diff --git a/crates/icepick/build.rs b/crates/icepick/build.rs
index b5e5b66..50c1471 100644
--- a/crates/icepick/build.rs
+++ b/crates/icepick/build.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,19 @@ fn track_path(path: &Path) {
     println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed={}", path.to_str().unwrap());
 }
 
+fn out_dir() -> PathBuf {
+    // example: [("OUT_DIR", "/tmp/cargo-target/debug/build/wat-c321129a1ce97284/out")]
+    // this gives us: /tmp/cargo-target/debug
+    let out_dir = env_var("OUT_DIR");
+    let mut out_dir_path = PathBuf::from(out_dir);
+    out_dir_path.pop();
+    out_dir_path.pop();
+    out_dir_path.pop();
+    out_dir_path
+}
+
 fn main() {
-    let out_dir = env_var("CARGO_TARGET_DIR");
+    let out_dir = out_dir();
     let crate_dir = env_var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR");
     let workflows_dir = PathBuf::from(crate_dir).join("workflows");
     track_path(&workflows_dir);
@@ -44,7 +55,7 @@ fn main() {
             workflows,
         );
     }
-    let out_path = PathBuf::from(out_dir).join("workflows.yaml");
+    let out_path = out_dir.join("workflows.yaml");
     let out_file = std::fs::File::create(&out_path).unwrap();
     serde_yaml::to_writer(out_file, &workflows_by_module).unwrap();
 }