diff --git a/lang/python/python/files/python-host.mk b/lang/python/python-host.mk
similarity index 90%
rename from lang/python/python/files/python-host.mk
rename to lang/python/python-host.mk
index e836eae71d..d4dc81fa91 100644
--- a/lang/python/python/files/python-host.mk
+++ b/lang/python/python-host.mk
@@ -5,11 +5,15 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
+# Note: include this after `include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk in your package Makefile
+#       if `python-package.mk` is included, this will already be included
+
 ifneq ($(__python_host_mk_inc),1)
 __python_host_mk_inc=1
 
 # For PYTHON_VERSION
-$(call include_mk, python-version.mk)
+python_mk_path:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+include $(python_mk_path)python-version.mk
 
 HOST_PYTHON_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOSTPKG)
 HOST_PYTHON_INC_DIR:=$(HOST_PYTHON_DIR)/include/python$(PYTHON_VERSION)
diff --git a/lang/python/python/files/python-package-install.sh b/lang/python/python-package-install.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from lang/python/python/files/python-package-install.sh
rename to lang/python/python-package-install.sh
diff --git a/lang/python/python/files/python-package.mk b/lang/python/python-package.mk
similarity index 95%
rename from lang/python/python/files/python-package.mk
rename to lang/python/python-package.mk
index 9c231f6ecf..2bcae919e5 100644
--- a/lang/python/python/files/python-package.mk
+++ b/lang/python/python-package.mk
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
-$(call include_mk, python-version.mk)
+# Note: include this after `include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk in your package Makefile
+
+python_mk_path:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+include $(python_mk_path)python-host.mk
 
 PYTHON_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
 PYTHON_BIN_DIR:=$(PYTHON_DIR)/bin
@@ -89,8 +92,6 @@ define PyPackage
   endif # Package/$(1)/install
 endef
 
-$(call include_mk, python-host.mk)
-
 # $(1) => commands to execute before running pythons script
 # $(2) => python script and its arguments
 # $(3) => additional variables
diff --git a/lang/python/python/files/python-version.mk b/lang/python/python-version.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from lang/python/python/files/python-version.mk
rename to lang/python/python-version.mk
diff --git a/lang/python/python/Makefile b/lang/python/python/Makefile
index 3c7b3bf6ce..84415d6bf8 100644
--- a/lang/python/python/Makefile
+++ b/lang/python/python/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 # For PYTHON_VERSION
-include ./files/python-version.mk
+include ../python-version.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=python
 PKG_VERSION:=$(PYTHON_VERSION).$(PYTHON_VERSION_MICRO)
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ PKG_LICENSE:=PSF
 PKG_LICENSE_FILES:=LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi_msvc/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/darwin/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi_osx/LICENSE Tools/pybench/LICENSE
 
 # This file provides the necsessary host build variables
-include ./files/python-host.mk
+include ../python-host.mk
 
 # For PyPackage
-include ./files/python-package.mk
+include ../python-package.mk
 
 PKG_FIXUP:=autoreconf
 PKG_INSTALL:=1
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-host.mk b/lang/python/python3-host.mk
similarity index 90%
rename from lang/python/python3/files/python3-host.mk
rename to lang/python/python3-host.mk
index 4990d33a01..2a418d5043 100644
--- a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-host.mk
+++ b/lang/python/python3-host.mk
@@ -5,11 +5,15 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
+# Note: include this after `include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk in your package Makefile
+#       if `python3-package.mk` is included, this will already be included
+
 ifneq ($(__python3_host_mk_inc),1)
 __python3_host_mk_inc=1
 
 # For PYTHON3_VERSION
-$(call include_mk, python3-version.mk)
+python3_mk_path:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+include $(python3_mk_path)python3-version.mk
 
 HOST_PYTHON3_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR_HOSTPKG)
 HOST_PYTHON3_INC_DIR:=$(HOST_PYTHON3_DIR)/include/python$(PYTHON3_VERSION)
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-package-install.sh b/lang/python/python3-package-install.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from lang/python/python3/files/python3-package-install.sh
rename to lang/python/python3-package-install.sh
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-package.mk b/lang/python/python3-package.mk
similarity index 95%
rename from lang/python/python3/files/python3-package.mk
rename to lang/python/python3-package.mk
index 93b14fac23..25d98342aa 100644
--- a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-package.mk
+++ b/lang/python/python3-package.mk
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
-$(call include_mk, python3-version.mk)
+# Note: include this after `include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk in your package Makefile
+python3_mk_path:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+include $(python3_mk_path)python3-host.mk
 
 PYTHON3_DIR:=$(STAGING_DIR)/usr
 PYTHON3_BIN_DIR:=$(PYTHON3_DIR)/bin
@@ -89,8 +91,6 @@ define Py3Package
   endif # Package/$(1)/install
 endef
 
-$(call include_mk, python3-host.mk)
-
 # $(1) => commands to execute before running pythons script
 # $(2) => python script and its arguments
 # $(3) => additional variables
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/files/python3-version.mk b/lang/python/python3-version.mk
similarity index 100%
rename from lang/python/python3/files/python3-version.mk
rename to lang/python/python3-version.mk
diff --git a/lang/python/python3/Makefile b/lang/python/python3/Makefile
index 6c293ef4d6..dbda239abe 100644
--- a/lang/python/python3/Makefile
+++ b/lang/python/python3/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 # The file included below defines PYTHON_VERSION
-include ./files/python3-version.mk
+include ../python3-version.mk
 
 PYTHON_VERSION:=$(PYTHON3_VERSION)
 PYTHON_VERSION_MICRO:=$(PYTHON3_VERSION_MICRO)
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ PKG_LICENSE:=PSF
 PKG_LICENSE_FILES:=LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi_msvc/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/darwin/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi/LICENSE Modules/_ctypes/libffi_osx/LICENSE Tools/pybench/LICENSE
 
 # This file provides the necsessary host build variables
-include ./files/python3-host.mk
+include ../python3-host.mk
 
 # For Py3Package
-include ./files/python3-package.mk
+include ../python3-package.mk
 
 PKG_FIXUP:=autoreconf
 PKG_INSTALL:=1