diff --git a/server b/server
index dafaa93..73bdbe3 100755
--- a/server
+++ b/server
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-ROOTDIR="$(readlink -f $(dirname $0))"
-. $ROOTDIR/test/ip_helper.sh
+if [ -f test/ip_helper.sh ]; then
+  ROOTDIR=$(dirname $0)
+  . test/ip_helper.sh
+else
+  echo "E: must run $0 from the root of the repository!"
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 sudo -v
 sudo redir --lport 80  --cport 80  --caddr $reverseproxy &
diff --git a/test/bin/curl b/test/bin/curl
index d623217..3ec190f 100755
--- a/test/bin/curl
+++ b/test/bin/curl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ set -e
 unset http_proxy
 unset https_proxy
 
-ROOTDIR=$(readlink -f $(dirname $0)/../..)
+ROOTDIR=$(dirname $0)/../..
 . $(dirname $0)/../ip_helper.sh
 
 /usr/bin/curl \
diff --git a/test/test_helper.sh b/test/test_helper.sh
index 6565741..046c80f 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.sh
+++ b/test/test_helper.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 export PATH="$(dirname $0)/bin:$PATH"
-export ROOTDIR="$(readlink -f $(dirname $0)/..)"
+export ROOTDIR="$(dirname $0)/.."
 
 run_on() {
   local vm="$1"
--
libgit2 0.21.2