diff --git a/src/tests/Makefile.am b/src/tests/Makefile.am
index d99a9e36..18144b13 100644
--- a/src/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ INCLUDES=$(XAPIAN_CXXFLAGS)					\
 	-DMU_TESTMAILDIR=\"${abs_srcdir}/testdir/\"		\
 	-DMU_TESTMAILDIR2=\"${abs_srcdir}/testdir2/\"		\
 	-DMU_PROGRAM=\"${abs_top_builddir}/src/mu\"		\
+	-DABS_CURDIR=\"${abs_builddir}\"			\
 	-DABS_SRCDIR=\"${abs_srcdir}\"
 
 # don't use -Werror, as it might break on other compilers
diff --git a/src/tests/test-mu-util.c b/src/tests/test-mu-util.c
index 1c81be44..3fc1db08 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-mu-util.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-mu-util.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ test_mu_util_dir_expand_03 (void)
 	gchar *got;
 	
 	got = mu_util_dir_expand (".");	
-	g_assert_cmpstr (got,==,ABS_SRCDIR);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (got,==,ABS_CURDIR);
 
 	g_free (got);
 }