diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 016817768b..c639e37e3e 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -3078,8 +3078,8 @@ if WITH_NETWORK
 	    cp $(DESTDIR)$(confdir)/qemu/networks/default.xml.t \
 	      $(DESTDIR)$(confdir)/qemu/networks/default.xml && \
 	    rm $(DESTDIR)$(confdir)/qemu/networks/default.xml.t; }
-	$(LN_S) -f ../default.xml \
-	    $(DESTDIR)$(confdir)/qemu/networks/autostart/default.xml
+	( cd $(DESTDIR)$(confdir)/qemu/networks/autostart && \
+	    $(LN_S) -f ../default.xml default.xml )
 endif WITH_NETWORK
 
 uninstall-local:: uninstall-init uninstall-systemd
diff --git a/tools/Makefile.am b/tools/Makefile.am
index 7f2c0fcea9..e963b9116f 100644
--- a/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -423,8 +423,8 @@ LIBVIRT_NSS_SYMBOL_FILE = \
 NSS_SO_VER = 1
 
 install-exec-hook:
-	cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && \
-	  $(LN_S) -f libnss_libvirt.so.$(NSS_SO_VER) nss_libvirt.so.$(NSS_SO_VER)
+	( cd $(DESTDIR)$(libdir) && \
+	  $(LN_S) -f libnss_libvirt.so.$(NSS_SO_VER) nss_libvirt.so.$(NSS_SO_VER) )
 
 uninstall-local:
 	-rm -f $(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/nss_libvirt.so.$(NSS_SO_VER)