diff --git a/src/tools/boostbook.jam b/src/tools/boostbook.jam
index 44f19ed73..8f3f916a9 100644
--- a/src/tools/boostbook.jam
+++ b/src/tools/boostbook.jam
@@ -77,18 +77,25 @@ rule init ( docbook-xsl-dir ? : docbook-dtd-dir ? )
     {
       .docbook-dtd-dir = [ path.make $(docbook-dtd-dir) ] ;
     }
+    
+    local boost-build-path = [ modules.peek : BOOST_BUILD_PATH ] ;
     local boost-root = [ modules.peek : BOOST_ROOT ] ;
-    if $(boost-root)
+    local search-dirs = $(boost-root)/tools/boostbook $(boost-build-path)/../boostbook ;
+    local boostbook-xsl-dir = [ GLOB $(search-dirs) : xsl ] ;
+    local boostbook-dtd-dir = [ GLOB $(search-dirs) : dtd ] ;
+    .boostbook-xsl-dir = [ path.make $(boostbook-xsl-dir[1]) ] ;
+    .boostbook-dtd-dir = [ path.make $(boostbook-dtd-dir[1]) ] ;
+
+    if ! $(.boostbook-xsl-dir) || ! $(.boostbook-dtd-dir)
     {
-      local boost-root-path = [ path.make $(boost-root) ] ;
-      .boostbook-xsl-dir = [ path.join $(boost-root-path) tools boostbook xsl/ ] ;
-      .boostbook-dtd-dir = [ path.join $(boost-root-path) tools boostbook dtd/ ] ;
+        errors.error
+          couldn't find BoostBook xsl/ or dtd/ directories; 
+        : please set \"BOOST_ROOT\" variable to the root directory of
+        your boost installation.  Searched in:
+          : $(search-dirs:J="
+") ;
+          
     }
-    else
-    {
-        errors.error 
-          "Boost root is not specified. Don't know where to find BoostBook files." ;
-    }        
   }
 }