diff --git a/.github/workflows/c_actions.yml b/.github/workflows/c_actions.yml
index 4cc3d5f..40fe8ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/c_actions.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/c_actions.yml
@@ -70,21 +70,7 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         make -C spinnaker_tools install
         make -C spinn_common install
-        make -C SpiNNFrontEndCommon/c_common
-        make -C sPyNNaker/neural_modelling
-        make -C sPyNNaker/neural_modelling install
-        make -C c_models
-
-    - name: Build SpiNNaker C code globally
-      env:
-        SPINN_DIRS: ${{ github.workspace }}/spinn_dirs
-        C_LOGS_DICT: ${{ github.workspace }}/python_models8/model_binaries/logs.sqlite3
-        CFLAGS: -fdiagnostics-color=always
-      run: |
-        make -C spinnaker_tools install
-        make -C spinn_common install
-        make -C SpiNNFrontEndCommon/c_common
-        make -C sPyNNaker/neural_modelling
+        make -C SpiNNFrontEndCommon/c_common install
         make -C sPyNNaker/neural_modelling install
         make -C c_models
 
@@ -92,7 +78,10 @@ jobs:
       run: make clean; make SPYNNAKER_DEBUG=DEBUG
       working-directory: c_models
       env:
-        SPINN_DIRS: ${{ github.workspace }}/spinn_dirs
+        SPINN_INSTALL_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/spinnaker_tools_install
+        SPINN_COMMON_INSTALL_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/spinn_common_install
+        FEC_INSTALL_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/fec_install
+        SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/spynnaker_install
         C_LOGS_DICT: ${{ github.workspace }}/python_models8/model_binaries/logs.sqlite3
         CFLAGS: -fdiagnostics-color=always
 
diff --git a/c_models/makefiles/extra.mk b/c_models/makefiles/extra.mk
index 78e57f8..5af4af7 100644
--- a/c_models/makefiles/extra.mk
+++ b/c_models/makefiles/extra.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(if $(SPINN_DIRS), $(SPINN_DIRS)/spynnaker_install, $(error SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS is not set.  Please define SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS))))
+CUR_DIR := $(abspath $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))/)
+SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), (abspath $(CUR_DIR)/../../../sPyNNaker/neural_modelling)))
 
 # Work out the top-level project folder
 MAKEFILE_PATH := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
diff --git a/c_models/makefiles/extra_neuron.mk b/c_models/makefiles/extra_neuron.mk
index f5de65c..318180f 100644
--- a/c_models/makefiles/extra_neuron.mk
+++ b/c_models/makefiles/extra_neuron.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(if $(SPINN_DIRS), $(SPINN_DIRS)/spynnaker_install, $(error SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS is not set.  Please define SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS))))
+CUR_DIR := $(abspath $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))/)
+SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), (abspath $(CUR_DIR)/../../../sPyNNaker/neural_modelling)))
 
 # Work out the top-level project folder
 MAKEFILE_PATH := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
diff --git a/c_models/makefiles/extra_synapse.mk b/c_models/makefiles/extra_synapse.mk
index c6e5773..9fbbf55 100644
--- a/c_models/makefiles/extra_synapse.mk
+++ b/c_models/makefiles/extra_synapse.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(if $(SPINN_DIRS), $(SPINN_DIRS)/spynnaker_install, $(error SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS is not set.  Please define SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR or SPINN_DIRS))))
+CUR_DIR := $(abspath $(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))/)
+SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR := $(strip $(if $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), $(SPYNNAKER_INSTALL_DIR), (abspath $(CUR_DIR)/../../../sPyNNaker/neural_modelling)))
 
 # Work out the top-level project folder
 MAKEFILE_PATH := $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))