diff --git a/payloads/external/depthcharge/Makefile b/payloads/external/depthcharge/Makefile
index cf2d0a1cca..edc48f8ecb 100644
--- a/payloads/external/depthcharge/Makefile
+++ b/payloads/external/depthcharge/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ project_config_file=$(project_dir)/.config
 output_dir=$(project_dir)/build
 libpayload_dir=$(abspath $(CURDIR)/../../libpayload)
 libpayload_install_dir=$(output_dir)/lp_$(BOARD)
-vboot_dir=$(abspath $(CURDIR)/../../../3rdparty/vboot)
+
+VBOOT_SOURCE ?= $(abspath $(CURDIR)/../../../3rdparty/vboot)
 
 TAG-$(DEPTHCHARGE_MASTER)=origin/master
 TAG-$(DEPTHCHARGE_STABLE)=$(STABLE_COMMIT_ID)
@@ -55,12 +56,12 @@ config: $(libpayload_install_dir) checkout
 		git describe --tags --long --dirty 2>/dev/null || \
 		echo "unknown") ; \
 	cd $(project_dir) && $(MAKE) BOARD=$(BOARD) LIBPAYLOAD_DIR=$(libpayload_install_dir)/libpayload \
-		VB_SOURCE=$(vboot_dir) defconfig
+		VB_SOURCE=$(VBOOT_SOURCE) defconfig
 
 build: config
 	echo "    MAKE       $(project_name) $(TAG-y)"
 	cd $(project_dir) && $(MAKE) BOARD=$(BOARD) LIBPAYLOAD_DIR=$(libpayload_install_dir)/libpayload \
-		VB_SOURCE=$(vboot_dir) PATH="$(abspath ../../../build/util/cbfstool):$$PATH" depthcharge_unified
+		VB_SOURCE=$(VBOOT_SOURCE) PATH="$(abspath ../../../build/util/cbfstool):$$PATH" depthcharge_unified
 
 clean:
 	test -d $(output_dir) && rm -rf $(output_dir) || exit 0
diff --git a/src/vendorcode/google/chromeos/Kconfig b/src/vendorcode/google/chromeos/Kconfig
index 1b71553a67..c3f909487f 100644
--- a/src/vendorcode/google/chromeos/Kconfig
+++ b/src/vendorcode/google/chromeos/Kconfig
@@ -193,23 +193,23 @@ endmenu # GBB
 menu "Vboot Keys"
 config VBOOT_ROOT_KEY
 	string "Root key (public)"
-	default "3rdparty/vboot/tests/devkeys/root_key.vbpubk"
+	default "$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/tests/devkeys/root_key.vbpubk"
 
 config VBOOT_RECOVERY_KEY
 	string "Recovery key (public)"
-	default "3rdparty/vboot/tests/devkeys/recovery_key.vbpubk"
+	default "$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/tests/devkeys/recovery_key.vbpubk"
 
 config VBOOT_FIRMWARE_PRIVKEY
 	string "Firmware key (private)"
-	default "3rdparty/vboot/tests/devkeys/firmware_data_key.vbprivk"
+	default "$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/tests/devkeys/firmware_data_key.vbprivk"
 
 config VBOOT_KERNEL_KEY
 	string "Kernel subkey (public)"
-	default "3rdparty/vboot/tests/devkeys/kernel_subkey.vbpubk"
+	default "$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/tests/devkeys/kernel_subkey.vbpubk"
 
 config VBOOT_KEYBLOCK
 	string "Keyblock to use for the RW regions"
-	default "3rdparty/vboot/tests/devkeys/firmware.keyblock"
+	default "$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/tests/devkeys/firmware.keyblock"
 
 config VBOOT_KEYBLOCK_VERSION
 	int "Keyblock version number"
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/Makefile b/util/cbfstool/Makefile
index 320485749b..d6249bc24e 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/Makefile
+++ b/util/cbfstool/Makefile
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ CONFIG_FMD_GENPARSER ?= n
 HOSTCC ?= $(CC)
 OBJCOPY ?= objcopy
 
+VBOOT_SOURCE ?= $(top)/3rdparty/vboot
+
 .PHONY: all
 all: cbfstool fmaptool rmodtool ifwitool
 
diff --git a/util/cbfstool/Makefile.inc b/util/cbfstool/Makefile.inc
index 8c9a2c01bd..d666f6a06f 100644
--- a/util/cbfstool/Makefile.inc
+++ b/util/cbfstool/Makefile.inc
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(top)/util/cbfstool
 TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(objutil)/cbfstool
 TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(top)/src/commonlib/include
 TOOLCPPFLAGS += -DNEED_VB2_SHA_LIBRARY
-TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(top)/3rdparty/vboot/firmware/include
-TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(top)/3rdparty/vboot/firmware/2lib/include
+TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/firmware/include
+TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(VBOOT_SOURCE)/firmware/2lib/include
 # UEFI header file support. It's not pretty, but that's what we currently
 # have right now.
 TOOLCPPFLAGS += -I$(top)/src
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ $(objutil)/cbfstool/%.o: $(top)/util/cbfstool/lzma/C/%.c
 	printf "    HOSTCC     $(subst $(objutil)/,,$(@))\n"
 	$(HOSTCC) $(TOOLCPPFLAGS) $(TOOLCFLAGS) $(HOSTCFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<
 
-$(objutil)/cbfstool/%.o: $(top)/3rdparty/vboot/firmware/2lib/%.c
+$(objutil)/cbfstool/%.o: $(VBOOT_SOURCE)/firmware/2lib/%.c
 	printf "    HOSTCC     $(subst $(objutil)/,,$(@))\n"
 	$(HOSTCC) $(TOOLCPPFLAGS) $(TOOLCFLAGS) $(HOSTCFLAGS) -c -o $@ $<