diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index acfd83becc..81b3e69eb8 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -75,8 +75,7 @@ distclean-local::
 		-type f -delete
 
 all-local:
-	-[ -x ${top_builddir}/scripts/zfs-tests.sh ] && \
-	    ${top_builddir}/scripts/zfs-tests.sh -c
+	-SCRIPT_COMMON=$(top_builddir)/scripts/common.sh $(top_srcdir)/scripts/zfs-tests.sh -c
 
 dist-hook:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)$(top_srcdir)/scripts/make_gitrev.sh -D $(distdir) $(GITREV)
diff --git a/scripts/zfs-tests.sh b/scripts/zfs-tests.sh
index e7d04110e3..df69325a1b 100755
--- a/scripts/zfs-tests.sh
+++ b/scripts/zfs-tests.sh
@@ -26,13 +26,8 @@
 # Copyright 2020 OmniOS Community Edition (OmniOSce) Association.
 #
 
-BASE_DIR=$(dirname "$0")
-SCRIPT_COMMON=common.sh
-if [ -f "${BASE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_COMMON}" ]; then
-	. "${BASE_DIR}/${SCRIPT_COMMON}"
-else
-	echo "Missing helper script ${SCRIPT_COMMON}" && exit 1
-fi
+SCRIPT_COMMON=${SCRIPT_COMMON:-${0%/*}/common.sh}
+. "${SCRIPT_COMMON}" || exit
 
 PROG=zfs-tests.sh
 VERBOSE="no"