diff --git a/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in b/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
index e1ca5cb7..1dfe6da9 100644
--- a/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/libmakepkg/util/util.sh.in
@@ -49,20 +49,6 @@ is_array() {
 	return $ret
 }
 
-# Canonicalize a directory path if it exists
-canonicalize_path() {
-	local path="$1";
-
-	if [[ -d $path ]]; then
-		(
-			cd_safe "$path"
-			pwd -P
-		)
-	else
-		printf "%s\n" "$path"
-	fi
-}
-
 dir_is_empty() {
 	(
 		shopt -s dotglob nullglob
@@ -79,10 +65,10 @@ cd_safe() {
 	fi
 }
 
-# Try to create directory if one does not yet exist. Fails if the directory
-# exists but has no write permissions, or if there is an existing file with
-# the same name.
-ensure_writable_dir() {
+# Try to create directory if one does not yet exist, and prints the
+# canonical path to the directory. Fails if the directory exists but has no
+# write permissions, or if there is an existing file with the same name.
+canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir() {
 	local dirtype="$1" dirpath="$2"
 
 	if ! mkdir -p "$dirpath" 2>/dev/null; then
@@ -92,6 +78,11 @@ ensure_writable_dir() {
 		error "$(gettext "You do not have write permission for the directory \$%s (%s).")" "$dirtype" "$dirpath"
 		return 1
 	fi
-
-	return 0
+	(
+		if ! cd "$dirpath"; then
+			error "$(gettext "Could not canonicalize the directory \$%s (%s).")" "$dirtype" "$dirpath"
+			return 1
+		fi
+		pwd -P
+	)
 }
diff --git a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
index 8ee0f5c5..62c2db80 100644
--- a/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
+++ b/scripts/makepkg.sh.in
@@ -1353,9 +1353,9 @@ if (( ${#extra_environment[*]} )); then
 	export "${extra_environment[@]}"
 fi
 
-# canonicalize paths and provide defaults if anything is still undefined
+# provide defaults if anything is still undefined
 for var in PKGDEST SRCDEST SRCPKGDEST LOGDEST BUILDDIR; do
-	printf -v "$var" "$(canonicalize_path "${!var:-$startdir}")"
+	printf -v "$var" "${!var:-$startdir}"
 done
 unset var
 PACKAGER=${PACKAGER:-"Unknown Packager"}
@@ -1378,23 +1378,23 @@ lint_config || exit $E_CONFIG_ERROR
 
 
 # check that all settings directories are user-writable
-if ! ensure_writable_dir "BUILDDIR" "$BUILDDIR"; then
+if ! BUILDDIR=$(canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir "BUILDDIR" "$BUILDDIR"); then
 	plain "$(gettext "Aborting...")"
 	exit $E_FS_PERMISSIONS
 fi
 
-if (( ! (NOBUILD || GENINTEG) )) && ! ensure_writable_dir "PKGDEST" "$PKGDEST"; then
+if (( ! (NOBUILD || GENINTEG) )) && ! PKGDEST=$(canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir "PKGDEST" "$PKGDEST"); then
 	plain "$(gettext "Aborting...")"
 	exit $E_FS_PERMISSIONS
 fi
 
-if ! ensure_writable_dir "SRCDEST" "$SRCDEST" ; then
+if ! SRCDEST=$(canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir "SRCDEST" "$SRCDEST"); then
 	plain "$(gettext "Aborting...")"
 	exit $E_FS_PERMISSIONS
 fi
 
 if (( SOURCEONLY )); then
-	if ! ensure_writable_dir "SRCPKGDEST" "$SRCPKGDEST"; then
+	if ! SRCPKGDEST=$(canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir "SRCPKGDEST" "$SRCPKGDEST"); then
 		plain "$(gettext "Aborting...")"
 		exit $E_FS_PERMISSIONS
 	fi
@@ -1404,7 +1404,7 @@ if (( SOURCEONLY )); then
 	IGNOREARCH=1
 fi
 
-if (( LOGGING )) && ! ensure_writable_dir "LOGDEST" "$LOGDEST"; then
+if (( LOGGING )) && ! LOGDEST=$(canonicalize_and_ensure_writable_dir "LOGDEST" "$LOGDEST"); then
 	plain "$(gettext "Aborting...")"
 	exit $E_FS_PERMISSIONS
 fi