diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
index bc357bd059..664e519da2 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
@@ -277,6 +277,12 @@ correct_prefix (gchar **path)
   if (strncmp (*path, GTK_PREFIX "/", strlen (GTK_PREFIX "/")) == 0 ||
       strncmp (*path, GTK_PREFIX "\\", strlen (GTK_PREFIX "\\")) == 0)
     {
+      if (strlen(*path) > 5 && strncmp (*path - 5, ".libs", 5) == 0)
+        {
+          /* We are being run from inside the build tree, and shouldn't mess about. */
+          return;
+	}
+
       /* This is an entry put there by gdk-pixbuf-query-loaders on the
        * packager's system. On Windows a prebuilt GTK+ package can be
        * installed in a random location. The gdk-pixbuf.loaders file