diff --git a/tools/combine_libs.py b/tools/combine_libs.py
index ec3fb6c58..3e7b11503 100644
--- a/tools/combine_libs.py
+++ b/tools/combine_libs.py
@@ -30,11 +30,11 @@ def Shell(*args):
   return output
 
 
-def CollectRemovals(remove_re, inputs):
+def CollectRemovals(remove_re, build_dir, inputs):
   '''Returns a list of all object files in inputs that match remove_re.'''
   removals = []
   for input in inputs:
-    output = Shell('lib.exe', '/list', input)
+    output = Shell('lib.exe', '/list', os.path.join(build_dir, input))
 
     for line in output:
       line = line.rstrip()
@@ -44,20 +44,20 @@ def CollectRemovals(remove_re, inputs):
   return removals
 
 
-def CombineLibraries(output, remove_re, inputs):
+def CombineLibraries(build_dir, output, remove_re, inputs):
   '''Combines all the libraries and objects in inputs, while removing any
   object files that match remove_re.
   '''
   removals = []
   if remove_re:
-    removals = CollectRemovals(remove_re, inputs)
+    removals = CollectRemovals(remove_re, build_dir, inputs)
 
   if len(removals) > 0:
     print('Removals: ', removals)
 
   args = ['lib.exe', '/out:%s' % output]
   args += ['/remove:%s' % obj for obj in removals]
-  args += inputs
+  args += [os.path.join(build_dir, input) for input in inputs]
   Shell(*args)
 
 
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ expression.
 
 def GetOptionParser():
   parser = optparse.OptionParser(USAGE)
+  parser.add_option(
+      '-b', '--build-dir', dest='build_dir', help='build directory')
   parser.add_option(
       '-o', '--output', dest='output', help='write to this output library')
   parser.add_option(
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ def Main():
   '''Main function for this script'''
   parser = GetOptionParser()
   (opt, args) = parser.parse_args()
+  build_dir = opt.build_dir
   output = opt.output
   remove = opt.remove
   if not output:
@@ -113,7 +116,7 @@ def Main():
   if 'VS_UNICODE_OUTPUT' in os.environ:
     del os.environ['VS_UNICODE_OUTPUT']
 
-  CombineLibraries(output, remove_re, args)
+  CombineLibraries(build_dir, output, remove_re, args)
   return 0
 
 
diff --git a/tools/make_distrib.py b/tools/make_distrib.py
index 5e76b37ca..32dff2ff8 100644
--- a/tools/make_distrib.py
+++ b/tools/make_distrib.py
@@ -367,8 +367,8 @@ def combine_libs(platform, build_dir, libs, dest_lib):
   """ Combine multiple static libraries into a single static library. """
   intermediate_obj = None
   if platform == 'windows':
-    cmdline = 'msvs_env.bat win%s "%s" combine_libs.py -o "%s"' % (
-        platform_arch, sys.executable, dest_lib)
+    cmdline = 'msvs_env.bat win%s "%s" combine_libs.py -b "%s" -o "%s"' % (
+        platform_arch, sys.executable, build_dir, dest_lib)
   elif platform == 'mac':
     # Find CEF_EXPORT symbols from libcef_sandbox.a (include/cef_sandbox_mac.h)
     # Export only symbols that include these strings.
@@ -400,6 +400,8 @@ def combine_libs(platform, build_dir, libs, dest_lib):
     for path in get_files(lib_path):  # Expand wildcards in |lib_path|.
       if not path_exists(path):
         raise Exception('File not found: ' + path)
+      if platform == 'windows':
+        path = os.path.relpath(path, build_dir)
       cmdline += ' "%s"' % path
   run(cmdline, os.path.join(cef_dir, 'tools'))