diff --git a/doc/examples/Makefile.am b/doc/examples/Makefile.am
index dadbd90..d728f49 100644
--- a/doc/examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Beware this is autogenerated by index.py
-INCLUDES = -I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include -I srcdir@/include @THREAD_CFLAGS@ @Z_CFLAGS@
+INCLUDES = -I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_srcdir)/include -I$(srcdir)/include $(THREAD_CFLAGS) $(Z_CFLAGS)
 DEPS = $(top_builddir)/libxml2.la
-LDADDS = @STATIC_BINARIES@ $(top_builddir)/libxml2.la @THREAD_LIBS@ @Z_LIBS@ $(ICONV_LIBS) -lm @WIN32_EXTRA_LIBADD@
+LDADDS = $(STATIC_BINARIES) $(top_builddir)/libxml2.la $(THREAD_LIBS) $(Z_LIBS) $(ICONV_LIBS) -lm $(WIN32_EXTRA_LIBADD)
 
 rebuild: examples.xml index.html
 
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ index.html: examples.xml examples.xsl
 	-@(xsltproc examples.xsl examples.xml && echo "Rebuilt web page" && xmllint --valid --noout index.html)
 
 install-data-local: 
-	$(mkinstalldirs) $(DESTDIR)$(HTML_DIR)
-	- INSTALL@ -m 0644 $(srcdir)/*.html $(srcdir)/*.c $(srcdir)/*.xml $(srcdir)/*.xsl $(srcdir)/*.res $(DESTDIR)$(HTML_DIR)
+	$(MKDIR_P) $(DESTDIR)$(HTML_DIR)
+	-$(INSTALL) -m 0644 $(srcdir)/*.html $(srcdir)/*.c $(srcdir)/*.xml $(srcdir)/*.xsl $(srcdir)/*.res $(DESTDIR)$(HTML_DIR)
 
 EXTRA_DIST=examples.xsl index.py test2.xml tst.xml examples.xml test1.xml writer.xml test3.xml io2.res reader4.res tree2.res xpath2.res xpath1.res reader3.res reader1.res tree1.res io1.res 
 
@@ -22,77 +22,77 @@ noinst_PROGRAMS=xpath1 parse3 reader2 tree2 io1 parse4 xpath2 io2 reader1 tree1
 xpath1_SOURCES=xpath1.c
 xpath1_LDFLAGS=
 xpath1_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-xpath1_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+xpath1_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 parse3_SOURCES=parse3.c
 parse3_LDFLAGS=
 parse3_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-parse3_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+parse3_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 reader2_SOURCES=reader2.c
 reader2_LDFLAGS=
 reader2_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-reader2_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+reader2_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 tree2_SOURCES=tree2.c
 tree2_LDFLAGS=
 tree2_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-tree2_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+tree2_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 io1_SOURCES=io1.c
 io1_LDFLAGS=
 io1_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-io1_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+io1_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 parse4_SOURCES=parse4.c
 parse4_LDFLAGS=
 parse4_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-parse4_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+parse4_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 xpath2_SOURCES=xpath2.c
 xpath2_LDFLAGS=
 xpath2_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-xpath2_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+xpath2_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 io2_SOURCES=io2.c
 io2_LDFLAGS=
 io2_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-io2_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+io2_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 reader1_SOURCES=reader1.c
 reader1_LDFLAGS=
 reader1_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-reader1_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+reader1_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 tree1_SOURCES=tree1.c
 tree1_LDFLAGS=
 tree1_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-tree1_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+tree1_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 reader3_SOURCES=reader3.c
 reader3_LDFLAGS=
 reader3_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-reader3_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+reader3_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 parse2_SOURCES=parse2.c
 parse2_LDFLAGS=
 parse2_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-parse2_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+parse2_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 parse1_SOURCES=parse1.c
 parse1_LDFLAGS=
 parse1_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-parse1_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+parse1_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 reader4_SOURCES=reader4.c
 reader4_LDFLAGS=
 reader4_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-reader4_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+reader4_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 testWriter_SOURCES=testWriter.c
 testWriter_LDFLAGS=
 testWriter_DEPENDENCIES= $(DEPS)
-testWriter_LDADD= @RDL_LIBS@ $(LDADDS)
+testWriter_LDADD= $(RDL_LIBS) $(LDADDS)
 
 valgrind: 
 	$(MAKE) CHECKER='valgrind' tests
@@ -100,35 +100,35 @@ valgrind:
 tests: $(noinst_PROGRAMS)
 	@(echo '## examples regression tests')
 	@(echo > .memdump)
-	@($(CHECKER) ././xpath1 test3.xml '//child2' > xpath1.tmp ; diff xpath1.tmp xpath1.res ; rm xpath1.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./xpath1 $(srcdir)/test3.xml '//child2' > xpath1.tmp ; diff xpath1.tmp $(srcdir)/xpath1.res ; rm xpath1.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
 	@($(CHECKER) ./parse3)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./reader2 test2.xml > reader1.tmp ; diff reader1.tmp reader1.res ; rm reader1.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./reader2 $(srcdir)/test2.xml > reader1.tmp ; diff reader1.tmp $(srcdir)/reader1.res ; rm reader1.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./tree2 > tree2.tmp ; diff tree2.tmp tree2.res ; rm tree2.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./tree2 > tree2.tmp ; diff tree2.tmp $(srcdir)/tree2.res ; rm tree2.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./io1 > io1.tmp ; diff io1.tmp io1.res ; rm -f io1.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./io1 > io1.tmp ; diff io1.tmp $(srcdir)/io1.res ; rm -f io1.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./parse4 test3.xml)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./parse4 $(srcdir)/test3.xml)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./xpath2 test3.xml '//discarded' discarded > xpath2.tmp ; diff xpath2.tmp xpath2.res ; rm xpath2.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./xpath2 $(srcdir)/test3.xml '//discarded' discarded > xpath2.tmp ; diff xpath2.tmp $(srcdir)/xpath2.res ; rm xpath2.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./io2 > io2.tmp ; diff io2.tmp io2.res ; rm -f io2.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./io2 > io2.tmp ; diff io2.tmp $(srcdir)/io2.res ; rm -f io2.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./reader1 test2.xml > reader1.tmp ; diff reader1.tmp reader1.res ; rm reader1.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./reader1 $(srcdir)/test2.xml > reader1.tmp ; diff reader1.tmp $(srcdir)/reader1.res ; rm reader1.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./tree1 test2.xml > tree1.tmp ; diff tree1.tmp tree1.res ; rm tree1.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./tree1 $(srcdir)/test2.xml > tree1.tmp ; diff tree1.tmp $(srcdir)/tree1.res ; rm tree1.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./reader3 > reader3.tmp ; diff reader3.tmp reader3.res ; rm reader3.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./reader3 $(srcdir)/test3.xml preserved > reader3.tmp ; diff reader3.tmp $(srcdir)/reader3.res ; rm reader3.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./parse2 test2.xml)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./parse2 $(srcdir)/test2.xml)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./parse1 test1.xml)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./parse1 $(srcdir)/test1.xml)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./reader4 test1.xml test2.xml test3.xml > reader4.tmp ; diff reader4.tmp reader4.res ; rm reader4.tmp)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./reader4 $(srcdir)/test1.xml $(srcdir)/test2.xml $(srcdir)/test3.xml > reader4.tmp ; diff reader4.tmp $(srcdir)/reader4.res ; rm reader4.tmp)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
-	@($(CHECKER) ./testWriter ; for i in 1 2 3 4 ; do diff writer.xml writer$$i.res ; done ; rm writer*.res)
+	@($(CHECKER) ./testWriter ; for i in 1 2 3 4 ; do diff $(srcdir)/writer.xml writer$$i.res ; done ; rm writer*.res)
 	@(grep "MORY ALLO" .memdump  | grep -v "MEMORY ALLOCATED : 0" ; exit 0)
 
 
diff --git a/doc/examples/reader4.res b/doc/examples/reader4.res
index b793f82..9d0b359 100644
--- a/doc/examples/reader4.res
+++ b/doc/examples/reader4.res
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-test1.xml: Processed ok
-test2.xml: Processed ok
-test3.xml: Processed ok
+./test1.xml: Processed ok
+./test2.xml: Processed ok
+./test3.xml: Processed ok
diff --git a/python/tests/Makefile.am b/python/tests/Makefile.am
index ca72fdd..ab079bb 100644
--- a/python/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/python/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ CLEANFILES = core tmp.xml *.pyc
 
 if WITH_PYTHON
 tests: $(PYTESTS)
+	@for f in $(XMLS) ; do test -f $$f || $(LN_S) $(srcdir)/$$f . ; done
 	@echo "## running Python regression tests"
 	-@(PYTHONPATH="..:../.libs:$(srcdir)/..:$$PYTHONPATH" ; \
 	   export PYTHONPATH; \