diff --git a/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl b/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
index 35fd05633a..9f4e7a2ccb 100755
--- a/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
+++ b/contrib/buildsystems/engine.pl
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ EOM
 # Capture the make dry stderr to file for review (will be empty for a release build).
 
 my $ErrsFile = "msvc-build-makedryerrors.txt";
-@makedry = `cd $git_dir && make -n MSVC=1 V=1 2>$ErrsFile` if !@makedry;
+@makedry = `make -C $git_dir -n MSVC=1 V=1 2>$ErrsFile` if !@makedry;
 # test for an empty Errors file and remove it
 unlink $ErrsFile if -f -z $ErrsFile;