diff --git a/doc/makepkg.8.txt b/doc/makepkg.8.txt
index 9547bc8b..0277f54a 100644
--- a/doc/makepkg.8.txt
+++ b/doc/makepkg.8.txt
@@ -116,7 +116,8 @@ Options
 
 *-p* <buildscript>::
 	Read the package script `buildscript` instead of the `PKGBUILD` default;
-	see linkman:PKGBUILD[5].
+	see linkman:PKGBUILD[5]. The `buildscript` must be located in the directory
+	makepkg is called from.
 
 *-r, \--rmdeps*::
 	Upon successful build, remove any dependencies installed by makepkg
diff --git a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
index 96e53499..de92e933 100644
--- a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
@@ -2906,6 +2906,11 @@ else
 		exit 1
 	fi
 
+	if [[ ${BUILDFILE##*/} != "${BUILDFILE}" && ${BUILDFILE} != "${startdir}/${BUILDFILE##*/}" ]]; then
+		error "$(gettext "%s must be in the build directory.")" "$BUILDFILE"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+
 	if [[ ${BUILDFILE:0:1} != "/" ]]; then
 		BUILDFILE="$startdir/$BUILDFILE"
 	fi