diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 8c50d78f87..b18f531606 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -403,6 +403,14 @@ fi
 # make source path absolute
 source_path=`cd "$source_path"; pwd`
 
+# running configure in the source tree?
+# we know that's the case if configure is there.
+if test -f "./configure"; then
+    pwd_is_source_path="y"
+else
+    pwd_is_source_path="n"
+fi
+
 check_define() {
 cat > $TMPC <<EOF
 #if !defined($1)
@@ -2940,7 +2948,7 @@ EOF
     fdt=yes
     dtc_internal="yes"
     mkdir -p dtc
-    if [ "$source_path" != `pwd` ] ; then
+    if [ "$pwd_is_source_path" != "y" ] ; then
        symlink "$source_path/dtc/Makefile" "dtc/Makefile"
        symlink "$source_path/dtc/scripts" "dtc/scripts"
     fi
@@ -5176,7 +5184,7 @@ do
 done
 mkdir -p $DIRS
 for f in $FILES ; do
-    if [ -e "$source_path/$f" ] && [ "$source_path" != `pwd` ]; then
+    if [ -e "$source_path/$f" ] && [ "$pwd_is_source_path" != "y" ]; then
         symlink "$source_path/$f" "$f"
     fi
 done