diff --git a/autotools/run-in-tempdir b/autotools/run-in-tempdir
index d5bdb7a063cae6bd2586efdcf573b58f50d16906..202844e8ff9815fee167b746cd49acd98fcf2bfe 100755
--- a/autotools/run-in-tempdir
+++ b/autotools/run-in-tempdir
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ trap "rm -rf $tmpdir" EXIT
 mkdir $tmpdir/doc
 
 cp -r autotools daemons scripts lib tools test qa $tmpdir
-cp -r doc/examples $tmpdir/doc
+ln -s $PWD/doc/examples $tmpdir/doc
 
 mv $tmpdir/lib $tmpdir/ganeti
 ln -T -s $tmpdir/ganeti $tmpdir/lib
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ ln -T -s $tmpdir/ganeti $tmpdir/lib
 mkdir -p $tmpdir/htools $tmpdir/htest
 for hfile in htools ganeti-confd mon-collector; do
   if [ -e htools/$hfile ]; then
-    cp -p htools/$hfile $tmpdir/htools/
+    ln -s $PWD/htools/$hfile $tmpdir/htools/
   fi
 done
 
 for hfile in hpc-htools test offline-test.sh cli-tests-defs.sh \
   hbal hscan hspace hinfo hcheck hail hroller hpc-mon-collector; do
   if [ -e htest/$hfile ]; then
-    cp -p htest/$hfile $tmpdir/htest/
+    ln -s $PWD/htest/$hfile $tmpdir/htest/
   fi
 done