diff --git a/gtk/Makefile.am b/gtk/Makefile.am
index 25820fb9b1..316d68c848 100644
--- a/gtk/Makefile.am
+++ b/gtk/Makefile.am
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ check-aliases:
 
 .PHONY: check-aliases
 
-TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = gtk_all_c_sources="$(gtk_all_c_sources)"
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = srcdir="$(srcdir)" gtk_all_c_sources="$(gtk_all_c_sources)"
 TESTS = aliasfilescheck.sh
 if OS_LINUX
 TESTS += abicheck.sh pltcheck.sh
diff --git a/gtk/aliasfilescheck.sh b/gtk/aliasfilescheck.sh
index f350663fb7..31b49d4510 100755
--- a/gtk/aliasfilescheck.sh
+++ b/gtk/aliasfilescheck.sh
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@ if test "x$gtk_all_c_sources" = x; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-grep 'IN_FILE' gtk.symbols | sed 's/.*(//;s/).*//' | grep __ | sort -u > expected-files
-grep '^ *# *define __' $gtk_all_c_sources | sed 's/.*define //;s/ *$//' | sort > actual-files
+grep 'IN_FILE' ${srcdir-.}/gtk.symbols | sed 's/.*(//;s/).*//' | grep __ | sort -u > expected-files
+{ cd ${srcdir-.}; grep '^ *# *define __' $gtk_all_c_sources; } | sed 's/.*define //;s/ *$//' | sort > actual-files
 
 diff expected-files actual-files && rm -f expected-files actual-files
-