diff --git a/examples/lm3s/Makefile.include b/examples/lm3s/Makefile.include
index c1198462..4d774bea 100644
--- a/examples/lm3s/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/lm3s/Makefile.include
@@ -24,9 +24,14 @@ CC		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-# TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_lm3s.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -O0 -g3 -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include -fno-common \
 		   -mcpu=cortex-m3 -mthumb -MD
 LDSCRIPT	?= $(BINARY).ld
diff --git a/examples/lpc13xx/Makefile.include b/examples/lpc13xx/Makefile.include
index 47d906cf..afd0524c 100644
--- a/examples/lpc13xx/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/lpc13xx/Makefile.include
@@ -24,9 +24,14 @@ CC		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-# TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_lpc13xx.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -Os -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include -fno-common \
 		   -mcpu=cortex-m3 -mthumb -MD
 LDSCRIPT	?= $(BINARY).ld
diff --git a/examples/lpc17xx/Makefile.include b/examples/lpc17xx/Makefile.include
index 92df4b12..f620a72f 100644
--- a/examples/lpc17xx/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/lpc17xx/Makefile.include
@@ -24,9 +24,14 @@ CC		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-# TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_lpc17xx.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -O0 -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include -fno-common \
 		   -mcpu=cortex-m3 -mthumb -MD
 LDSCRIPT	?= $(BINARY).ld
diff --git a/examples/lpc43xx/Makefile.include b/examples/lpc43xx/Makefile.include
index 074192a6..b4717cdd 100644
--- a/examples/lpc43xx/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/lpc43xx/Makefile.include
@@ -27,9 +27,14 @@ LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
 GDB		= $(PREFIX)-gdb
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-# TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_lpc43xx.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -O2 -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include -fno-common \
 		   -mcpu=cortex-m4 -mthumb -MD \
 		   -mfloat-abi=hard -mfpu=fpv4-sp-d16
diff --git a/examples/stm32/f1/Makefile.include b/examples/stm32/f1/Makefile.include
index 31c6dccd..66865b85 100644
--- a/examples/stm32/f1/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/stm32/f1/Makefile.include
@@ -25,9 +25,14 @@ LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
 GDB		= $(PREFIX)-gdb
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-#TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_stm32f1.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!) 
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../../..
+endif
 ARCH_FLAGS      = -mthumb -mcpu=cortex-m3 -msoft-float
 CFLAGS		+= -Os -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include \
 		   -fno-common $(ARCH_FLAGS) -MD -DSTM32F1
diff --git a/examples/stm32/f2/Makefile.include b/examples/stm32/f2/Makefile.include
index f68da433..93f6ce6d 100644
--- a/examples/stm32/f2/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/stm32/f2/Makefile.include
@@ -26,9 +26,14 @@ LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
 GDB		= $(PREFIX)-gdb
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-#TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_stm32f2.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -Os -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include \
 		   -fno-common -mcpu=cortex-m3 -mthumb -msoft-float -MD -DSTM32F2
 LDSCRIPT	?= $(BINARY).ld
diff --git a/examples/stm32/f4/Makefile.include b/examples/stm32/f4/Makefile.include
index 42e7162d..2e915ce7 100644
--- a/examples/stm32/f4/Makefile.include
+++ b/examples/stm32/f4/Makefile.include
@@ -26,9 +26,14 @@ LD		= $(PREFIX)-gcc
 OBJCOPY		= $(PREFIX)-objcopy
 OBJDUMP		= $(PREFIX)-objdump
 GDB		= $(PREFIX)-gdb
-# Uncomment this line if you want to use the installed (not local) library.
-#TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
-TOOLCHAIN_DIR   = ../../../../..
+ifeq ($(shell ls ../../../../../lib/libopencm3_stm32f4.a 2>/dev/null),)
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := $(shell dirname `which $(CC)`)/../$(PREFIX)
+else
+ifeq ($(V),1)
+$(info We seem to be building the example in the source directory. Using local library!)
+endif
+TOOLCHAIN_DIR := ../../../../..
+endif
 CFLAGS		+= -Os -g -Wall -Wextra -I$(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/include \
 		   -fno-common -mcpu=cortex-m4 -mthumb -msoft-float -MD -DSTM32F4
 LDSCRIPT	?= $(BINARY).ld