diff --git a/Makefile.rules b/Makefile.rules
index da3fe6131a..8f2c5cc0e2 100644
--- a/Makefile.rules
+++ b/Makefile.rules
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ bin/$(GAPARCH)/gap.dll: libgap.dll
 	cp $< $@
 
 gap$(EXEEXT): libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) cnf/GAP-LDFLAGS cnf/GAP-LIBS cnf/GAP-OBJS build/obj/src/main.c.o
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(GAP_LDFLAGS)  -Wl,--export-all-symbols build/obj/src/main.c.o $(GAP_LIBS) libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) -o $@
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(GAP_LDFLAGS)  -Wl,-rpath,$(abs_builddir) -Wl,--export-all-symbols build/obj/src/main.c.o $(GAP_LIBS) libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) -o $@
 	@( if which peflags > /dev/null ; then peflags --cygwin-heap=2048 gap$(EXEEXT) ; fi )
 
 else
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ build/main.c: src/main.c
 # build rule for the gap executable used by the `install-bin` target
 # TODO: ensure this links against the libgap in $libdir
 build/gap-install: libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) cnf/GAP-LDFLAGS cnf/GAP-LIBS cnf/GAP-OBJS build/obj/build/main.c.o
-	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(GAP_LDFLAGS) build/obj/build/main.c.o $(GAP_LIBS) libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) -o $@
+	$(QUIET_LINK)$(LINK) $(GAP_LDFLAGS)  -Wl,-rpath,$(libdir) build/obj/build/main.c.o $(GAP_LIBS) libgap$(SHLIB_EXT) -o $@
 
 endif