diff --git a/samples/cxx/SConscript b/samples/cxx/SConscript
index 06e00a8a9..31ef1bb4c 100644
--- a/samples/cxx/SConscript
+++ b/samples/cxx/SConscript
@@ -30,7 +30,14 @@ for subdir, name, extensions in samples:
     ## Generate Makefiles to be installed
     localenv['make_sourcefile'] = '%s.cpp' % name
     localenv['make_target'] = name
-    localenv['make_Cantera_dot_mak'] = pjoin(localenv['ct_incroot'], 'cantera', 'Cantera.mak')
+
+    mak_path = pjoin(localenv['ct_incroot'], 'cantera', 'Cantera.mak')
+    if ' ' in mak_path:
+        # There is no reasonable way to handle spaces in Makefile 'include'
+        # statement, so we fall back to using the relative path instead
+        mak_path = os.path.relpath(mak_path, pjoin(localenv['ct_sampledir'], 'cxx', subdir))
+    localenv['make_Cantera_dot_mak'] = mak_path
+
     makefile = build(localenv.SubstFile(pjoin(subdir, 'Makefile'), 'Makefile.in'))
     install(pjoin('$inst_sampledir', 'cxx', subdir), makefile)
 
diff --git a/samples/f77/Makefile.in b/samples/f77/Makefile.in
index 1ebd11793..8e53770f6 100644
--- a/samples/f77/Makefile.in
+++ b/samples/f77/Makefile.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-include ../Cantera.mak
+include @tmpl_Cantera_dot_mak@
 
 FC=@F77@
 RM=rm -f
diff --git a/samples/f77/SConscript b/samples/f77/SConscript
index a9ce377f5..a53d7cc34 100644
--- a/samples/f77/SConscript
+++ b/samples/f77/SConscript
@@ -25,6 +25,14 @@ libdirs = ((localenv['ct_libdir'], localenv['sundials_libdir'],
             localenv['blas_lapack_dir'], localenv['boost_lib_dir']) +
            tuple(localenv['extra_lib_dirs']))
 linkflags = ('-g', localenv['thread_flags'])
+
+mak_path = pjoin(localenv['ct_incroot'], 'cantera', 'Cantera.mak')
+if ' ' in mak_path:
+    # There is no reasonable way to handle spaces in Makefile 'include'
+    # statement, so we fall back to using the relative path instead
+    mak_path = os.path.relpath(mak_path, pjoin(localenv['ct_sampledir'], 'f90'))
+localenv['tmpl_Cantera_dot_mak'] = mak_path
+
 localenv['tmpl_cantera_incdirs'] = repr([x for x in incdirs if x])
 localenv['tmpl_cantera_libs'] = repr(libs)
 localenv['tmpl_cantera_libdirs'] = repr([x for x in libdirs if x])
diff --git a/samples/f90/Makefile.in b/samples/f90/Makefile.in
index 6086ff57a..8f1512997 100644
--- a/samples/f90/Makefile.in
+++ b/samples/f90/Makefile.in
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-include ../Cantera.mak
+include @tmpl_Cantera_dot_mak@
 
 F90=@F90@
 RM=rm -f
diff --git a/samples/f90/SConscript b/samples/f90/SConscript
index e4a84fa40..f6f943a2b 100644
--- a/samples/f90/SConscript
+++ b/samples/f90/SConscript
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ for programName, sources in samples:
                 localenv['blas_lapack_dir'], localenv['boost_lib_dir']) +
                tuple(localenv['extra_lib_dirs']))
     linkflags = ('-g', localenv['thread_flags'])
+
+    mak_path = pjoin(localenv['ct_incroot'], 'cantera', 'Cantera.mak')
+    if ' ' in mak_path:
+        # There is no reasonable way to handle spaces in Makefile 'include'
+        # statement, so we fall back to using the relative path instead
+        mak_path = os.path.relpath(mak_path, pjoin(localenv['ct_sampledir'], 'f90'))
+    localenv['tmpl_Cantera_dot_mak'] = mak_path
+
     localenv['tmpl_cantera_incdirs'] = repr([x for x in incdirs if x])
     localenv['tmpl_cantera_libs'] = repr(libs)
     localenv['tmpl_cantera_libdirs'] = repr([x for x in libdirs if x])