diff --git a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
index 9039ed4..8018af7 100644
--- a/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
+++ b/dev-libs/Ice/Ice-3.6.9999.ebuild
@@ -175,8 +175,8 @@ src_configure() {
 	if use python ; then
 		S=${S}/python python_copy_sources
 
-		# make a place for the symlink
-		rm -r python/python || die
+		# make a place for the build hackery
+		rm -r "${WORKDIR}/${PN}"/python || die
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -240,9 +240,12 @@ src_compile() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		building() {
-			emake -C "${BUILD_DIR}" ${MAKE_RULES} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			# build requires that the directory is named 'python'
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl building
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl building
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -262,15 +265,14 @@ src_test() {
 
 	if use python ; then
 		testing() {
-			# tests require that the directory is named 'python'
-			ln -s "${BUILD_DIR}" python || die
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
 			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				test || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} test failed"
-			rm python
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
-		python_foreach_impl testing
+		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl testing
 	fi
 
 	if use ruby ; then
@@ -325,10 +327,12 @@ src_install() {
 		installation() {
 			mkdir -p "${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)" || die
 
-			emake -C "${BUILD_DIR}" ${MAKE_RULES} \
+			mv "${BUILD_DIR}" "${S}"/python || die
+			emake -C python ${MAKE_RULES} \
 				install_pythondir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install_libdir="\"${D}/$(python_get_sitedir)\"" \
 				install || die "emake python-${EPYTHON} install failed"
+			mv "${S}"/python "${BUILD_DIR}"
 		}
 		BUILD_DIR=python python_foreach_impl installation
 	fi