diff --git a/align/Makefile.am b/align/Makefile.am
index 8cf7e5ccd..aaa045334 100644
--- a/align/Makefile.am
+++ b/align/Makefile.am
@@ -90,4 +90,4 @@ TESTS += \
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/builder/Makefile.am b/builder/Makefile.am
index 5977d8bb7..55d97bcd1 100644
--- a/builder/Makefile.am
+++ b/builder/Makefile.am
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ TESTS += yajl_tests
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 SLOW_TESTS = test-virt-builder-planner.sh
 
diff --git a/builder/website/Makefile.am b/builder/website/Makefile.am
index df2f19427..83d6f8741 100644
--- a/builder/website/Makefile.am
+++ b/builder/website/Makefile.am
@@ -49,4 +49,4 @@ TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = $(top_builddir)/run --test
 TESTS = validate.sh
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/cat/Makefile.am b/cat/Makefile.am
index 796e80822..451765752 100644
--- a/cat/Makefile.am
+++ b/cat/Makefile.am
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 check-valgrind-local-guests:
 	for g in $(GUESTS); do \
diff --git a/customize/Makefile.am b/customize/Makefile.am
index ce5c6628e..81565a830 100644
--- a/customize/Makefile.am
+++ b/customize/Makefile.am
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 # Slow tests of virt-customize functionality in real guests.
 
diff --git a/df/Makefile.am b/df/Makefile.am
index 0735a8c14..405f44f2f 100644
--- a/df/Makefile.am
+++ b/df/Makefile.am
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 check-valgrind-local-guests:
 	$(top_builddir)/run --test @VG@ virt-df -c "$(libvirt_ro_uri)"
diff --git a/diff/Makefile.am b/diff/Makefile.am
index 921cf2388..b9aa49507 100644
--- a/diff/Makefile.am
+++ b/diff/Makefile.am
@@ -82,4 +82,4 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/docs/guestfs-hacking.pod b/docs/guestfs-hacking.pod
index 6b7ac1cc8..834d073be 100644
--- a/docs/guestfs-hacking.pod
+++ b/docs/guestfs-hacking.pod
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ use:
 and in the F<Makefile.am> use:
 
  check-valgrind:
-     make VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+     make VG="@VG@" check
 
 However, if your binaries run directly from the C<TESTS> rule, you
 have to modify the F<Makefile.am> like this:
diff --git a/fish/Makefile.am b/fish/Makefile.am
index 924de1fbb..3bf68a028 100644
--- a/fish/Makefile.am
+++ b/fish/Makefile.am
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-a.sh test-add-domain.sh test-add-uri.sh test-copy.sh test-d.sh test-edit.sh test-escapes.sh test-events.sh test-find0.sh test-glob.sh test-inspect.sh test-prep.sh test-read-file.sh test-remote.sh test-remote-events.sh test-reopen.sh test-run.sh test-stringlist.sh test-tilde.sh test-upload-to-dir.sh" VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-a.sh test-add-domain.sh test-add-uri.sh test-copy.sh test-d.sh test-edit.sh test-escapes.sh test-events.sh test-find0.sh test-glob.sh test-inspect.sh test-prep.sh test-read-file.sh test-remote.sh test-remote-events.sh test-reopen.sh test-run.sh test-stringlist.sh test-tilde.sh test-upload-to-dir.sh" VG="@VG@" check
 
 EXTRA_DIST += \
 	test-a.sh \
diff --git a/format/Makefile.am b/format/Makefile.am
index 6eabd8a09..1079ed7c8 100644
--- a/format/Makefile.am
+++ b/format/Makefile.am
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/inspector/Makefile.am b/inspector/Makefile.am
index 275bc7c38..2464db557 100644
--- a/inspector/Makefile.am
+++ b/inspector/Makefile.am
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ TESTS += test-xmllint.sh
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-inspector.sh" VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-inspector.sh" VG="@VG@" check
 
 check-valgrind-local-guests:
 	for g in $(GUESTS); do \
diff --git a/make-fs/Makefile.am b/make-fs/Makefile.am
index 719bc51af..8ce467e96 100644
--- a/make-fs/Makefile.am
+++ b/make-fs/Makefile.am
@@ -76,4 +76,4 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/mllib/Makefile.am b/mllib/Makefile.am
index f100b2f23..001b5e382 100644
--- a/mllib/Makefile.am
+++ b/mllib/Makefile.am
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ TESTS += common_utils_tests JSON_tests
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 # Dependencies.
 depend: .depend
diff --git a/rescue/Makefile.am b/rescue/Makefile.am
index f2a3c39e3..e26d6cada 100644
--- a/rescue/Makefile.am
+++ b/rescue/Makefile.am
@@ -93,4 +93,4 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-rescue-suggest.sh" VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-rescue-suggest.sh" VG="@VG@" check
diff --git a/resize/Makefile.am b/resize/Makefile.am
index 678700b12..1aa0083d0 100644
--- a/resize/Makefile.am
+++ b/resize/Makefile.am
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 # Dependencies.
 depend: .depend
diff --git a/sparsify/Makefile.am b/sparsify/Makefile.am
index aadc881e5..afca88bc2 100644
--- a/sparsify/Makefile.am
+++ b/sparsify/Makefile.am
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 # Dependencies.
 depend: .depend
diff --git a/sysprep/Makefile.am b/sysprep/Makefile.am
index 64b937741..e52f0d38b 100644
--- a/sysprep/Makefile.am
+++ b/sysprep/Makefile.am
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ endif HAVE_FUSE
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-sysprep.sh" VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) TESTS="test-virt-sysprep.sh" VG="@VG@" check
 
 check-valgrind-local-guests:
 	for g in $(GUESTS); do \
diff --git a/tests/parallel/Makefile.am b/tests/parallel/Makefile.am
index c1b4e5140..c5c3ef7fa 100644
--- a/tests/parallel/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/parallel/Makefile.am
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ test_parallel_LDADD = \
 	$(top_builddir)/gnulib/lib/libgnu.la
 
 #check-valgrind:
-#	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" TESTS="test-parallel" check
+#	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" TESTS="test-parallel" check
 
 check-slow:
 	$(MAKE) check TESTS="$(SLOW_TESTS)" SLOW=1
diff --git a/tests/relative-paths/Makefile.am b/tests/relative-paths/Makefile.am
index beb60d997..af08109df 100644
--- a/tests/relative-paths/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/relative-paths/Makefile.am
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ TESTS = \
 TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = $(top_builddir)/run --test
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(TESTS)
diff --git a/v2v/Makefile.am b/v2v/Makefile.am
index 1c0627739..298e01f62 100644
--- a/v2v/Makefile.am
+++ b/v2v/Makefile.am
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ TESTS += \
 endif ENABLE_APPLIANCE
 
 check-valgrind:
-	$(MAKE) VG="$(abs_top_builddir)/run @VG@" check
+	$(MAKE) VG="@VG@" check
 
 SLOW_TESTS = \
 	$(real_guests_scripts) \