diff --git a/crates/build/src/build.rs b/crates/build/src/build.rs
index 6e25ecc0f..03858133e 100644
--- a/crates/build/src/build.rs
+++ b/crates/build/src/build.rs
@@ -54,19 +54,9 @@ pub fn execute_build_program(
 }
 
 /// Internal helper function to build the program with or without arguments.
-///
-/// If the path is not absolute, it is assumed to be relative to the `CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR`.
 pub(crate) fn build_program_internal(path: impl AsRef<Path>, args: Option<BuildArgs>) {
     // Get the root package name and metadata.
-    //
-    // Note:
-    // You _MUST_ read the `CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR` at runtime (`std::env::var` as opposed to `env!`).
-    // Otherwise it will be the manifest dir of this crate, not the caller.
-    let mut program_dir = path.as_ref().to_path_buf();
-    if program_dir.is_relative() {
-        program_dir = Path::new(&std::env::var("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR").unwrap()).join(program_dir);
-    }
-
+    let program_dir = path.as_ref().to_path_buf();
     let metadata_file = program_dir.join("Cargo.toml");
     let mut metadata_cmd = cargo_metadata::MetadataCommand::new();
     let metadata = metadata_cmd.manifest_path(metadata_file).exec().unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/build/src/lib.rs b/crates/build/src/lib.rs
index 74ebfdaf9..2415b72ad 100644
--- a/crates/build/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/build/src/lib.rs
@@ -132,6 +132,43 @@ pub fn build_program_with_args(path: impl AsRef<Path>, args: BuildArgs) {
     build_program_internal(path, Some(args))
 }
 
+/// Builds the program with the given arguments if the program at path, or one of its dependencies,
+///
+/// ### Note: This function is only exposed to support the `build_program_from_path!` macro.
+///          It is not recommended to use this function directly.
+pub fn build_program_with_maybe_args(path: impl AsRef<Path>, args: Option<BuildArgs>) {
+    build_program_internal(path, args)
+}
+
+/// Build a program with the given _RELATIVE_ path.
+///
+/// # Arguments
+/// * `path` - A path to the guest program directory, if not absolute, assumed to be relative to
+///            the caller manifest directory.
+///
+///   `args` - A [`BuildArgs`] struct that contains various build configuration options.
+///            If not provided, the default options are used.
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! build_program_from_path {
+    ($path:expr, $args:expr) => {
+        const MANIFEST: &str = std::env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR");
+
+        fn adjust_path(p: impl AsRef<::std::path::Path>) -> ::std::path::PathBuf { 
+            let p = p.as_ref();
+            if p.is_absolute() {
+                p.to_path_buf()
+            } else {
+                ::std::path::Path::new(MANIFEST).join(p)
+            }
+        }
+
+        ::sp1_build::build_program_with_maybe_args(adjust_path($path), $args)
+    };
+    ($path:expr) => {
+        ::sp1_build::build_program_from_path!($path, None)
+    }
+}
+
 /// Returns the raw ELF bytes by the zkVM program target name.
 ///
 /// Note that this only works when using `sp1_build::build_program` or