diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index dd2c70b7d..782908381 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(release,
 
 if test $build_release = no; then
 	# check we can find guess-rev.sh
-	AC_CHECK_FILE("guess-rev.sh", build_release=no, build_release=yes)
+	AC_CHECK_FILE("$srcdir/guess-rev.sh", build_release=no, build_release=yes)
 fi
 
 # We are not *ALWAYS* being installed in the standard place.