diff --git a/tests/run.in b/tests/run.in
index c24d43d759..4c51f54beb 100644
--- a/tests/run.in
+++ b/tests/run.in
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@
 USAGE="$0 [-b <backend>] [-c] [-k] [-l #] [-p] [-s {ro|rp}] [-u] [-w] <script>"
 
 # configure generated
-SRCDIR="@srcdir@"
-TOPSRCDIR="@top_srcdir@"
+SRCDIR="${SRCDIR:-@srcdir@}"
+TOPSRCDIR="${TOPSRCDIR:-@top_srcdir@}"
+TOPDIR="`(cd ..; echo $PWD)`"
+OBJDIR="${OBJDIR:-$TOPDIR}"
 LN_S="@LN_S@"
 EGREP_CMD="@EGREP@"
 
-export SRCDIR TOPSRCDIR LN_S EGREP_CMD
+export SRCDIR TOPSRCDIR OBJDIR LN_S EGREP_CMD
 
 # Load balancer
 AC_lloadd=lloadd@BUILD_BALANCER@
@@ -198,10 +200,11 @@ if test $# = 0 ; then
 	echo "$USAGE"; exit 1
 fi
 
+SCRIPTDIR="${SCRIPTDIR:-${SRCDIR}/scripts}"
+DEFSDIR="${DEFSDIR:-$SCRIPTDIR}"
 # need defines.sh for the definitions of the directories
-. $SRCDIR/scripts/defines.sh
+. "$DEFSDIR/defines.sh"
 
-SCRIPTDIR="${SRCDIR}/scripts"
 ITSDIR="${SRCDIR}/data/regressions"
 SCRIPTNAME="$1"
 shift
diff --git a/tests/scripts/defines.sh b/tests/scripts/defines.sh
index 192b30440e..82514dfe80 100755
--- a/tests/scripts/defines.sh
+++ b/tests/scripts/defines.sh
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ SLEEP2=${SLEEP2-15}
 TIMEOUT=${TIMEOUT-8}
 
 # dirs
-PROGDIR=./progs
+PROGDIR="$OBJDIR/tests/progs"
 DATADIR=${USER_DATADIR-./testdata}
 SCHEMADIR=${USER_SCHEMADIR-./schema}
 case "$SCHEMADIR" in
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ DBDIR5=$TESTDIR/db.5.a
 DBDIR6=$TESTDIR/db.6.a
 SQLCONCURRENCYDIR=$DATADIR/sql-concurrency
 
-CLIENTDIR=../clients/tools
+CLIENTDIR="$OBJDIR/clients/tools"
 #CLIENTDIR=/usr/local/bin
 
 # conf
@@ -235,11 +235,12 @@ CONFDIRSYNC=$SRCDIR/scripts/confdirsync.sh
 
 MONITORDATA=$SRCDIR/scripts/monitor_data.sh
 
-SLAPADD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -Ta -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
-SLAPCAT="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -Tc -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
-SLAPINDEX="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -Ti -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
-SLAPMODIFY="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -Tm -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
-SLAPPASSWD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -Tpasswd"
+SLAPDBIN="$OBJDIR/servers/slapd/slapd"
+SLAPADD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -Ta -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
+SLAPCAT="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -Tc -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
+SLAPINDEX="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -Ti -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
+SLAPMODIFY="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -Tm -d 0 $LDAP_VERBOSE"
+SLAPPASSWD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -Tpasswd"
 
 unset DIFF_OPTIONS
 # NOTE: -u/-c is not that portable...
@@ -247,8 +248,8 @@ DIFF="diff -i"
 CMP="diff -i"
 BCMP="diff -iB"
 CMPOUT=/dev/null
-SLAPD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/slapd/slapd -s0"
-LLOADD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $TESTWD/../servers/lloadd/lloadd -s0"
+SLAPD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $SLAPDBIN -s0"
+LLOADD="$SLAPD_WRAPPER $OBJDIR/servers/lloadd/lloadd -s0"
 LDAPPASSWD="$CLIENTDIR/ldappasswd $TOOLARGS"
 LDAPSASLSEARCH="$CLIENTDIR/ldapsearch $SASLARGS $TOOLPROTO $LDAP_TOOLARGS -LLL"
 LDAPSASLWHOAMI="$CLIENTDIR/ldapwhoami $SASLARGS $LDAP_TOOLARGS"
@@ -458,6 +459,6 @@ DDSOUT=$DATADIR/dds.out
 DEREFOUT=$DATADIR/deref.out
 MEMBEROFOUT=$DATADIR/memberof.out
 MEMBEROFREFINTOUT=$DATADIR/memberof-refint.out
-SHTOOL="$SRCDIR/../build/shtool"
+SHTOOL="$TOPSRCDIR/build/shtool"
 
 . $ABS_SRCDIR/scripts/functions.sh