diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f76dbbaca..55060f1ba 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -140,7 +140,11 @@ WEBLANGEXTS:=\
 
 PREFERMACUSRLIBFLAGS=-L/usr/lib
 GHCMEMFLAGS= #+RTS -M200m -RTS
-CABALMACROSFLAGS=-optP-include -optPhledger/dist/build/autogen/cabal_macros.h
+
+# include the macro definitions generated by cabal build,
+# from either dist or dist-sandbox (hopefully you don't have both)
+CABALMACROSFLAGS=-optP-include -optP hledger/dist*/build/autogen/cabal_macros.h
+
 BUILDFLAGS1:=-rtsopts $(WARNINGS) $(INCLUDEPATHS) $(PREFERMACUSRLIBFLAGS) $(GHCMEMFLAGS) $(CABALMACROSFLAGS) -DPATCHLEVEL=$(PATCHLEVEL) -DDEVELOPMENT
 BUILDFLAGS:=$(BUILDFLAGS1) -DVERSION='"$(VERSION)dev"'
 PROFBUILDFLAGS:=-prof -fprof-auto -osuf hs_p