diff --git a/net-libs/rb_libtorrent/rb_libtorrent-1.0.9-r1.ebuild b/net-libs/rb_libtorrent/rb_libtorrent-1.0.9-r1.ebuild
index 9476aa4b2b306..6a517b90ea423 100644
--- a/net-libs/rb_libtorrent/rb_libtorrent-1.0.9-r1.ebuild
+++ b/net-libs/rb_libtorrent/rb_libtorrent-1.0.9-r1.ebuild
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ RESTRICT="test"
 src_prepare() {
 	default
 
+	# make sure lib search dir points to the main `S` dir and not to python copies
+	sed -i "s|-L[^ ]*/src/\.libs|-L${S}/src/.libs|" \
+		-- 'bindings/python/link_flags.in' || die
+
 	# needed or else eautoreconf fails
 	mkdir build-aux && cp {m4,build-aux}/config.rpath || die
 
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ src_compile() {
 	default
 
 	python_compile() {
-		cd "${BUILD_DIR}/../bindings/python" || return 1
+		cd "${BUILD_DIR}/../bindings/python" || die
 		distutils-r1_python_compile
 	}
 	use python && distutils-r1_src_compile
@@ -92,7 +96,7 @@ src_install() {
 	default
 
 	python_install() {
-		cd "${BUILD_DIR}/../bindings/python" || return 1
+		cd "${BUILD_DIR}/../bindings/python" || die
 		distutils-r1_python_install
 	}
 	use python && distutils-r1_src_install