diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index bb5ba44b..21daf4d5 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   before_script:
     - rm -rf libxml2-build
     - mkdir libxml2-build
-    - ln -s /tests/xmlconf libxml2-build
+    - ln -s /tests/xmlconf .
   script:
     - sh .gitlab-ci/test.sh
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ clang:msan:
   cache:
     key: "$MSYSTEM"
     paths:
-      - libxml2-build/xmlconf/
+      - xmlconf/
 
 mingw:w64-x86_64:shared:
   extends: .mingw
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ mingw:w64-i686:shared:
   before_script:
     - rm -rf libxml2-build
     - mkdir libxml2-build
-    - ln -s /tests/xmlconf libxml2-build
+    - ln -s /tests/xmlconf .
   script:
     - sh .gitlab-ci/test_cmake.sh
   artifacts:
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ cmake:linux:clang:static:
   cache:
     key: "$MSYSTEM"
     paths:
-      - libxml2-build/xmlconf/
+      - xmlconf/
   artifacts:
     paths:
       - libxml2-$Env:CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA-$Env:SUFFIX.tar.gz
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ cmake:mingw:w64-x86_64:static:
     key: "msvc"
     paths:
       - cmake-$Env:CMAKE_VERSION-win64-x64/
-      - libxml2-build/xmlconf/
+      - xmlconf/
       - 7za.exe
   artifacts:
     paths:
@@ -283,6 +283,8 @@ cmake:msvc:v141:x86:static:
 
 meson:
   image: registry.gitlab.gnome.org/gnome/libxml2
+  before_script:
+    - ln -s /tests/xmlconf .
   script:
     - sh .gitlab-ci/test_meson.sh
 
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/Test-Msvc.ps1 b/.gitlab-ci/Test-Msvc.ps1
index 796d75c1..61642443 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/Test-Msvc.ps1
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/Test-Msvc.ps1
@@ -15,11 +15,12 @@ if (-not (Test-Path 7za.exe)) {
     cmake -E tar xf 7z1900-extra.7z 7za.exe
 }
 
-if (-not (Test-Path libxml2-build/xmlconf)) {
+if (-not (Test-Path xmlconf)) {
     Invoke-WebRequest `
         -Uri https://www.w3.org/XML/Test/xmlts20080827.tar.gz `
         -OutFile xmlts20080827.tar.gz ;
-    .\7za.exe x xmlts20080827.tar.gz -olibxml2-build
+    .\7za.exe x xmlts20080827.tar.gz
+    .\7za.exe x xmlts20080827.tar
 }
 
 cmake `
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/setup_mingw.sh b/.gitlab-ci/setup_mingw.sh
index 7e61c349..e9df9a62 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/setup_mingw.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/setup_mingw.sh
@@ -10,8 +10,9 @@ for module in libiconv python xz zlib "$@"; do
     pacman --noconfirm -S --needed ${prefix}$module
 done
 
-if [ ! -e libxml2-build/xmlconf ]; then
-    mkdir -p libxml2-build
+mkdir -p libxml2-build
+
+if [ ! -e xmlconf ]; then
     wget https://www.w3.org/XML/Test/xmlts20080827.tar -O - |
-       tar -x -C libxml2-build
+       tar -x
 fi
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5aa5ea82..8ae69302 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ cmake_dependent_option(
     LIBXML2_WITH_XPTR "Add the XPointer support" ON
     "LIBXML2_WITH_XPATH" OFF)
 
-set(LIBXML2_XMLCONF_WORKING_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} CACHE PATH "Working directory for XML Conformance Test Suite")
-
 if(LIBXML2_WITH_PYTHON)
     find_package(Python COMPONENTS Interpreter Development REQUIRED)
     #set(LIBXML2_PYTHON_INSTALL_DIR ${Python_SITEARCH} CACHE PATH "Python bindings install directory")
@@ -506,8 +504,8 @@ if(LIBXML2_WITH_TESTS)
     endif()
     add_test(NAME runtest COMMAND runtest --out ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR} WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
     add_test(NAME runsuite COMMAND runsuite WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
-    if(EXISTS ${LIBXML2_XMLCONF_WORKING_DIR}/xmlconf/xmlconf.xml)
-        add_test(NAME runxmlconf COMMAND runxmlconf WORKING_DIRECTORY ${LIBXML2_XMLCONF_WORKING_DIR})
+    if(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xmlconf/xmlconf.xml)
+        add_test(NAME runxmlconf COMMAND runxmlconf WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR})
     endif()
     if(NOT WIN32)
         add_test(NAME testapi COMMAND testapi)
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index b30f50dd..ff40d994 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ check-local:
 	$(CHECKER) ./testdict$(EXEEXT)
 	$(CHECKER) ./testparser$(EXEEXT)
 	$(CHECKER) ./testModule$(EXEEXT)
-	$(CHECKER) ./runxmlconf$(EXEEXT)
+	$(CHECKER) ./runxmlconf$(EXEEXT) -d $(srcdir)/xmlconf
 	$(CHECKER) ./runsuite$(EXEEXT)
 if WITH_DEBUG_SOURCES
 	test/scripts/test.sh ./xmllint$(EXEEXT)
diff --git a/runxmlconf.c b/runxmlconf.c
index 62401e8e..10feb0b8 100644
--- a/runxmlconf.c
+++ b/runxmlconf.c
@@ -504,12 +504,14 @@ xmlconfInfo(void) {
 }
 
 static int
-xmlconfTest(void) {
-    const char *confxml = "xmlconf/xmlconf.xml";
+xmlconfTest(const char *dir) {
+    char confxml[500];
     xmlDocPtr doc;
     xmlNodePtr cur;
     int ret = 0;
 
+    snprintf(confxml, sizeof(confxml), "%s/xmlconf.xml", dir);
+
     if (!checkTestFile(confxml)) {
         fprintf(stderr, "%s is missing \n", confxml);
 	xmlconfInfo();
@@ -541,9 +543,11 @@ xmlconfTest(void) {
  ************************************************************************/
 
 int
-main(int argc ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, char **argv ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED) {
+main(int argc, char **argv) {
     int ret = 0;
     int old_errors, old_tests, old_leaks;
+    const char *dir = "xmlconf";
+    int i;
 
     logfile = fopen(LOGFILE, "wb");
     if (logfile == NULL) {
@@ -553,14 +557,22 @@ main(int argc ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, char **argv ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED) {
     }
     initializeLibxml2();
 
-    if ((argc >= 2) && (!strcmp(argv[1], "-v")))
-        verbose = 1;
-
+    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(argv[i], "-v") == 0) {
+            verbose = 1;
+        } else if (strcmp(argv[i], "-d") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
+            i += 1;
+            dir = argv[i];
+        } else {
+            fprintf(stderr, "invalid argument: %s\n", argv[i]);
+            return 1;
+        }
+    }
 
     old_errors = nb_errors;
     old_tests = nb_tests;
     old_leaks = nb_leaks;
-    xmlconfTest();
+    xmlconfTest(dir);
     if ((nb_errors == old_errors) && (nb_leaks == old_leaks))
 	printf("Ran %d tests, no errors\n", nb_tests - old_tests);
     else