88cc9b 100644
--- a/router/Makefile.in
+++ b/router/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = router
-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      = rtrCmd.c rtrMain.c rtrDcmpose.c rtrFdback.c rtrHazards.c \
             rtrChannel.c rtrPaint.c rtrPin.c rtrSide.c rtrStem.c rtrTech.c \
             rtrVia.c rtrTravers.c
diff --git a/utils/Makefile.in b/utils/Makefile.in
index e8dd8a50..413ad3e9 100644
--- a/utils/Makefile.in
+++ b/utils/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = utils
-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@
 LIB_SRCS  = LIBdbio.c LIBmain.c LIBtextio.c
 SRCS      = args.c child.c dqueue.c finddisp.c flock.c flsbuf.c fraction.c \
             geometry.c getrect.c hash.c heap.c ihash.c list.c lookup.c \
diff --git a/windows/Makefile.in b/windows/Makefile.in
index 2210e552..3aba162f 100644
--- a/windows/Makefile.in
+++ b/windows/Makefile.in
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@
 #
 
 MODULE    = windows
-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      = windClient.c windCmdAM.c windCmdNR.c windCmdSZ.c \
             windSend.c windDebug.c windDisp.c windMain.c windMove.c \
             windSearch.c windTrans.c windView.c