diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index ef8d8f9a..53f2e3a2 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [submodule "spice-common"]
-	path = spice-common
+	path = subprojects/spice-common
 	url = ../spice-common.git
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 8acc019b..3845f2b5 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 NULL =
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 
-SUBDIRS = spice-common server docs tools
+SUBDIRS = subprojects/spice-common server docs tools
 
 check-valgrind:
 	$(MAKE) -C server check-valgrind
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 56485938..d3868703 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ SPICE_SERVER_VERSION=`printf "0x%02x%02x%02x" $major $minor $micro`
 AC_SUBST(SPICE_SERVER_VERSION)
 
 AC_CONFIG_MACRO_DIR([m4])
-m4_include([spice-common/m4/spice-deps.m4])
+m4_include([subprojects/spice-common/m4/spice-deps.m4])
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR(.)
 
@@ -138,12 +138,14 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_SASL, test "x$have_sasl" = "xyes")
 
 dnl =========================================================================
 dnl Check deps
-
-AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([spice-common])
-COMMON_CFLAGS='-I ${top_srcdir}/spice-common/ -I ${top_builddir}/spice-common/'
+AC_CONFIG_SUBDIRS([subprojects/spice-common])
+COMMON_CFLAGS='-I ${top_srcdir}/subprojects/spice-common/ -I ${top_builddir}/subprojects/spice-common/'
 COMMON_CFLAGS="$COMMON_CFLAGS -DG_LOG_DOMAIN=\\\"Spice\\\""
 AC_SUBST(COMMON_CFLAGS)
 
+SPICE_COMMON_DIR='${top_builddir}/subprojects/spice-common'
+AC_SUBST(SPICE_COMMON_DIR)
+
 AC_CHECK_LIBM
 AC_SUBST(LIBM)
 
diff --git a/server/Makefile.am b/server/Makefile.am
index 2fee378f..3e3b0a18 100644
--- a/server/Makefile.am
+++ b/server/Makefile.am
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ EXTRA_libspice_server_la_DEPENDENCIES = $(srcdir)/spice-server.syms
 endif
 
 libserver_la_LIBADD =							\
-	$(top_builddir)/spice-common/common/libspice-common.la		\
-	$(top_builddir)/spice-common/common/libspice-common-server.la	\
+	$(SPICE_COMMON_DIR)/common/libspice-common.la			\
+	$(SPICE_COMMON_DIR)/common/libspice-common-server.la		\
 	$(GL_LIBS)							\
 	$(GLIB2_LIBS)							\
 	$(GOBJECT2_LIBS)						\
diff --git a/server/tests/Makefile.am b/server/tests/Makefile.am
index ffeb8fc0..238f25af 100644
--- a/server/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/server/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ libtest_a_SOURCES =				\
 
 LDADD =								\
 	libtest.a						\
-	$(top_builddir)/spice-common/common/libspice-common.la	\
+	$(SPICE_COMMON_DIR)/common/libspice-common.la		\
 	$(top_builddir)/server/libserver.la			\
 	$(GIO_UNIX_LIBS)					\
 	$(GLIB2_LIBS)						\
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ spice_server_replay_SOURCES = replay.c		\
 	basic-event-loop.h
 
 spice_server_replay_LDADD =					\
-	$(top_builddir)/spice-common/common/libspice-common.la	\
+	$(SPICE_COMMON_DIR)/common/libspice-common.la		\
 	$(top_builddir)/server/libspice-server.la		\
 	$(GLIB2_LIBS)						\
 	$(GOBJECT2_LIBS)					\
diff --git a/spice-common b/subprojects/spice-common
similarity index 100%
rename from spice-common
rename to subprojects/spice-common