diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d454e089f3..2dc4217f19 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -2243,7 +2243,6 @@ fi
 # tests might fail. Prefer to keep the relevant files in their own
 # directory and symlink the directory instead.
 LINKS="Makefile"
-LINKS="$LINKS tests/tcg/Makefile.target"
 LINKS="$LINKS pc-bios/optionrom/Makefile"
 LINKS="$LINKS pc-bios/s390-ccw/Makefile"
 LINKS="$LINKS pc-bios/vof/Makefile"
@@ -2457,6 +2456,7 @@ fi
 echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $makefile
 
 config_host_mak=tests/tcg/config-host.mak
+mkdir -p tests/tcg
 echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $config_host_mak
 echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "HOST_CC=$host_cc" >> $config_host_mak
@@ -2560,8 +2560,9 @@ for target in $target_list; do
       got_cross_cc=yes
   fi
   if test $got_cross_cc = yes; then
-      mkdir -p tests/tcg/$target
-      ln -sf ../config-$target.mak tests/tcg/$target/config-target.mak
+      mkdir -p "tests/tcg/$target"
+      ln -sf "$source_path/tests/tcg/Makefile.target" "tests/tcg/$target/Makefile"
+      ln -sf "../config-$target.mak" "tests/tcg/$target/config-target.mak"
       echo "TARGET=$target" >> "$config_target_mak"
       echo "QEMU=$PWD/$qemu" >> "$config_target_mak"
       echo "run-tcg-tests-$target: $qemu\$(EXESUF)" >> $makefile
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.include b/tests/Makefile.include
index 826b1895f4..caef287957 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.include
+++ b/tests/Makefile.include
@@ -50,20 +50,19 @@ $(foreach TARGET,$(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS), \
 .PHONY: $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=build-tcg-tests-%)
 $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=build-tcg-tests-%): build-tcg-tests-%: $(BUILD_DIR)/tests/tcg/config-%.mak
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-            $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* -f ../Makefile.target $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS), \
+            $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS), \
         "BUILD","$* guest-tests")
 
 .PHONY: $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=run-tcg-tests-%)
 $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=run-tcg-tests-%): run-tcg-tests-%: build-tcg-tests-%
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-           $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* -f ../Makefile.target $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) \
-                        SPEED=$(SPEED) run, \
+           $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) SPEED=$(SPEED) run, \
         "RUN", "$* guest-tests")
 
 .PHONY: $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=clean-tcg-tests-%)
 $(TCG_TESTS_TARGETS:%=clean-tcg-tests-%): clean-tcg-tests-%:
 	$(call quiet-command, \
-           $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* -f ../Makefile.target $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) clean, \
+           $(MAKE) -C tests/tcg/$* $(SUBDIR_MAKEFLAGS) clean, \
         "CLEAN", "$* guest-tests")
 
 .PHONY: build-tcg