diff --git a/doc/module.mk b/doc/module.mk
--- a/doc/module.mk
+++ b/doc/module.mk
@@ -464,14 +464,12 @@ maintainer-clean-local: doxyhtml-maintai
 	$(srcdir)/doc/interpreter/config-images.sh $(top_srcdir)
 
 $(refcard_DVI) : %.dvi : %.tex doc/refcard/$(octave_dirstamp)
-	-$(AM_V_TEX)cd $(@D) && \
-	TEXINPUTS="$(srcdir)/doc/refcard:$(TEXINPUTS):" \
-	$(TEX) $< $(AM_V_texidevnull)
+	-$(AM_V_TEX)TEXINPUTS="$(srcdir)/doc/refcard:$(TEXINPUTS):" \
+	$(TEX) -output-directory $(@D) $< $(AM_V_texidevnull)
 
 $(refcard_PDF) : %.pdf : %.tex doc/refcard/$(octave_dirstamp)
-	-$(AM_V_PDFTEX)cd $(@D) && \
-	TEXINPUTS="$(srcdir)/doc/refcard:$(TEXINPUTS):" \
-	$(PDFTEX) $< $(AM_V_texidevnull)
+	-$(AM_V_PDFTEX)TEXINPUTS="$(srcdir)/doc/refcard:$(TEXINPUTS):" \
+	$(PDFTEX) -output-directory $(@D) $< $(AM_V_texidevnull)
 
 endif