diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7b7c25a..0281171 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ ifndef LDSCRIPT
 	#LDSCRIPT := $(TOPDIR)/board/$(BOARDDIR)/u-boot.lds.debug
 	ifdef CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT
 		# need to strip off double quotes
-		LDSCRIPT := $(CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT:"%"=%)
+		LDSCRIPT := $(srctree)/$(CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT:"%"=%)
 	endif
 endif
 
@@ -518,9 +518,6 @@ ifndef LDSCRIPT
 		# We don't expect a Makefile here
 		LDSCRIPT_MAKEFILE_DIR =
 	endif
-	ifeq ($(wildcard $(LDSCRIPT)),)
-$(error could not find linker script)
-	endif
 endif
 
 else
@@ -996,6 +993,10 @@ ifeq ($(CONFIG_SYS_GENERIC_BOARD),y)
 	@/bin/false
 endif
 endif
+ifeq ($(wildcard $(LDSCRIPT)),)
+	@echo >&2 "  Could not find linker script."
+	@/bin/false
+endif
 
 archprepare: prepare1 scripts_basic
 
diff --git a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
index 57bf04f..9846118 100644
--- a/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
+++ b/include/configs/MPC8536DS.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL 0xfff00000
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL /* start of monitor */
 #else
-#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(TOPDIR)/$(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
+#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE	0xf8f82000
 #endif /* CONFIG_NAND_SPL */
 #endif
diff --git a/include/configs/MPC8569MDS.h b/include/configs/MPC8569MDS.h
index 33cadb9..58b9c26 100644
--- a/include/configs/MPC8569MDS.h
+++ b/include/configs/MPC8569MDS.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ extern unsigned long get_clock_freq(void);
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL 0xfff00000
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL /* start of monitor */
 #else
-#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(TOPDIR)/$(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
+#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE	0xf8f82000
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/include/configs/MPC8572DS.h b/include/configs/MPC8572DS.h
index f457719..7b63945 100644
--- a/include/configs/MPC8572DS.h
+++ b/include/configs/MPC8572DS.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL 0xfff00000
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL /* start of monitor */
 #else
-#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(TOPDIR)/$(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
+#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE	0xf8f82000
 #endif /* CONFIG_NAND_SPL */
 #endif
diff --git a/include/configs/P1023RDS.h b/include/configs/P1023RDS.h
index ec72c78..2ffa354 100644
--- a/include/configs/P1023RDS.h
+++ b/include/configs/P1023RDS.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #ifdef CONFIG_NAND_SPL
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL /* start of monitor */
 #else
-#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(TOPDIR)/$(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
+#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE	/* start of monitor */
 #endif /* CONFIG_NAND_SPL */
 #endif
diff --git a/include/configs/P1_P2_RDB.h b/include/configs/P1_P2_RDB.h
index 32ed0c2..2ffaf5c 100644
--- a/include/configs/P1_P2_RDB.h
+++ b/include/configs/P1_P2_RDB.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL 0xfff00000
 #define CONFIG_SYS_MONITOR_BASE	CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE_SPL /* start of monitor */
 #else
-#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(TOPDIR)/$(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
+#define CONFIG_SYS_LDSCRIPT $(CPUDIR)/u-boot-nand.lds
 #define CONFIG_SYS_TEXT_BASE		0xf8f82000
 #endif /* CONFIG_NAND_SPL */
 #endif