diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index e627b3b9..4fd75ba4 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -855,7 +855,8 @@ for c in $CHAT_MODULES; do
 		fi
 	done
 
-	file="$(top_builddir)/src/$c/$c.c"
+	mkdir -p src/$c
+	file="src/$c/$c.c"
         echo "/* this file is automatically generated by configure - don't change */" > $file
 	echo "void ${c}_core_init(void); void ${c}_core_deinit(void);" >> $file
 	if test -n "$module_inits"; then
@@ -866,7 +867,8 @@ for c in $CHAT_MODULES; do
         echo "void ${c}_deinit(void) { $module_deinits ${c}_core_deinit(); }" >> $file
 
 	if test -f $srcdir/src/fe-common/$c/module.h; then
-	        file="$(top_builddir)/src/fe-common/$c/${c}-modules.c"
+		mkdir -p src/fe-common/$c
+	        file="src/fe-common/$c/${c}-modules.c"
 	        echo "/* this file is automatically generated by configure - don't change */" > $file
                 if test -n "$fe_module_inits"; then
 		        echo "$fe_module_inits" | $sedpath -e 's/()/(void)/g' -e 's/ /void /g' >> $file