diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index 7902a5681fc8..b8fc7d972be9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ endif
 # Only pass canonical directory names as the output directory:
 #
 ifneq ($(O),)
-  FULL_O := $(shell readlink -f $(O) || echo $(O))
+  FULL_O := $(shell cd $(PWD); readlink -f $(O) || echo $(O))
 endif
 
 #
diff --git a/tools/scripts/Makefile.include b/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
index 495066bafbe3..8fc6b1ca47dc 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
+++ b/tools/scripts/Makefile.include
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
 ifneq ($(O),)
 ifeq ($(origin O), command line)
-	dummy := $(if $(shell test -d $(O) || echo $(O)),$(error O=$(O) does not exist),)
-	ABSOLUTE_O := $(shell cd $(O) ; pwd)
+	dummy := $(if $(shell cd $(PWD); test -d $(O) || echo $(O)),$(error O=$(O) does not exist),)
+	ABSOLUTE_O := $(shell cd $(PWD); cd $(O) ; pwd)
 	OUTPUT := $(ABSOLUTE_O)/$(if $(subdir),$(subdir)/)
 	COMMAND_O := O=$(ABSOLUTE_O)
 ifeq ($(objtree),)