diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-obsolete.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-obsolete.rst
index d095867899c59ac8562f61bf10d32be3dba2d8f5..594e697aa1b2f478bd3ebdff3c1804aa3dfc51fd 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-obsolete.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-obsolete.rst
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ marked to be removed at some later point in time.
 The description of the interface will document the reason why it is
 obsolete and when it can be expected to be removed.
 
-.. kernel-abi:: $srctree/Documentation/ABI/obsolete
+.. kernel-abi:: ABI/obsolete
    :rst:
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-removed.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-removed.rst
index f7e9e43023c1360a74728b87b210ec5a806c5c59..f9e000c81828e5b4f83847b1efb662571131f9f7 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-removed.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-removed.rst
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ABI removed symbols
 ===================
 
-.. kernel-abi:: $srctree/Documentation/ABI/removed
+.. kernel-abi:: ABI/removed
    :rst:
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-stable.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-stable.rst
index 70490736e0d301a8f511fa1fa4469095a0faa337..fc3361d847b123a6b56a2ec2dbced51e3425a093 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-stable.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-stable.rst
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ for at least 2 years.
 Most interfaces (like syscalls) are expected to never change and always
 be available.
 
-.. kernel-abi:: $srctree/Documentation/ABI/stable
+.. kernel-abi:: ABI/stable
    :rst:
diff --git a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-testing.rst b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-testing.rst
index b205b16a72d08a475fa6e4cd6931d1f1d06e2ab6..19767926b344078f382ee01a9725fab0e91b3e8d 100644
--- a/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-testing.rst
+++ b/Documentation/admin-guide/abi-testing.rst
@@ -16,5 +16,5 @@ Programs that use these interfaces are strongly encouraged to add their
 name to the description of these interfaces, so that the kernel
 developers can easily notify them if any changes occur.
 
-.. kernel-abi:: $srctree/Documentation/ABI/testing
+.. kernel-abi:: ABI/testing
    :rst:
diff --git a/Documentation/sphinx/kernel_abi.py b/Documentation/sphinx/kernel_abi.py
index 49797c55479c4476d21e66afa49934c5083e34a7..5911bd0d7965713a4905db331818c57d23dadb73 100644
--- a/Documentation/sphinx/kernel_abi.py
+++ b/Documentation/sphinx/kernel_abi.py
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ import sys
 import re
 import kernellog
 
-from os import path
-
 from docutils import nodes, statemachine
 from docutils.statemachine import ViewList
 from docutils.parsers.rst import directives, Directive
@@ -73,60 +71,26 @@ class KernelCmd(Directive):
     }
 
     def run(self):
-
         doc = self.state.document
         if not doc.settings.file_insertion_enabled:
             raise self.warning("docutils: file insertion disabled")
 
-        env = doc.settings.env
-        cwd = path.dirname(doc.current_source)
-        cmd = "get_abi.pl rest --enable-lineno --dir "
-        cmd += self.arguments[0]
-
-        if 'rst' in self.options:
-            cmd += " --rst-source"
+        srctree = os.path.abspath(os.environ["srctree"])
 
-        srctree = path.abspath(os.environ["srctree"])
+        args = [
+            os.path.join(srctree, 'scripts/get_abi.pl'),
+            'rest',
+            '--enable-lineno',
+            '--dir', os.path.join(srctree, 'Documentation', self.arguments[0]),
+        ]
 
-        fname = cmd
-
-        # extend PATH with $(srctree)/scripts
-        path_env = os.pathsep.join([
-            srctree + os.sep + "scripts",
-            os.environ["PATH"]
-        ])
-        shell_env = os.environ.copy()
-        shell_env["PATH"]    = path_env
-        shell_env["srctree"] = srctree
+        if 'rst' in self.options:
+            args.append('--rst-source')
 
-        lines = self.runCmd(cmd, shell=True, cwd=cwd, env=shell_env)
+        lines = subprocess.check_output(args, cwd=os.path.dirname(doc.current_source)).decode('utf-8')
         nodeList = self.nestedParse(lines, self.arguments[0])
         return nodeList
 
-    def runCmd(self, cmd, **kwargs):
-        u"""Run command ``cmd`` and return its stdout as unicode."""
-
-        try:
-            proc = subprocess.Popen(
-                cmd
-                , stdout = subprocess.PIPE
-                , stderr = subprocess.PIPE
-                , **kwargs
-            )
-            out, err = proc.communicate()
-
-            out, err = codecs.decode(out, 'utf-8'), codecs.decode(err, 'utf-8')
-
-            if proc.returncode != 0:
-                raise self.severe(
-                    u"command '%s' failed with return code %d"
-                    % (cmd, proc.returncode)
-                )
-        except OSError as exc:
-            raise self.severe(u"problems with '%s' directive: %s."
-                              % (self.name, ErrorString(exc)))
-        return out
-
     def nestedParse(self, lines, fname):
         env = self.state.document.settings.env
         content = ViewList()