diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b0a99146ec..29597c8906 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ absobj := $(abspath $(obj))
 
 additional-dirs :=
 
-VBOOT_SOURCE ?= $(abspath 3rdparty/vboot)
 VBOOT_HOST_BUILD ?= $(abspath $(objutil)/vboot_lib)
 
 COREBOOT_EXPORTS := COREBOOT_EXPORTS
diff --git a/Makefile.inc b/Makefile.inc
index 2f810d52ad..e382518af0 100644
--- a/Makefile.inc
+++ b/Makefile.inc
@@ -460,6 +460,7 @@ COREBOOT_EXPORTS += COREBOOT_EXTRA_VERSION
 endif
 
 CPPFLAGS_common := -Isrc -Isrc/include -Isrc/commonlib/include -Isrc/commonlib/bsd/include -I$(obj)
+VBOOT_SOURCE ?= 3rdparty/vboot
 CPPFLAGS_common += -I$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/firmware/include
 CPPFLAGS_common += -include $(src)/include/kconfig.h
 CPPFLAGS_common += -include $(src)/include/rules.h
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.common b/tests/Makefile.common
index 9cc79d7a6f..e51d2530a2 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.common
+++ b/tests/Makefile.common
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ TEST_INCLUDES += -I$(testsrc)/include/mocks -I$(testsrc)/include
 
 TEST_INCLUDES += -I$(src) -I$(src)/include -I$(src)/commonlib/include \
 	-I$(src)/commonlib/bsd/include -I$(src)/arch/x86/include \
-	-I$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/firmware/include
+	-I$(top)/3rdparty/vboot/firmware/include
 
 # Path for Kconfig autoheader
 TEST_INCLUDES += -I$(dir $(TEST_KCONFIG_AUTOHEADER))