diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/BSDmakefile.meson b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/BSDmakefile.meson
index 2f16ac05bd..42f5b2b9d8 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/BSDmakefile.meson
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/bsdapp/BSDmakefile.meson
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 # source file is passed via KMOD_SRC as full path, we only use final
 # component of it, as VPATH is used to find actual file, so as to
 # have the .o files placed in the build, not source directory
+VPATH = ${KMOD_SRC:H}
 SRCS = ${KMOD_SRC:T} device_if.h bus_if.h pci_if.h
 CFLAGS += $(KMOD_CFLAGS)
 
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/meson.build b/lib/librte_eal/meson.build
index 6fb2ef17fe..d9ba38533c 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/meson.build
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/meson.build
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ elif host_machine.system() == 'freebsd'
 			command: ['make', '-f', '@INPUT0@',
 				'KMOD_SRC=@INPUT1@',
 				'KMOD=' + k,
-				'VPATH=' + join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), k),
 				'KMOD_CFLAGS=' + ' '.join(kmod_cflags)],
 			build_by_default: get_option('enable_kmods'))
 	endforeach