diff --git a/release/tools/vmimage.subr b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
index d9c95c6f22aa..1a295e55519b 100644
--- a/release/tools/vmimage.subr
+++ b/release/tools/vmimage.subr
@@ -14,11 +14,11 @@ write_partition_layout() {
 		SWAPOPT="-p freebsd-swap/swapfs::1G"
 	fi
 
-	_OBJDIR="$(make -C ${WORLDDIR} -V .OBJDIR | tr -d '/usr/src')"
-	if [ -d "${_OBJDIR}/${TARGET}.${TARGET_ARCH}" ]; then
-		BOOTFILES="${_OBJDIR}/${TARGET}.${TARGET_ARCH}/usr/src/sys/boot"
+	_OBJDIR="$(make -C ${WORLDDIR} -V .OBJDIR)"
+	if [ -d "${_OBJDIR%%/usr/src}/${TARGET}.${TARGET_ARCH}" ]; then
+		BOOTFILES="/${_OBJDIR%%/usr/src}/${TARGET}.${TARGET_ARCH}/usr/src/sys/boot"
 	else
-		BOOTFILES="${_OBJDIR}/usr/src/sys/boot"
+		BOOTFILES="/${_OBJDIR}/sys/boot"
 	fi
 
 	case "${TARGET}:${TARGET_ARCH}" in