diff --git a/doc/html/Makefile.in b/doc/html/Makefile.in
index 62c5fd59..432973a2 100644
--- a/doc/html/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/html/Makefile.in
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-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
 
 HTML_INSTDIR=$(INSTALL_LIBDIR)/magic/doc/html
diff --git a/doc/latexfiles/Makefile.in b/doc/latexfiles/Makefile.in
index 21b664a4..68e8df5e 100644
--- a/doc/latexfiles/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/latexfiles/Makefile.in
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-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
 
 # PS_SRCDIR: pre-built PostScript shipped in the source tree (read-only, used by
diff --git a/doc/man/Makefile.in b/doc/man/Makefile.in
index 45fc8966..b33f9bfb 100644
--- a/doc/man/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/man/Makefile.in
@@ -2,8 +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@
 MANMACS= tmac.anc
 TROFF=ditroff -h
 TTROFF=ditroff -Ppsc -t
diff --git a/doc/tutcells/Makefile.in b/doc/tutcells/Makefile.in
index 2831201d..eaab4c41 100644
--- a/doc/tutcells/Makefile.in
+++ b/doc/tutcells/Makefile.in
@@ -2,8 +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@
 include ${MAGICDIR}/defs.mak
 
 TUTDIR = ${INSTALL_LIBDIR}/magic/tutorial
diff --git a/scmos/cif_template/Makefile.in b/scmos/cif_template/Makefile.in
index d2b0b13b..f8c2386b 100644
--- a/scmos/cif_template/Makefile.in
+++ b/scmos/cif_template/Makefile.in
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-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@
 MKDIR	   = $(MAGICSRC)/scripts/mkdirs
 OBJS_DIR   = objs
 CIFIN	   = $(OBJS_DIR)/CIFin