diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index ea775e1b44..112154cf5d 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ static void impl_device_disconnect (NMDevice *device, DBusGMethodInvocation *con
 
 #define DBUS_G_TYPE_UINT_STRUCT (dbus_g_type_get_struct ("GValueArray", G_TYPE_UINT, G_TYPE_UINT, G_TYPE_INVALID))
 
+/* default to installed helper, but can be modified for testing */
+const char *nm_device_autoipd_helper_path = LIBEXECDIR "/nm-avahi-autoipd.action";
+
 /***********************************************************/
 #define NM_DEVICE_ERROR (nm_device_error_quark ())
 
@@ -2128,7 +2131,8 @@ aipd_start (NMDevice *self, NMDeviceStateReason *reason)
 
 	argv[i++] = (char *) (*aipd_binary);
 	argv[i++] = "--script";
-	argv[i++] = LIBEXECDIR "/nm-avahi-autoipd.action";
+	argv[i++] = (char *) nm_device_autoipd_helper_path;
+
 	if (nm_logging_level_enabled (LOGL_DEBUG))
 		argv[i++] = "--debug";
 	argv[i++] = (char *) nm_device_get_ip_iface (self);
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.h b/src/devices/nm-device.h
index 9ba79c92f8..bd0dfbc53f 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.h
@@ -317,4 +317,7 @@ gboolean nm_device_supports_vlans (NMDevice *device);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
+/* For testing only */
+extern const char* nm_device_autoipd_helper_path;
+
 #endif	/* NM_DEVICE_H */
diff --git a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
index c2fc707c36..6ef0a4b094 100644
--- a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
+++ b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhclient.c
@@ -39,14 +39,13 @@
 #include "nm-utils.h"
 #include "nm-logging.h"
 #include "nm-dhcp-dhclient-utils.h"
+#include "nm-dhcp-manager.h"
 #include "nm-posix-signals.h"
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (NMDHCPDhclient, nm_dhcp_dhclient, NM_TYPE_DHCP_CLIENT)
 
 #define NM_DHCP_DHCLIENT_GET_PRIVATE(o) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), NM_TYPE_DHCP_DHCLIENT, NMDHCPDhclientPrivate))
 
-#define ACTION_SCRIPT_PATH	LIBEXECDIR "/nm-dhcp-helper"
-
 typedef struct {
 	const char *path;
 	char *conf_file;
@@ -589,7 +588,7 @@ dhclient_start (NMDHCPClient *client,
 			g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) mode_opt);
 	}
 	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) "-sf");	/* Set script file */
-	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) ACTION_SCRIPT_PATH );
+	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) nm_dhcp_helper_path);
 
 	if (pid_file) {
 		g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) "-pf");	/* Set pid file */
diff --git a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhcpcd.c b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhcpcd.c
index 5ee6f8a7c3..7709720428 100644
--- a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhcpcd.c
+++ b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-dhcpcd.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
 
 #include "nm-dhcp-dhcpcd.h"
+#include "nm-dhcp-manager.h"
 #include "nm-utils.h"
 #include "nm-logging.h"
 #include "nm-posix-signals.h"
@@ -41,8 +42,6 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (NMDHCPDhcpcd, nm_dhcp_dhcpcd, NM_TYPE_DHCP_CLIENT)
 
 #define NM_DHCP_DHCPCD_GET_PRIVATE(o) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), NM_TYPE_DHCP_DHCPCD, NMDHCPDhcpcdPrivate))
 
-#define ACTION_SCRIPT_PATH	LIBEXECDIR "/nm-dhcp-helper"
-
 typedef struct {
 	const char *path;
 	char *pid_file;
@@ -134,7 +133,7 @@ ip4_start (NMDHCPClient *client,
 	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) "-G");	/* Let NM handle routing */
 
 	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) "-c");	/* Set script file */
-	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) ACTION_SCRIPT_PATH );
+	g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) nm_dhcp_helper_path);
 
 	if (hostname && strlen (hostname)) {
 		g_ptr_array_add (argv, (gpointer) "-h");	/* Send hostname to DHCP server */
diff --git a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.c b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.c
index 893fa8219b..f2962e6b2c 100644
--- a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.c
+++ b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.c
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ nm_dhcp_manager_error_quark (void)
 
 static NMDHCPManager *singleton = NULL;
 
+/* default to installed helper, but can be modified for testing */
+const char *nm_dhcp_helper_path = LIBEXECDIR "/nm-dhcp-helper";
+
 typedef GSList * (*GetLeaseConfigFunc) (const char *iface, const char *uuid, gboolean ipv6);
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -726,4 +729,3 @@ nm_dhcp_manager_class_init (NMDHCPManagerClass *manager_class)
 	object_class->finalize = finalize;
 	object_class->dispose = dispose;
 }
-
diff --git a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.h b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.h
index e61468e3cd..9b19f4a971 100644
--- a/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.h
+++ b/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-manager.h
@@ -93,4 +93,6 @@ NMIP4Config *nm_dhcp_manager_test_ip4_options_to_config (const char *dhcp_client
                                                          GHashTable *options,
                                                          const char *reason);
 
+extern const char* nm_dhcp_helper_path;
+
 #endif /* NM_DHCP_MANAGER_H */
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 5a8276fc1f..5de7662bfe 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	GOptionContext *opt_ctx = NULL;
-	gboolean become_daemon = FALSE;
+	gboolean become_daemon = FALSE, run_from_build_dir = FALSE;
 	gboolean debug = FALSE;
 	gboolean g_fatal_warnings = FALSE;
 	gs_free char *pidfile = NULL;
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		{ "g-fatal-warnings", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &g_fatal_warnings, N_("Make all warnings fatal"), NULL },
 		{ "pid-file", 'p', 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &pidfile, N_("Specify the location of a PID file"), N_("filename") },
 		{ "state-file", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_FILENAME, &state_file, N_("State file location"), N_("/path/to/state.file") },
+		{ "run-from-build-dir", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &run_from_build_dir, "Run from build directory", NULL },
 		{NULL}
 	};
 
@@ -374,6 +375,30 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit (1);
 	}
 
+	/* When running from the build directory, determine our build directory
+	 * base and set helper paths in the build tree */
+	if (run_from_build_dir) {
+		char *path, *slash;
+		int i;
+
+		/* exe is <basedir>/src/.libs/lt-NetworkManager, so chop off
+		 * the last three components */
+		path = realpath ("/proc/self/exe", NULL);
+		g_assert (path != NULL);
+		for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+			slash = strrchr (path, '/');
+			g_assert (slash != NULL);
+			*slash = '\0';
+		}
+
+		/* don't free these strings, we need them for the entire
+		 * process lifetime */
+		nm_dhcp_helper_path = g_strdup_printf ("%s/src/dhcp-manager/nm-dhcp-helper", path);
+		nm_device_autoipd_helper_path = g_strdup_printf ("%s/callouts/nm-avahi-autoipd.action", path);
+
+		g_free (path);
+	}
+
 	/* Make GIO ignore the remote VFS service; otherwise it tries to use the
 	 * session bus to contact the remote service, and NM shouldn't ever be
 	 * talking on the session bus.  See rh #588745