diff --git a/ext/mcpat/makefile b/ext/mcpat/makefile
index 27f213fa5..f5af29e74 100644
--- a/ext/mcpat/makefile
+++ b/ext/mcpat/makefile
@@ -1,28 +1,30 @@
 TAR = mcpat
+BUILD_DIR ?= ../../build
+ODIR = $(BUILD_DIR)/mcpat
 
-.PHONY: dbg opt depend clean clean_dbg clean_opt
+.PHONY: all dbg opt clean clean_dbg clean_opt
 
 all: opt
 
-dbg: $(TAR).mk obj_dbg
-	@$(MAKE) TAG=dbg -C . -f $(TAR).mk
+dbg: $(TAR).mk $(ODIR)/obj_dbg
+	@$(MAKE) TAG=dbg ODIR=$(ODIR) -C . -f $(TAR).mk
 
-opt: $(TAR).mk obj_opt
-	@$(MAKE) TAG=opt -C . -f $(TAR).mk
+opt: $(TAR).mk $(ODIR)/obj_opt
+	@$(MAKE) TAG=opt ODIR=$(ODIR) -C . -f $(TAR).mk
 
-obj_dbg:
-	mkdir $@
+$(ODIR)/obj_dbg:
+	mkdir -p $@
 
-obj_opt:
-	mkdir $@
+$(ODIR)/obj_opt:
+	mkdir -p $@
 
 clean: clean_dbg clean_opt
 
-clean_dbg: obj_dbg
-	@$(MAKE) TAG=dbg -C . -f $(TAR).mk clean
+clean_dbg: $(ODIR)/obj_dbg
+	@$(MAKE) TAG=dbg ODIR=$(ODIR) -C . -f $(TAR).mk clean
 	rm -rf $<
 
-clean_opt: obj_opt
-	@$(MAKE) TAG=opt -C . -f $(TAR).mk clean
+clean_opt: $(ODIR)/obj_opt
+	@$(MAKE) TAG=opt ODIR=$(ODIR) -C . -f $(TAR).mk clean
 	rm -rf $<
 
diff --git a/ext/mcpat/mcpat.mk b/ext/mcpat/mcpat.mk
index 9aacbe0e6..1e27dcde0 100644
--- a/ext/mcpat/mcpat.mk
+++ b/ext/mcpat/mcpat.mk
@@ -61,21 +61,18 @@ SRCS  = \
   wire.cc \
   xmlParser.cc 
 
-OBJS = $(patsubst %.cc,obj_$(TAG)/%.o,$(SRCS))
+OBJS = $(patsubst %.cc,$(ODIR)/obj_$(TAG)/%.o,$(SRCS))
 
-all: obj_$(TAG)/$(TARGET)
-	cp -f obj_$(TAG)/$(TARGET) $(TARGET)
+all: $(ODIR)/obj_$(TAG)/$(TARGET)
+	cp -f $< $(ODIR)/$(TARGET)
 
-obj_$(TAG)/$(TARGET) : $(OBJS)
-	$(CXX) $(OBJS) -o $@ $(INCS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LIBS) -pthread
+$(ODIR)/obj_$(TAG)/$(TARGET) : $(OBJS)
+	$(CXX) $^ -o $@ $(INCS) $(CXXFLAGS) $(LIBS) -pthread
 
-#obj_$(TAG)/%.o : %.cc
-#	$(CXX) -c $(CXXFLAGS) $(INCS) -o $@ $<
-
-obj_$(TAG)/%.o : %.cc
+$(ODIR)/obj_$(TAG)/%.o : %.cc
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -c $< -o $@
 
 clean:
-	-rm -f *.o $(TARGET)
+	-rm -f *.o $(ODIR)/$(TARGET)