diff --git a/make/projects-dir.mk b/make/projects-dir.mk
index d719efd8..e36d0a8b 100644
--- a/make/projects-dir.mk
+++ b/make/projects-dir.mk
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ PROJECTS = $(shell cat projects.txt | sed '/^ *\#/ d')
 # TODO: this could be nicer
 CVS_PROJECTS = $(PROJECTS)
 else
-PROJECTS ?= $(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(wildcard */CVS */.git)))
+PROJECTS ?= $(shell ls -d */CVS */.git 2>/dev/null | sed 's%/[^/]*%%')
 CVS_PROJECTS = $(filter $(dir $(wildcard */CVS)),$(PROJECTS))
 endif