diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index d8004931d..3ae9d10aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           ./bootstrap.sh
           ./configure PDFINFO=false \
-            --datarootdir=$(cd ..; pwd) \
             --with-luajit \
             --disable-font-variations \
             --without-system-luarocks \
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 7e09f49c6..6fbbd3974 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -231,7 +231,8 @@ check: selfcheck
 selfcheck: | $(SILE) $(_BUILT_SUBDIRS)
 	output=$$(mktemp -t selfcheck-XXXXXX.pdf)
 	trap 'rm -f $$output' EXIT HUP TERM
-	echo "<sile>foo</sile>" | ./$(SILE) -o $$output -
+	export SILE_PATH
+	echo "<sile>foo</sile>" | SILE_PATH=$(PWD) ./$(SILE) -o $$output -
 	$(PDFINFO) $$output | $(GREP) "SILE v$(VERSION)"
 
 .PHONY: docs
@@ -241,7 +242,8 @@ docs: $(MANUAL)
 # garantee the TOC is up to date, simplify when #230 is fixed.
 hastoc = [ -f $(subst .pdf,.toc,$@) ] && echo true || echo false
 pages = $(PDFINFO) $@ | $(AWK) '$$1 == "Pages:" {print $$2}' || echo 0
-silepass = $(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) $< -o $@ && pg0=$${pg} pg=$$($(pages)) || false
+localsile = $(LOCALTESTFONTS) SILE_PATH=$(PWD) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS)
+silepass = $(localsile) $< -o $@ && pg0=$${pg} pg=$$($(pages)) || false
 define runsile =
 	set -e
 	pg=$$($(pages)) hadtoc=$$($(hastoc))
@@ -350,27 +352,27 @@ time-%.json: benchmark-%/time.json
 update_expecteds: $(EXPECTEDS)
 
 tests/%.expected: tests/%.sil $$(patterndeps)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 tests/%.expected: tests/%.xml $$(patterndeps)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 tests/%.expected: tests/%.nil $$(patterndeps)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 regression_previews: $(TESTPREVIEWS)
 
 tests/%.actual: tests/%.sil $$(patterndeps)
 	-$(if $(CLEAN),rm -f $@,:)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 tests/%.actual: tests/%.xml $$(patterndeps)
 	-$(if $(CLEAN),rm -f $@,:)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 tests/%.actual: tests/%.nil $$(patterndeps)
 	-$(if $(CLEAN),rm -f $@,:)
-	$(LOCALTESTFONTS) ./$(SILE) $(SILEFLAGS) -b debug $< -o $@
+	$(localsile) -b debug $< -o $@
 
 DEPFILES = $(addsuffix .d,$(addprefix $(DEPDIR)/,$(basename $(TESTSRCS) $(MANUAL))))
 DEPDIRS = $(sort $(dir $(DEPFILES)))
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 369c01d16..cf76583c3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -302,8 +302,15 @@ AC_SUBST([LUAROCKSARGS])
 
 AX_SUBST_TRANSFORMED_PACKAGE_NAME
 
-adl_RECURSIVE_EVAL(["${datadir}/${TRANSFORMED_PACKAGE_NAME}"], [SILE_PATH])
-AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SILE_PATH],["${SILE_PATH}"],[Path for SILE packages and classes])
+# Avoid need for `--datarootdir=$(cd ..; pwd)` hack to run locally for
+# tests/manual build when developer mode is enabled
+AM_COND_IF([DEVELOPER], [
+        AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SILE_PATH],["$(pwd)"],[Path for SILE packages and classes])
+    ],[
+        adl_RECURSIVE_EVAL(["${datadir}/${TRANSFORMED_PACKAGE_NAME}"], [SILE_PATH])
+        AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED([SILE_PATH],["${SILE_PATH}"],[Path for SILE packages and classes])
+])
+
 AC_SUBST([SILE_PATH])
 
 adl_RECURSIVE_EVAL(["${libdir}/${TRANSFORMED_PACKAGE_NAME}"], [SILE_LIB_PATH])
diff --git a/core/pathsetup.lua.in b/core/pathsetup.lua.in
index ea9ad466f..b9ef4bc29 100644
--- a/core/pathsetup.lua.in
+++ b/core/pathsetup.lua.in
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ local pathvar = os.getenv("SILE_PATH")
 if pathvar then
   for path in string.gmatch(pathvar, "[^;]+") do
     if not path:match("^./") and path:len() >= 1 then
-      extendPaths(path)
+      extendPaths(path, true)
     end
   end
 end