diff --git a/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am b/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
index be8d3d1bcb..efbcf0802a 100644
--- a/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/gnome-utils/Makefile.am
@@ -229,9 +229,9 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 gnc-dir.h: gnc-dir.h.in ${top_builddir}/config.status Makefile
 	rm -f $@.tmp
 	sed < $< > $@.tmp \
-	    -e 's:@-GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR-@:${GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR}:g' \
-	    -e 's:@-GNC_GLADE_DIR-@:${GNC_GLADE_DIR}:g' \
-	    -e 's:@-GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY-@:${GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY}:g'
+	    -e 's#@-GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR-@#${GNC_ACCOUNTS_DIR}#g' \
+	    -e 's#@-GNC_GLADE_DIR-@#${GNC_GLADE_DIR}#g' \
+	    -e 's#@-GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY-@#${GCONF_SCHEMA_CONFIG_SOURCE_DIRONLY}#g'
 	mv $@.tmp $@
 
 gnc-version.h: _gnc-version.h