diff --git a/scripts/exec_wrapper.py b/scripts/exec_wrapper.py
index 3e85e538..fdab3fd7 100755
--- a/scripts/exec_wrapper.py
+++ b/scripts/exec_wrapper.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def exec_wrapper_init(): # don't change: name is used to test if script is runni
 		sys.path[0] = 'test'
 	else:
 		from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-		sys.path[0] = overlay_setup()
+		sys.path[0] = overlay_setup(repo_root=os.getcwd()) # assume we're in the repo root
 
 	os.environ['MMGEN_TRACEBACK'] = '1'
 	os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = '.'
diff --git a/test/gentest.py b/test/gentest.py
index b00df354..aa7a5f8f 100755
--- a/test/gentest.py
+++ b/test/gentest.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import sys,os
 
 from include.tests_header import repo_root
 from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup())
+sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup(repo_root))
 
 # Import these _after_ local path's been added to sys.path
 from mmgen.common import *
diff --git a/test/objtest.py b/test/objtest.py
index 68fb49c3..9cb943d8 100755
--- a/test/objtest.py
+++ b/test/objtest.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import sys,os,re
 
 from include.tests_header import repo_root
 from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup())
+sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup(repo_root))
 
 os.environ['MMGEN_TEST_SUITE'] = '1'
 
diff --git a/test/overlay/__init__.py b/test/overlay/__init__.py
index fb720833..72d5dfcd 100644
--- a/test/overlay/__init__.py
+++ b/test/overlay/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import sys,os
 
-def overlay_setup():
+def overlay_setup(repo_root):
 
 	def process_srcdir(d):
 		srcdir = os.path.join(repo_root,*d.split('.'))
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ def overlay_setup():
 					os.path.join(srcdir,fn),
 					os.path.join(destdir,link_fn) )
 
-	repo_root = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0])))
 	overlay_dir = os.path.join(repo_root,'test','overlay','tree')
 	fakemod_dir = os.path.join(repo_root,'test','overlay','fakemods')
 	fakemods  = os.listdir(fakemod_dir)
diff --git a/test/test.py b/test/test.py
index ca1bb114..21d17d50 100755
--- a/test/test.py
+++ b/test/test.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ import sys,os,time
 
 from include.tests_header import repo_root
 from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-overlay_dir = overlay_setup()
+overlay_dir = overlay_setup(repo_root)
 sys.path.insert(0,overlay_dir)
 
 try: os.unlink(os.path.join(repo_root,'my.err'))
diff --git a/test/tooltest.py b/test/tooltest.py
index de571b59..a4e2e591 100755
--- a/test/tooltest.py
+++ b/test/tooltest.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ from subprocess import run,PIPE
 
 from include.tests_header import repo_root
 from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup())
+sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup(repo_root))
 
 from mmgen.common import *
 from test.include.common import *
diff --git a/test/tooltest2.py b/test/tooltest2.py
index bd183c3c..78861d51 100755
--- a/test/tooltest2.py
+++ b/test/tooltest2.py
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from decimal import Decimal
 
 from include.tests_header import repo_root
 from test.overlay import overlay_setup
-sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup())
+sys.path.insert(0,overlay_setup(repo_root))
 
 from mmgen.common import *
 from test.include.common import *