diff --git a/src/Make.conf b/src/Make.conf
index fa7177aa83c..a90ed0da4d6 100644
--- a/src/Make.conf
+++ b/src/Make.conf
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ CFLAGS=-ggdb -I"$(GOROOT)"/include -O2 -fno-inline
 O=o
 YFLAGS=-d
 # GNU Make syntax:
+ifndef GOBIN
 nullstring :=
 space := $(nullstring) # a space at the end
-ifndef GOBIN
 QUOTED_HOME=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(HOME))
 GOBIN=$(QUOTED_HOME)/bin
-endif
 QUOTED_GOBIN=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOBIN))
+else
+nullstring :=
+space := $(nullstring) # a space at the end
+QUOTED_GOBIN=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOBIN))
+endif
 
 CC=$(QUOTED_GOBIN)/quietgcc
 LD=$(QUOTED_GOBIN)/quietgcc
diff --git a/src/Make.pkg b/src/Make.pkg
index d4196b6e845..b315b2ee1e5 100644
--- a/src/Make.pkg
+++ b/src/Make.pkg
@@ -6,13 +6,17 @@ all: package
 package: _obj/$(TARG).a
 testpackage: _test/$(TARG).a
 
+ifndef GOBIN
 nullstring :=
 space := $(nullstring) # a space at the end
-ifndef GOBIN
 QUOTED_HOME=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(HOME))
 GOBIN=$(QUOTED_HOME)/bin
-endif
 QUOTED_GOBIN=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOBIN))
+else
+nullstring :=
+space := $(nullstring) # a space at the end
+QUOTED_GOBIN=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOBIN))
+endif
 
 # GNU Make 3.80 has a bug in lastword
 # elem=$(lastword $(subst /, ,$(TARG)))
@@ -26,6 +30,8 @@ dir=$(patsubst %/$(elem),%,$(TARG))
 endif
 
 # ugly hack to deal with whitespaces in $GOROOT
+nullstring :=
+space := $(nullstring) # a space at the end
 QUOTED_GOROOT=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOROOT))
 
 pkgdir=$(QUOTED_GOROOT)/pkg/$(GOOS)_$(GOARCH)
diff --git a/src/pkg/Makefile b/src/pkg/Makefile
index 7d1e80d8db0..f37502d58d4 100644
--- a/src/pkg/Makefile
+++ b/src/pkg/Makefile
@@ -9,14 +9,6 @@
 #
 # to rebuild the dependency information in Make.deps.
 
-nullstring :=
-space := $(nullstring)
-ifndef GOBIN
-QUOTED_HOME=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(HOME))
-GOBIN=$(QUOTED_HOME)/bin
-endif
-QUOTED_GOBIN=$(subst $(space),\ ,$(GOBIN))
-
 all: install
 
 DIRS=\
@@ -143,16 +135,16 @@ nuke.dirs: $(addsuffix .nuke, $(DIRS))
 test.dirs: $(addsuffix .test, $(TEST))
 
 %.clean:
-	+cd $* && $(QUOTED_GOBIN)/gomake clean
+	+cd $* && gomake clean
 
 %.install:
-	+cd $* && $(QUOTED_GOBIN)/gomake install
+	+cd $* && gomake install
 
 %.nuke:
-	+cd $* && $(QUOTED_GOBIN)/gomake nuke
+	+cd $* && gomake nuke
 
 %.test:
-	+cd $* && $(QUOTED_GOBIN)/gomake test
+	+cd $* && gomake test
 
 clean: clean.dirs