diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 6000f409d7..6b80e3e17a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+Thu Dec 18 07:44:07 +0100 2008 Jim Meyering <meyering@redhat.com>
+
+	Makefile.maint: use $(srcdir), not $(top_srcdir)
+
 Wed Dec 17 21:49:39 GMT 2008 Daniel P. Berrange <berrange@redhat.com>
 
 	* src/remote_internal.c: Fix unreachable return statement
diff --git a/Makefile.maint b/Makefile.maint
index bad330d3f1..29c50fc88a 100644
--- a/Makefile.maint
+++ b/Makefile.maint
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ gzip_rsyncable := \
   $(shell gzip --help 2>/dev/null|grep rsyncable >/dev/null && echo --rsyncable)
 GZIP_ENV = '--no-name --best $(gzip_rsyncable)'
 
-VC_LIST = $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/vc-list-files
+VC_LIST = $(srcdir)/build-aux/vc-list-files
 
 VC_LIST_EXCEPT = \
-  $(VC_LIST) -C $(top_srcdir) | if test -f .x-$@; then grep -vEf .x-$@; else grep -v ChangeLog; fi
+  $(VC_LIST) | if test -f .x-$@; then grep -vEf .x-$@; else grep -v ChangeLog; fi
 
 # Prevent programs like 'sort' from considering distinct strings to be equal.
 # Doing it here saves us from having to set LC_ALL elsewhere in this file.
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@ changelog-check:
 	fi
 
 m4-check:
-	@grep -n 'AC_DEFUN([^[]' $(top_srcdir)/m4/*.m4 \
+	@grep -n 'AC_DEFUN([^[]' $(srcdir)/m4/*.m4 \
 	  && { echo 'Makefile.maint: quote the first arg to AC_DEFUN' 1>&2; \
 	       exit 1; } || :