diff --git a/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_dir b/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_dir
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e149536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_dir
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+configure do
+  rscons "sub"
+  rscons "sub", "-f", "Rsconscript2", "configure"
+  puts "top configure"
+end
+
+build do
+  rscons "sub", "-f", "Rsconscript2", "build"
+  puts "top build"
+end
diff --git a/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_samedir b/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_samedir
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ff8f9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/subsidiary/Rsconscript_samedir
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+build do
+  rscons "second", "build"
+  puts "top build"
+end
diff --git a/build_tests/subsidiary/second b/build_tests/subsidiary/second
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33c102b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_tests/subsidiary/second
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+build do
+  puts "second build"
+end
diff --git a/doc/user_guide.md b/doc/user_guide.md
index 1d6a8ed..daea865 100644
--- a/doc/user_guide.md
+++ b/doc/user_guide.md
@@ -882,11 +882,18 @@ This can be used, for example, when a subproject is imported and a top-level
 `configure` or `build` operation should also perform the same operation in the
 subproject directory.
 
+The first argument to the `rscons` method specifies either a directory name, or
+the path to the subsidiary Rsconscript file to execute.
+Any additional arguments are passed to `rscons` when it executes the subsidiary
+script.
+`rscons` will change working directories to the directory containing the
+subsidiary script when executing it.
+
 For example:
 
 ```ruby
 configure do
-  rscons "subproject/Rsconscript", "configure"
+  rscons "subproject", "configure"
 end
 
 build do
diff --git a/lib/rscons/script.rb b/lib/rscons/script.rb
index b168666..4f2ece2 100644
--- a/lib/rscons/script.rb
+++ b/lib/rscons/script.rb
@@ -8,21 +8,28 @@ module Rscons
 
       # Invoke rscons in a subprocess for a subsidiary Rsconscript file.
       #
-      # @param script_path [String]
-      #   Path to subsidiary Rsconscript to execute.
+      # @param path [String]
+      #   Path to subsidiary Rsconscript to execute, or path to subsidiary
+      #   directory to run rscons in.
       # @param args[Array<String>]
       #   Arguments to pass to rscons subprocess.
-      def rscons(script_path, *args)
-        script_path = File.expand_path(script_path)
+      def rscons(path, *args)
         me = File.expand_path($0)
-        command = [me, "-f", script_path, *args]
+        path = File.expand_path(path)
+        if File.directory?(path)
+          command = [me, *args]
+          dir = path
+        else
+          command = [me, "-f", path, *args]
+          dir = File.dirname(path)
+        end
+        print_dir = dir != "." && dir != File.expand_path(Dir.pwd)
         if ENV["specs"] and not ENV["dist_specs"] # specs
           command = ["ruby", $LOAD_PATH.map {|p| ["-I", p]}, command].flatten # specs
         end # specs
-        dir = File.dirname(script_path)
-        puts "Entering directory '#{dir}'..."
+        puts "rscons: Entering directory '#{dir}'" if print_dir
         result = system(*command, chdir: dir)
-        puts "Leaving directory '#{dir}'..."
+        puts "rscons: Leaving directory '#{dir}'" if print_dir
         unless result
           raise RsconsError.new("Failed command: " + command.join(" "))
         end
diff --git a/spec/build_tests_spec.rb b/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
index 8669577..b364c55 100644
--- a/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/build_tests_spec.rb
@@ -2607,28 +2607,84 @@ EOF
   end
 
   context "with subsidiary scripts" do
-    it "executes the subsidiary script from configure block" do
-      test_dir "subsidiary"
+    context "with a script specified" do
+      it "executes the subsidiary script from configure block" do
+        test_dir "subsidiary"
 
-      result = run_rscons(op: %W[configure])
-      expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
-      verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
-        %r{sub Rsconscript configure},
-        %r{sub Rsconscript build},
-        %r{sub Rsconscript2 configure},
-        %r{top configure},
-      ])
+        result = run_rscons(op: %W[configure])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript configure},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript build},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript2 configure},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{top configure},
+        ])
+      end
+
+      it "executes the subsidiary script from build block" do
+        test_dir "subsidiary"
+
+        result = run_rscons(op: %W[configure])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        result = run_rscons(op: %W[build])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
+          %r{sub Rsconscript2 build},
+          %r{top build},
+        ])
+      end
     end
 
-    it "executes the subsidiary script from build block" do
+    context "with a directory specified" do
+      it "executes the subsidiary script from configure block" do
+        test_dir "subsidiary"
+
+        result = run_rscons(rsconscript: "Rsconscript_dir", op: %W[configure])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript configure},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript build},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{Entering directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{sub Rsconscript2 configure},
+          %r{Leaving directory '.*/sub'},
+          %r{top configure},
+        ])
+      end
+
+      it "executes the subsidiary script from build block" do
+        test_dir "subsidiary"
+
+        result = run_rscons(rsconscript: "Rsconscript_dir", op: %W[configure])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        result = run_rscons(rsconscript: "Rsconscript_dir", op: %W[build])
+        expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+        verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
+          %r{sub Rsconscript2 build},
+          %r{top build},
+        ])
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "does not print entering/leaving directory messages when the subsidiary script is in the same directory" do
       test_dir "subsidiary"
 
-      result = run_rscons(op: %W[configure])
+      result = run_rscons(rsconscript: "Rsconscript_samedir", op: %W[configure])
       expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
-      result = run_rscons(op: %W[build])
+      result = run_rscons(rsconscript: "Rsconscript_samedir", op: %W[build])
       expect(result.stderr).to eq ""
+      expect(result.stdout).to_not match(%{(Entering|Leaving) directory})
       verify_lines(lines(result.stdout), [
-        %r{sub Rsconscript2 build},
+        %r{second build},
         %r{top build},
       ])
     end