diff --git a/scripts/mtest2make.py b/scripts/mtest2make.py
index f4ee4d3994..c709b37f28 100644
--- a/scripts/mtest2make.py
+++ b/scripts/mtest2make.py
@@ -19,16 +19,16 @@ def __init__(self):
 print('''
 SPEED = quick
 
-# $1 = environment, $2 = test command, $3 = test name
-.test-human-tap = $1 $2 < /dev/null | ./scripts/tap-driver.pl --test-name="$3" $(if $(V),,--show-failures-only)
-.test-human-exitcode = $1 $2 < /dev/null
-.test-tap-tap = $1 $2 < /dev/null | sed "s/^[a-z][a-z]* [0-9]*/& $3/" || true
-.test-tap-exitcode = printf "%s\\n" 1..1 "`$1 $2 < /dev/null > /dev/null || echo "not "`ok 1 $3"
+# $1 = environment, $2 = test command, $3 = test name, $4 = dir
+.test-human-tap = $1 $(if $4,(cd $4 && $2),$2) < /dev/null | ./scripts/tap-driver.pl --test-name="$3" $(if $(V),,--show-failures-only)
+.test-human-exitcode = $1 $(if $4,(cd $4 && $2),$2) < /dev/null
+.test-tap-tap = $1 $(if $4,(cd $4 && $2),$2) < /dev/null | sed "s/^[a-z][a-z]* [0-9]*/& $3/" || true
+.test-tap-exitcode = printf "%s\\n" 1..1 "`$1 $(if $4,(cd $4 && $2),$2) < /dev/null > /dev/null || echo "not "`ok 1 $3"
 .test.print = echo $(if $(V),'$1 $2','Running test $3') >&3
 .test.env = MALLOC_PERTURB_=$${MALLOC_PERTURB_:-$$(( $${RANDOM:-0} % 255 + 1))}
 
 # $1 = test name, $2 = test target (human or tap)
-.test.run = $(call .test.print,$(.test.env.$1),$(.test.cmd.$1),$(.test.name.$1)) && $(call .test-$2-$(.test.driver.$1),$(.test.env.$1),$(.test.cmd.$1),$(.test.name.$1))
+.test.run = $(call .test.print,$(.test.env.$1),$(.test.cmd.$1),$(.test.name.$1)) && $(call .test-$2-$(.test.driver.$1),$(.test.env.$1),$(.test.cmd.$1),$(.test.name.$1),$(.test.dir.$1))
 
 define .test.human_k
         @exec 3>&1; rc=0; $(foreach TEST, $1, $(call .test.run,$(TEST),human) || rc=$$?;) \\
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ def __init__(self):
     else:
         test['cmd'][0] = executable
     cmd = ' '.join((shlex.quote(x) for x in test['cmd']))
-    if test['workdir'] is not None:
-        cmd = '(cd %s && %s)' % (shlex.quote(test['workdir']), cmd)
     driver = test['protocol'] if 'protocol' in test else 'exitcode'
 
     i += 1
+    if test['workdir'] is not None:
+        print('.test.dir.%d := %s' % (i, shlex.quote(test['workdir'])))
     print('.test.name.%d := %s' % (i, test['name']))
     print('.test.driver.%d := %s' % (i, driver))
     print('.test.env.%d := $(.test.env) %s' % (i, env))