diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 27efc48619..90645fede6 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ macos_task:
   install_script:
     - brew install pkg-config python gnu-sed glib pixman make sdl2
   script:
-    - ./configure --python=/usr/local/bin/python3 || { cat config.log; exit 1; }
+    - mkdir build
+    - cd build
+    - ../configure --python=/usr/local/bin/python3 || { cat config.log; exit 1; }
     - gmake -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
     - gmake check -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
 
@@ -33,6 +35,8 @@ macos_xcode_task:
   install_script:
     - brew install pkg-config gnu-sed glib pixman make sdl2
   script:
-    - ./configure --cc=clang || { cat config.log; exit 1; }
+    - mkdir build
+    - cd build
+    - ../configure --cc=clang || { cat config.log; exit 1; }
     - gmake -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
     - gmake check -j$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index e3db1b847c..ebcef0ebe9 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ build-system1:
  script:
  - apt-get install -y -qq libgtk-3-dev libvte-dev nettle-dev libcacard-dev
       libusb-dev libvde-dev libspice-protocol-dev libgl1-mesa-dev libvdeplug-dev
- - ./configure --enable-werror --target-list="aarch64-softmmu alpha-softmmu
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --enable-werror --target-list="aarch64-softmmu alpha-softmmu
       cris-softmmu hppa-softmmu lm32-softmmu moxie-softmmu microblazeel-softmmu
       mips64el-softmmu m68k-softmmu ppc-softmmu riscv64-softmmu sparc-softmmu"
  - make -j2
@@ -16,7 +18,9 @@ build-system2:
  script:
  - apt-get install -y -qq libsdl2-dev libgcrypt-dev libbrlapi-dev libaio-dev
       libfdt-dev liblzo2-dev librdmacm-dev libibverbs-dev libibumad-dev
- - ./configure --enable-werror --target-list="tricore-softmmu unicore32-softmmu
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --enable-werror --target-list="tricore-softmmu unicore32-softmmu
       microblaze-softmmu mips-softmmu riscv32-softmmu s390x-softmmu sh4-softmmu
       sparc64-softmmu x86_64-softmmu xtensa-softmmu nios2-softmmu or1k-softmmu"
  - make -j2
@@ -24,7 +28,9 @@ build-system2:
 
 build-disabled:
  script:
- - ./configure --enable-werror --disable-rdma --disable-slirp --disable-curl
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --enable-werror --disable-rdma --disable-slirp --disable-curl
       --disable-capstone --disable-live-block-migration --disable-glusterfs
       --disable-replication --disable-coroutine-pool --disable-smartcard
       --disable-guest-agent --disable-curses --disable-libxml2 --disable-tpm
@@ -37,7 +43,9 @@ build-disabled:
 build-tcg-disabled:
  script:
  - apt-get install -y -qq clang libgtk-3-dev libusb-dev
- - ./configure --cc=clang --enable-werror --disable-tcg --audio-drv-list=""
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --cc=clang --enable-werror --disable-tcg --audio-drv-list=""
  - make -j2
  - make check-unit
  - make check-qapi-schema
@@ -52,7 +60,9 @@ build-tcg-disabled:
 
 build-user:
  script:
- - ./configure --enable-werror --disable-system --disable-guest-agent
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --enable-werror --disable-system --disable-guest-agent
                --disable-capstone --disable-slirp --disable-fdt
  - make -j2
  - make run-tcg-tests-i386-linux-user run-tcg-tests-x86_64-linux-user
@@ -61,7 +71,9 @@ build-clang:
  script:
  - apt-get install -y -qq clang libsdl2-dev libattr1-dev libcap-ng-dev
       xfslibs-dev libiscsi-dev libnfs-dev libseccomp-dev gnutls-dev librbd-dev
- - ./configure --cc=clang --cxx=clang++ --enable-werror
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --cc=clang --cxx=clang++ --enable-werror
       --target-list="alpha-softmmu arm-softmmu m68k-softmmu mips64-softmmu
                      ppc-softmmu s390x-softmmu x86_64-softmmu arm-linux-user"
  - make -j2
@@ -70,7 +82,9 @@ build-clang:
 build-tci:
  script:
  - TARGETS="aarch64 alpha arm hppa m68k microblaze moxie ppc64 s390x x86_64"
- - ./configure --enable-tcg-interpreter
+ - mkdir build
+ - cd build
+ - ../configure --enable-tcg-interpreter
       --target-list="$(for tg in $TARGETS; do echo -n ${tg}'-softmmu '; done)"
  - make -j2
  - make tests/boot-serial-test tests/cdrom-test tests/pxe-test
diff --git a/.shippable.yml b/.shippable.yml
index f74a3de3ff..83aae08bb4 100644
--- a/.shippable.yml
+++ b/.shippable.yml
@@ -35,5 +35,7 @@ build:
     options: "-e HOME=/root"
   ci:
     - unset CC
-    - ./configure ${QEMU_CONFIGURE_OPTS} --target-list=${TARGET_LIST}
+    - mkdir build
+    - cd build
+    - ../configure ${QEMU_CONFIGURE_OPTS} --target-list=${TARGET_LIST}
     - make -j$(($(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN) + 1))
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index b68566b1fe..d673ee219e 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@ notifications:
 
 env:
   global:
-    - SRC_DIR="."
-    - BUILD_DIR="."
+    - SRC_DIR=".."
+    - BUILD_DIR="build"
     - BASE_CONFIG="--disable-docs --disable-tools"
     - TEST_CMD="make check V=1"
     # This is broadly a list of "mainline" softmmu targets which have support across the major distros
@@ -191,7 +191,8 @@ matrix:
         - CACHE_NAME="${TRAVIS_BRANCH}-linux-clang-sanitize"
       compiler: clang
       before_script:
-        - ./configure ${CONFIG} --extra-cflags="-fsanitize=undefined -Werror" || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
+        - mkdir -p ${BUILD_DIR} && cd ${BUILD_DIR}
+        - ${SRC_DIR}/configure ${CONFIG} --extra-cflags="-fsanitize=undefined -Werror" || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
 
 
     - env:
@@ -323,7 +324,8 @@ matrix:
         - CONFIG="--cc=gcc-9 --cxx=g++-9 --disable-pie --disable-linux-user"
         - TEST_CMD=""
       before_script:
-        - ./configure ${CONFIG} --extra-cflags="-g3 -O0 -Wno-error=stringop-truncation -fsanitize=thread -fuse-ld=gold" || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
+        - mkdir -p ${BUILD_DIR} && cd ${BUILD_DIR}
+        - ${SRC_DIR}/configure ${CONFIG} --extra-cflags="-g3 -O0 -Wno-error=stringop-truncation -fsanitize=thread -fuse-ld=gold" || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
 
 
     # Run check-tcg against linux-user
@@ -460,5 +462,6 @@ matrix:
         - make -C ${SRC_DIR} qemu-${QEMU_VERSION}.tar.bz2
         - ls -l ${SRC_DIR}/qemu-${QEMU_VERSION}.tar.bz2
         - tar -xf ${SRC_DIR}/qemu-${QEMU_VERSION}.tar.bz2 && cd qemu-${QEMU_VERSION}
-        - ./configure ${BASE_CONFIG} ${CONFIG} || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
+        - mkdir -p release-build && cd release-build
+        - ../configure ${BASE_CONFIG} ${CONFIG} || { cat config.log && exit 1; }
         - make install
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index e0c66ee9b6..93625811a0 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -6401,6 +6401,7 @@ else
 echo "local state directory   queried at runtime"
 echo "Windows SDK       $win_sdk"
 fi
+echo "Build directory   $(pwd)"
 echo "Source path       $source_path"
 echo "GIT binary        $git"
 echo "GIT submodules    $git_submodules"