diff --git a/bsnes/GNUmakefile b/bsnes/GNUmakefile
index 9450f39ce..8a320cdf6 100644
--- a/bsnes/GNUmakefile
+++ b/bsnes/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
+srcdir := $(abspath $(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))))
+
 target := bsnes
 binary := application
 build := performance
 openmp := true
 local := true
-flags += -I. -I..
+flags += -I$(srcdir)/. -I$(srcdir)/..
 
 # in order for this to work, obj/lzma.o must be omitted or bsnes will hang on startup.
 # further, only the X-Video driver works reliably. OpenGL 3.2, OpenGL 2.0, and XShm crash bsnes.
@@ -17,7 +19,7 @@ ifeq ($(local),true)
   flags += -march=native
 endif
 
-nall.path := ../nall
+nall.path := $(srcdir)/../nall
 include $(nall.path)/GNUmakefile
 
 ifeq ($(platform),windows)
@@ -46,16 +48,16 @@ endif
 
 objects := libco emulator filter lzma
 
-obj/libco.o: ../libco/libco.c
-obj/emulator.o: emulator/emulator.cpp
-obj/filter.o: filter/filter.cpp
-obj/lzma.o: lzma/lzma.cpp
+obj/libco.o: $(srcdir)/../libco/libco.c maketree
+obj/emulator.o: $(srcdir)/emulator/emulator.cpp maketree
+obj/filter.o: $(srcdir)/filter/filter.cpp maketree
+obj/lzma.o: $(srcdir)/lzma/lzma.cpp maketree
 
-include sfc/GNUmakefile
-include gb/GNUmakefile
-include processor/GNUmakefile
+include $(srcdir)/sfc/GNUmakefile
+include $(srcdir)/gb/GNUmakefile
+include $(srcdir)/processor/GNUmakefile
 
-ui := target-$(target)
+ui := $(srcdir)/target-$(target)
 include $(ui)/GNUmakefile
 -include obj/*.d
 
diff --git a/bsnes/gb/GNUmakefile b/bsnes/gb/GNUmakefile
index b94dfa0c8..2a43b5893 100644
--- a/bsnes/gb/GNUmakefile
+++ b/bsnes/gb/GNUmakefile
@@ -6,21 +6,21 @@ objects += gb-memory gb-printer gb-random gb-rewind gb-save_state gb-sgb
 objects += gb-sm83_cpu gb-symbol_hash gb-timing
 #objects+= gb-debugger gb-sm83_disassembler
 
-obj/gb-apu.o:               gb/Core/apu.c
-obj/gb-camera.o:            gb/Core/camera.c
-obj/gb-debugger.o:          gb/Core/debugger.c
-obj/gb-rumble.o:            gb/Core/rumble.c
-obj/gb-display.o:           gb/Core/display.c
-obj/gb-gb.o:                gb/Core/gb.c
-obj/gb-joypad.o:            gb/Core/joypad.c
-obj/gb-mbc.o:               gb/Core/mbc.c
-obj/gb-memory.o:            gb/Core/memory.c
-obj/gb-printer.o:           gb/Core/printer.c
-obj/gb-random.o:            gb/Core/random.c
-obj/gb-rewind.o:            gb/Core/rewind.c
-obj/gb-save_state.o:        gb/Core/save_state.c
-obj/gb-sgb.o:               gb/Core/sgb.c
-obj/gb-sm83_cpu.o:          gb/Core/sm83_cpu.c
-obj/gb-sm83_disassembler.o: gb/Core/sm83_disassembler.c
-obj/gb-symbol_hash.o:       gb/Core/symbol_hash.c
-obj/gb-timing.o:            gb/Core/timing.c
+obj/gb-apu.o:               $(srcdir)/gb/Core/apu.c
+obj/gb-camera.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/camera.c
+obj/gb-debugger.o:          $(srcdir)/gb/Core/debugger.c
+obj/gb-rumble.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/rumble.c
+obj/gb-display.o:           $(srcdir)/gb/Core/display.c
+obj/gb-gb.o:                $(srcdir)/gb/Core/gb.c
+obj/gb-joypad.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/joypad.c
+obj/gb-mbc.o:               $(srcdir)/gb/Core/mbc.c
+obj/gb-memory.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/memory.c
+obj/gb-printer.o:           $(srcdir)/gb/Core/printer.c
+obj/gb-random.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/random.c
+obj/gb-rewind.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/rewind.c
+obj/gb-save_state.o:        $(srcdir)/gb/Core/save_state.c
+obj/gb-sgb.o:               $(srcdir)/gb/Core/sgb.c
+obj/gb-sm83_cpu.o:          $(srcdir)/gb/Core/sm83_cpu.c
+obj/gb-sm83_disassembler.o: $(srcdir)/gb/Core/sm83_disassembler.c
+obj/gb-symbol_hash.o:       $(srcdir)/gb/Core/symbol_hash.c
+obj/gb-timing.o:            $(srcdir)/gb/Core/timing.c
diff --git a/bsnes/processor/GNUmakefile b/bsnes/processor/GNUmakefile
index e8928ebf5..5dda56ca8 100644
--- a/bsnes/processor/GNUmakefile
+++ b/bsnes/processor/GNUmakefile
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ objects += $(if $(findstring spc700,$(processors)),processor-spc700)
 objects += $(if $(findstring upd96050,$(processors)),processor-upd96050)
 objects += $(if $(findstring wdc65816,$(processors)),processor-wdc65816)
 
-obj/processor-arm7tdmi.o: processor/arm7tdmi/arm7tdmi.cpp
-obj/processor-gsu.o:      processor/gsu/gsu.cpp
-obj/processor-hg51b.o:    processor/hg51b/hg51b.cpp
-obj/processor-sm83.o:     processor/sm83/sm83.cpp
-obj/processor-spc700.o:   processor/spc700/spc700.cpp
-obj/processor-upd96050.o: processor/upd96050/upd96050.cpp
-obj/processor-wdc65816.o: processor/wdc65816/wdc65816.cpp
+obj/processor-arm7tdmi.o: $(srcdir)/processor/arm7tdmi/arm7tdmi.cpp
+obj/processor-gsu.o:      $(srcdir)/processor/gsu/gsu.cpp
+obj/processor-hg51b.o:    $(srcdir)/processor/hg51b/hg51b.cpp
+obj/processor-sm83.o:     $(srcdir)/processor/sm83/sm83.cpp
+obj/processor-spc700.o:   $(srcdir)/processor/spc700/spc700.cpp
+obj/processor-upd96050.o: $(srcdir)/processor/upd96050/upd96050.cpp
+obj/processor-wdc65816.o: $(srcdir)/processor/wdc65816/wdc65816.cpp
diff --git a/bsnes/sfc/GNUmakefile b/bsnes/sfc/GNUmakefile
index 3bbd74832..1eedfae28 100644
--- a/bsnes/sfc/GNUmakefile
+++ b/bsnes/sfc/GNUmakefile
@@ -5,18 +5,18 @@ objects += sfc-cartridge sfc-memory
 objects += sfc-cpu sfc-smp sfc-dsp sfc-ppu sfc-ppu-fast
 objects += sfc-expansion sfc-coprocessor sfc-slot
 
-obj/sfc-interface.o:   sfc/interface/interface.cpp
-obj/sfc-system.o:      sfc/system/system.cpp
-obj/sfc-controller.o:  sfc/controller/controller.cpp
-obj/sfc-cartridge.o:   sfc/cartridge/cartridge.cpp
-obj/sfc-memory.o:      sfc/memory/memory.cpp
+obj/sfc-interface.o:   $(srcdir)/sfc/interface/interface.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-system.o:      $(srcdir)/sfc/system/system.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-controller.o:  $(srcdir)/sfc/controller/controller.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-cartridge.o:   $(srcdir)/sfc/cartridge/cartridge.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-memory.o:      $(srcdir)/sfc/memory/memory.cpp maketree
 
-obj/sfc-cpu.o:         sfc/cpu/cpu.cpp
-obj/sfc-smp.o:         sfc/smp/smp.cpp
-obj/sfc-dsp.o:         sfc/dsp/dsp.cpp
-obj/sfc-ppu.o:         sfc/ppu/ppu.cpp
-obj/sfc-ppu-fast.o:    sfc/ppu-fast/ppu.cpp
+obj/sfc-cpu.o:         $(srcdir)/sfc/cpu/cpu.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-smp.o:         $(srcdir)/sfc/smp/smp.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-dsp.o:         $(srcdir)/sfc/dsp/dsp.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-ppu.o:         $(srcdir)/sfc/ppu/ppu.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-ppu-fast.o:    $(srcdir)/sfc/ppu-fast/ppu.cpp maketree
 
-obj/sfc-expansion.o:   sfc/expansion/expansion.cpp
-obj/sfc-coprocessor.o: sfc/coprocessor/coprocessor.cpp
-obj/sfc-slot.o:        sfc/slot/slot.cpp
+obj/sfc-expansion.o:   $(srcdir)/sfc/expansion/expansion.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-coprocessor.o: $(srcdir)/sfc/coprocessor/coprocessor.cpp maketree
+obj/sfc-slot.o:        $(srcdir)/sfc/slot/slot.cpp maketree
diff --git a/bsnes/target-bsnes/GNUmakefile b/bsnes/target-bsnes/GNUmakefile
index 6c9058a13..e14782599 100644
--- a/bsnes/target-bsnes/GNUmakefile
+++ b/bsnes/target-bsnes/GNUmakefile
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 name := bsnes
 
-hiro.path := ../hiro
+hiro.path := $(srcdir)/../hiro
 hiro.resource := $(ui)/resource/bsnes.rc
 include $(hiro.path)/GNUmakefile
 
-ruby.path := ../ruby
+ruby.path := $(srcdir)/../ruby
 include $(ruby.path)/GNUmakefile
 
 objects += ui-bsnes ui-program ui-input ui-presentation
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ else ifneq ($(filter $(platform),linux bsd),)
 	cp $(ui)/resource/$(name).desktop $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/applications/$(name).desktop
 	cp $(ui)/resource/$(name).png $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/icons/hicolor/256x256/apps/$(name).png
 	cp $(ui)/resource/$(name).svg $(DESTDIR)$(datarootdir)/icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/$(name).svg
-	cp Database/* $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/$(name)/Database/
-	cp -r ../shaders/* $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/$(name)/Shaders/
+	cp $(srcdir)/Database/* $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/$(name)/Database/
+	cp -r $(srcdir)/../shaders/* $(DESTDIR)$(datadir)/$(name)/Shaders/
 endif
 
 uninstall:
diff --git a/hiro/GNUmakefile b/hiro/GNUmakefile
index 04837b274..f56c7b72e 100755
--- a/hiro/GNUmakefile
+++ b/hiro/GNUmakefile
@@ -66,13 +66,13 @@ hiro.objects := \
   $(object.path)/hiro-$(hiro).o \
   $(if $(filter windows,$(hiro)),$(object.path)/hiro-resource.o)
 
-$(object.path)/hiro-$(hiro).o: $(hiro.path)/hiro.cpp
+$(object.path)/hiro-$(hiro).o: $(hiro.path)/hiro.cpp maketree
 	$(if $(filter qt%,$(hiro)),$(info Compiling $(hiro.path)/qt/qt.moc ...))
 	$(if $(filter qt%,$(hiro)),@$(moc) -i -o $(hiro.path)/qt/qt.moc $(hiro.path)/qt/qt.hpp)
 	$(info Compiling $< ...)
 	@$(compiler) $(hiro.flags) $(flags) $(flags.deps) -c $< -o $@
 
-$(object.path)/hiro-resource.o: $(hiro.resource)
+$(object.path)/hiro-resource.o: $(hiro.resource) maketree
 	$(info Compiling $< ...)
 	@$(windres) $< $@
 
diff --git a/nall/GNUmakefile b/nall/GNUmakefile
index dcca2b6dd..e3199281d 100755
--- a/nall/GNUmakefile
+++ b/nall/GNUmakefile
@@ -155,6 +155,16 @@ endif
 # rules
 default: all;
 
+maketree: $(object.path)/.tag out/.tag
+
+$(object.path)/.tag:
+	@mkdir -p obj
+	@touch $@
+
+out/.tag:
+	@mkdir -p out
+	@touch $@
+
 nall.verbose:
 	$(info Compiler Flags:)
 	$(foreach n,$(sort $(call unique,$(flags))),$(if $(filter-out -I%,$n),$(info $([space]) $n)))
diff --git a/ruby/GNUmakefile b/ruby/GNUmakefile
index f27418b2f..bb0782152 100755
--- a/ruby/GNUmakefile
+++ b/ruby/GNUmakefile
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ endif
 
 ruby.objects := $(object.path)/ruby.o
 
-$(object.path)/ruby.o: $(ruby.path)/ruby.cpp $(call rwildcard,$(ruby.path))
+$(object.path)/ruby.o: $(ruby.path)/ruby.cpp $(call rwildcard,$(ruby.path)) maketree
 	$(info Compiling $< ...)
 	@$(compiler) $(ruby.flags) $(flags) $(flags.deps) -c $< -o $@