diff --git a/bin/check_go_path b/bin/check_go_path
index 589696466389..7f2692cc94e8 100755
--- a/bin/check_go_path
+++ b/bin/check_go_path
@@ -1,19 +1,18 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-PWD=$1
+set -e
 
-if [ -z "$PWD" ]; then
-	echo "must pass in your current working directory"
-	exit 1
-fi
+PKG="$1"
 
-while [ ${#} -gt 1 ]; do
-	if [ "$PWD" = "$2" ]; then
-		exit 0
-	fi
-	shift
+PWD="$(realpath "$(pwd)")"
+GOPATH="$(go env GOPATH)"
+
+for p in IFS=: "${GOPATH}"; do
+    if [ "$PWD" = "$(realpath "$p")/src/$PKG" ]; then
+        exit 0
+    fi
 done
 
 echo "go-ipfs must be built from within your \$GOPATH directory."
-echo "expected within '$(go env GOPATH)' but got '$PWD'"
+echo "expected within '$GOPATH' but got '$PWD'"
 exit 1
diff --git a/mk/golang.mk b/mk/golang.mk
index 87e5ea3aa691..aa2da8e96215 100644
--- a/mk/golang.mk
+++ b/mk/golang.mk
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ check_go_version:
 DEPS_GO += check_go_version
 
 check_go_path:
-	bin/check_go_path $(realpath $(shell pwd)) $(realpath $(addsuffix /src/github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs,$(subst $(PATH_SEP),$(space),$(GOPATH))))
+	GOPATH="$(GOPATH)" bin/check_go_path github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs
 .PHONY: check_go_path
 DEPS_GO += check_go_path