diff --git a/src/beesh.sh.in b/src/beesh.sh.in
index 2e746f3..1e4656b 100644
--- a/src/beesh.sh.in
+++ b/src/beesh.sh.in
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ function check_repositories() {
 }
 
 function build_in_sourcedir() {
-   B=${S}
+   BUILD_IN_SOURCEDIR=1
 }
 
 function add_sourcesubdir() {
@@ -946,34 +946,46 @@ PKGREVISION=
 
 eval $("${BEE_BINDIR}/beeversion" "${BEE}")
 
-if [ -z "${PKGNAME}" -o -z "${PKGVERSION}" -o -z "${PKGREVISION}" ] ; then
-    print_error "${BEE}: please use the proper package versioning (e.g. package-1.0-0)"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
-BEEPKGROOT="${BEE_TMP_BUILDROOT}/${PKGNAME}"
-BEEWORKDIR="${BEEPKGROOT}/${PKGFULLPKG}"
-
-F=${BEEPKGROOT}/files
-S=${BEEWORKDIR}/source
-B=${BEEWORKDIR}/build
-D=${BEEWORKDIR}/image
-
 ###############################################################################
 
 # clear PKGALLPKG since we can't trust PKGARCH in this state
 PKGALLPKG=
 
+S='S_NOT_YET_DEFINED'
 save_current_package_variables
 
 # source file.bee
 . "${BEE}"
 
+if [ "$B" = 'S_NOT_YET_DEFINED' ] ; then
+    print_warning "${BEE}: setting \$B=\"\$S\" is deprecated. use build_in_sourcedir instead."
+    build_in_sourcedir
+fi
+
 # now set PKGARCH if set or changed by user via ARCH=.. and not given via file.arch.bee
 : ${PKGARCH:=${ARCH}}
 
 extract_new_package_variables
 
+if [ -z "${PKGNAME}" -o -z "${PKGVERSION}" -o -z "${PKGREVISION}" ] ; then
+    print_error "${BEE}: please use the proper package versioning (e.g. package-1.0-0)"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+BEEPKGROOT="${BEE_TMP_BUILDROOT}/${PKGNAME}"
+BEEWORKDIR="${BEEPKGROOT}/${PKGFULLPKG}"
+
+F=${BEEPKGROOT}/files
+S=${BEEWORKDIR}/source
+B=${BEEWORKDIR}/build
+D=${BEEWORKDIR}/image
+
+if [ "$BUILD_IN_SOURCEDIR" ] ; then
+   print_info "BUILD_IN_SOURCEDIR requested"
+   B="$S"
+fi
+
+
 config_handle_deprecated_beefile
 expand_prefix_variables
 config_export