diff --git a/ground/openpilotgcs/openpilotgcs.pri b/ground/openpilotgcs/openpilotgcs.pri
index e3da91f79..5a212a00b 100644
--- a/ground/openpilotgcs/openpilotgcs.pri
+++ b/ground/openpilotgcs/openpilotgcs.pri
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ equals(TEST, 1) {
 win32:!isEmpty(QMAKE_SH):QMAKE_COPY_DIR = cp -r -f
 
 GCS_SOURCE_TREE = $$PWD
+ROOT_DIR = $$GCS_SOURCE_TREE/../..
+
 isEmpty(GCS_BUILD_TREE) {
     sub_dir = $$_PRO_FILE_PWD_
     sub_dir ~= s,^$$re_escape($$PWD),,
@@ -80,7 +82,7 @@ isEmpty(TOOLS_DIR) {
     # check for custom enviroment variable,
     TOOLS_DIR = $$(OPENPILOT_TOOLS_DIR)
     # fallback to default location.
-    isEmpty(TOOLS_DIR):TOOLS_DIR = $$clean_path($$GCS_SOURCE_TREE/../../tools)
+    isEmpty(TOOLS_DIR):TOOLS_DIR = $$clean_path($$ROOT_DIR/tools)
 }
 
 GCS_APP_PATH = $$GCS_BUILD_TREE/bin
diff --git a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/libs/version_info/version_info.pro b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/libs/version_info/version_info.pro
index ce51ff076..6436e0d36 100644
--- a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/libs/version_info/version_info.pro
+++ b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/libs/version_info/version_info.pro
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ SOURCES = version_info.cpp
     version_info.target   = $$VERSION_INFO_FILE
     version_info.commands = -$(MKDIR) $$targetPath($$VERSION_INFO_DIR) $$addNewline()
     version_info.commands += $$VERSION_INFO_COMMAND \
-                                    --path=\"$$GCS_SOURCE_TREE\" \
+                                    --path=\"$$ROOT_DIR\" \
                                     --template=\"$$VERSION_INFO_TEMPLATE\" \
                                     --uavodir=\"$$UAVO_DEF_PATH\" \
                                     --outfile=\"$$VERSION_INFO_FILE\"
diff --git a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/python.pri b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/python.pri
index 016cfa4d3..ab8763997 100644
--- a/ground/openpilotgcs/src/python.pri
+++ b/ground/openpilotgcs/src/python.pri
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 # kept in sync with make/tools.mk.
 PYTHON_DIR = qt-5.4.0/Tools/mingw491_32/opt/bin
 
-ROOT_DIR = $$GCS_SOURCE_TREE/../..
-
 # Search the python using environment override first
 OPENPILOT_TOOLS_DIR = $$(OPENPILOT_TOOLS_DIR)
 !isEmpty(OPENPILOT_TOOLS_DIR):exists($$OPENPILOT_TOOLS_DIR/$$PYTHON_DIR/python*) {